story by Ruth Nicolaus
Tyson Stracke has a great crew in the practice pen.
He’s got his dad and his little sister Reagan to run the chutes, family friend Kelly Kohle to untie calves, and his dog Tess to run calves down the alley.
The thirteen year old cowboy, a member of the Nebraska Junior High School Association is a team roper (heeling for Dalton Garey), ribbon roper (roping for Jaden Mathis), breakaway roper and goat tyer.
He lives outside Stuart, Nebraska, on a farm and ranch, where he helps with the cattle chores. In the summer, he spends his mornings doctoring cattle before heading out to the hay field. In the winter, on weekends, he’ll help move and work cattle and take care of his roping calves.
Tyson has two horses he rides for his events. Earl is his newest horse, an eight-year-old bay he purchased from a former Nebraska junior high rodeo contestant. He uses Earl for the breakaway. His heel and goat horse is Fred, a ten-year-old palomino. Of the two, Earl is his favorite, because “he has a big stop on him, and he’s a good minded horse,” he said.
An eighth grade student at Stuart Public School, he likes geography class and his geography teacher, Mr. Ludwig, because “he makes class fun. He’s a really nice guy.” Mr. Ludwig is also his track coach.
His keyboarding class is his least favorite, even though he can type correctly with the right fingers on the right keys.
He plays basketball, football, runs track, is a member of 4-H, and is on the A Honor Roll.
One of the most fun trips he’s taken was to the American in Arlington, Texas last February. While in Texas, his family visited the assassination site of President John F. Kennedy.
The most fun he’s had on a vacation was to San Diego in 2016. The family got to see the ocean, kayak, and do other fun things.
Tyson’s favorite food is tacos; his favorite dessert is pumpkin pie; his favorite snack is Dot’s Pretzels; his favorite soda pop is Pepsi, and his favorite vegetable is raw carrots.
Tyson has competed at state junior high finals both his sixth and seventh grade years.
When he grows up, he’d like to be a rancher alongside his dad.
He has two older sisters: Alison, who is nineteen, Madison, age fifteen, and a younger sister, Reagan, who is ten.
He is the son of Mike and the late Jenny Stracke.
