story by Riata Christiansen
Twin brothers Wyatt and Will hail from Emery County, Utah, where they spend a lot of time roping, riding, and ranching. They come from a family of all boys, and have three younger brothers. Cole, Zayne, and Jess all seem to be following in their older brothers’ footsteps.
Wyatt and Will are juniors at Emery High School, and Wyatt was recently elected to the office of secretary for the Emery High School Rodeo Club. They enjoy their welding classes, and don’t mind getting their hands dirty, whether that be on the ranch or in the shop. The boys both work hard, and they know the effort it takes to be competitive and stay competitive. They rope just about every day they can, and the whole family gets involved. Mom and Dad, Jodi and Rod, help to run the chutes and encourage the boys to be better all the time. The little brothers help push the cows up and are handy with the helpful and sometimes comical remarks.
Sharing the responsibilities of oldest, they had to be tough and handy to keep up with the ranch. They learned how to fix fence, change sprinklers, drive tractors, rope r and ride colts at a young age. That gave them a step up when it came to rodeo and with a little polishing they became talented team ropers. They both compete in calf roping as well as being team roping partners. Will spins them left and Wyatt scoops up the heels to keep the time on the clock, and so far, they are doing pretty well.
The last two years they have gone to Winnemucca, Nevada, for the Silver State International Rodeo. They have a lot of fun out there, but this year they are working on a spot to the National High School Finals Rodeo. In the arena, one of the things they are known for is their matching palomino team roping horses. Wyatt and Will may not look a lot alike, but their horses look like brothers. Though they have competed in lots of unaffiliated ropings with various partners, their connection as twins helps them excel in the rodeo arena. They know how the other works, thinks, and ropes. This gives them an edge that only comes from years of working together like only twin brothers can do.
