story by Lily Weinacht
Cadon Remington from Hiawatha, Kansas, is leading the KHSRA all-around cowboy standings, along with the cutting and reining cow horse. The 18-year-old is also sitting third in team roping and sixth in tie-down roping, and he attributes his progress to many hours of hard work, and a change in horsepower this year. “This spring I bought a head horse, Turtle Dove, through a guy who worked for Bobby Lewis, and he’s definitely taken me to another level in the roping,” says Cadon, who started competing when he was 5. “Reed Boos has definitely made me better in the calf roping this year, so that has been a big game changer, and he ropes with me quite a bit.”
While Cadon comes from a family of team ropers—all three of his older brothers rope—his passion is the cutting and reining cow horse. “I’ve always told them I’d rather cut a cow for two minutes than rope for two hours. I love the adrenaline rush, like when you get a cow out in front of you and your horse starts quivering—it’s pretty cool.” Although neither Cadon nor his family come from a cutting background, that didn’t stop him from learning how, and as a sophomore, he talked his parents into purchasing a cutting horse. “It’s definitely opened up a lot of connections, and I’ve learned a lot,” says Cadon, who shows in the National Cutting Horse Association, World Cutting Horse Association, and American Quarter Horse Association.
During the 2018 AQHYA Youth World Show, Cadon took third in the cutting and breakaway roping, finished in the top five in team roping, and won the world title in tie-down roping. He accomplished it all on one horse, Freaky, who was his Christmas present last year. “I also have my head horse, Turtle Dove. He’s a paint and he has a mark on his head that looks like a dove. My cow horse is Boyd—he was bought and trained through Brad Lund—and I also haul another young horse named Lego. We bought him a couple years ago, but this is his first year getting hauled.
“We have a really nice facility that I rope in every day. You definitely have to take a step back and be thankful for everything you have,” says Cadon. “I look up to all of my family, especially my brothers, Cole, Cody, and Chance; as well as Brad Lund, my cow horse trainer; Mark Lewis; Seth and Mandy Kirchner my cutting horse trainers; and Reed Boos. Those are some of my biggest supporters. I just like the people around me pushing me to do better, and the drive of wanting to do good.” Cadon ropes often with his brother Cole, and heads for JD Robson at KHSRA rodeos. “This is our first year, and we’ve never even practiced together and we’re sitting third in the team roping. We just got together and roped, and it’s worked out so far.”
A senior, Cadon studies through Manhattan Virtual Academy, an online school he started with as a sophomore. He loves the flexibility it gives his schedule for rodeo and practice. Cadon also enjoys fishing and deer hunting in his free time, and spending time with his family, including his step-sister, Madison, who likes to ride; his dad and step-mom, Stan and JoAnn Remington; and his mom and step-dad, Tina and Ryan Miller.
“Instead of professional rodeo, I’d rather show horses,” Cadon finishes. “That’s what I plan to do after college rodeo. I’d like to go to vet school—Sammy Crosby, our vet in Edmond, Oklahoma, has pushed me toward that—and eventually specialize in equine lameness.”
