story by Riata Cummings
Vernal, Utah is home to 13-year-old rodeo athlete Carson Lawson. Carson is the second child of Roy and Falon Lawson, and has two brothers, Wyatt and Quade. Together they spend a lot of time on the rodeo road and in the roping arena, but they also enjoy time spent moving cows and enjoying the great outdoors. Carson is an eighth grader at Vernal Middle School, where his favorite classes include math and history. Outside of rodeo, Carson enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, or ranching. According to his friends and family, Carson is a fun-loving and outgoing kid, in and out of the arena.
Carson has been around horses for as long as he can remember and started rodeoing competitively when he was in sixth grade. He enjoys being a member of the Utah Junior High School Rodeo Association because it gives him the opportunity to associate with good people and competitive athletes. He competes in the tiedown roping, team roping, goat tying, and ribbon roping. He especially enjoys tiedown because of the added challenge of complexity and attention to detail. He knows how much effort it takes to put together a good run and pushes himself to develop all the different skills necessary for the event.
Carson’s two main mounts are Ellie and Handy. Handy is the favorite of the two and assists Carson during the team roping and goat tying events. Carson has had to work hard to train Handy to be a head horse, but the pair get along well in the arena. Carson has already qualified for the state finals and is looking forward to the heightened competition in Heber City at the end of the season. His goal is to finish in the top 4 in order to qualify for the National Junior High School Finals Rodeo.
Rodeo has taught Carson never to give up. It has shown him the value of constant practice and seeking for improvement. He lives by the saying, “Practice like you’ve never won, compete like you’ve never lost.” The quote reminds him that there is always room for improvement and confidence is key in the arena. Rodeo has challenged Carson, teaching him persistence and patience. Eventually, he would like to compete in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Carson’s hero is his father, Roy. His dad was instrumental in getting them into the sport of rodeo and Carson is grateful for his help and direction. Carson would like to thank his parents for their support and assistance doing what he loves, and for the opportunity to rodeo.
