story by Lindsay King
His feet rack back in an upward motion along the neck of a bareback horse, this is Clayton Moss’ favorite place to be in the world and the reason he rides. “I used to ride bulls, but my big brother Zach Hibler, 21, rides bareback horses in the PRCA. He helped me fall in love with it,” said the 13-year-old, Wheeler, Texas, native. Riding sheep since he was little bitty, Clayton has wanted to rodeo and win a gold buckle ever since. Rodeo is a family sport for Clayton, his mom, Brandi Hibler, rodeoed in high school and his brother’s Layton Hibler, 20, and Kyler Moss, 10, all ride rough stock of some kind.
The biggest influence in Clayton’s rodeo life is Zach. His brother and rodeo coach, Zach is Clayton’s favorite bareback rider of all time. “He teaches me how to work out for my event and we get on the spur board every day. He watches all my rides and tells me how to do better and then I watch his rides.” Clayton also looks up to Jake Brown and Bill Tutor, who have helped him with his riding. “When Zach is on the road, Luke Schalla helps me out a lot. He used to pull my bull ropes when I rode them.”
The friendly yet competitive environment of the OKJHSRA is what keeps Clayton coming back. “I like all the people, nobody is mean to anyone. Whenever you need a hand, there is a friend right there. The Texas association was just so big that I didn’t know anybody. In Oklahoma, everybody knows your name.” His favorite rodeo so far was the Border Bash with Kansas at the Lazy E. “I get to see some of the competition before nationals and it is fairly close to home so people can come and watch me. And it is just a nice place to compete.”
In January, Clayton had a tough break on a bull. He got hung up and the bull stepped on his right ankle, breaking it in several places. “The first doctor said my toe was cracked and that’s it but then a surgeon said my growth plate was cracked in my heel.” Crutches for eight weeks and a boot for three, the doctors then cleared Clayton for rodeo and sports. “The day after that I got on bulls and ran track, I didn’t really slow down at all. It was still hurting so we went to the doctor again and it was still broken in eight places.” Clayton’s ankle set him backwards in the overall standings, but he came back stronger than ever in Durant, winning the second round.
He managed to finish third at state, earning a place on his first national team. “My goal next year is to win state and to win at Guthrie again. I have only been on two really big horses, so I want to start getting on more of those.” With most of his scores hovering in the 70s, Clayton is working towards scoring in the 80s this this coming season. Though rodeo is his favorite sport, Clayton also wears a jersey for Wheeler ISD in track, basketball and football. “High jump is probably my favorite, I just like to get off the ground I guess. But this was my first year doing it and that was on a broken ankle, so I am not sure if I am good at it or not.” Outside of roping at the house and rodeo, Clayton likes to hunt coons and ride colts with his grandpa, Lee Hibler. His niece, Laykin Rae, Layton’s daughter, has a special place in Colten’s heart, alongside his grandpa.
However, Clayton is most thankful for his mom, Brandi Hibler, “My mom is everything to me, she takes me to all my rodeos and is supportive of everything I do, she always finds a way to get me and my little brother Kyler down road to the next rodeo.”
