story by Michele Toberer
Colt Hayes is competing in the Mid-States Rodeo Association for the first time this year and has hopes of qualifying for the season finals his rookie year. He is no stranger to rodeo competition, and as a second-generation calf roper, he’s been surrounded by it most of his life. The MSRA seemed like a perfect fit for him this season, as he now lives in Brownsburg, Indiana and has a multitude of MSRA sanctioned rodeos within close proximity. “I can go to quite a few rodeos that are just in this small midwestern area, so it’s really helpful. I work 50 to 60 hours each week, and with so many nearby rodeos, I can still go to as many rodeos as I can stand. Plus, the rodeos pay well, enough to keep you going, which is about all you can ask.”
Colt started high school in Canton, Texas, where he lived with his dad, Kevin Hayes. However midway through his sophomore year when his dad passed away, their close family friend, Rope Myers, took him in to live with his family in Van, Texas. Rope Myers is a world champion steer wrestler and has won multiple college and national finals titles over his long career. Kevin rodeoed with Rope in his younger years and the two were great friends. “Candace, Rope, and their four kids and I all got very close after my dad passed away. They brought me into their home, and I lived with them until I graduated from high school and went on to college.” Colt continued to calf rope through high school in the Texas High School Rodeo Association, and also steer wrestled his junior and senior year. He qualified for the THSRA state finals in calf roping his junior year, and in calf roping and steer wrestling his junior and senior years.
A football athlete from the time he was 9 years old, Colt chose football to help get his college education, and played as a linebacker for the Franklin Grizzlies football team at Franklin College, just 20 minutes south of Indianapolis, Indiana. After graduating in 2018 with a business degree, Colt took a position with Jackson Oil and Solvents in Indianapolis, where he works as a fuel management specialist and assistant manager. Colt is grateful to be nearby his older brother, Clay and his family, as well as grandparents and other extended family. “I had to lay off rodeo competition some during college, as I was pretty busy between football and classes; but since graduating from college, I’ve started rodeoing as much as I can when I am not working. And other than that, I spend as much time as I can with my family.”
Colt is excited about the 10-year-old sorrel mare, Sally, that he bought last year from a friend, and is looking forward to getting her seasoned and matured for rodeo competition. He spends a lot of time practicing with Jeff Chapman, Billy Good, Doug Clark, and his brother Clay. “They have all really shaped how I look at things; how I look at different set-ups and the ways to go about each run. My main goal right now is to make the Mid-States finals my rookie year, and I am also hoping to make the IPRA finals as well. If I could get both those goals accomplished would be great.”
Colt is especially thankful to people in his life that have rallied around him and been a system of support through his life. “I really appreciate my family, the Myers family, and Jeff, Billy, Doug, and Clay. My dad took me as far as he could, and they are taking me as far as I’ll allow them to take me. They’ve all been a great help to me, and I have no complaints.”
