story by Lindsay Humphrey
Breaking into rodeo was a natural step for 12-year-old Coy Sand. He simply followed in the footsteps of both his dad, Craig, and his older brother, Colton, 18. “My dad and brother taught me how to do all of my events. My dad taught me a lot of the fundamentals. Colton is a really good header, so he helps me a lot in that,” said the Stillwater, Oklahoma, cowboy. Coy began his competitive roping career in the breakaway when he was 8 years old, but he’s been swinging a loop since he was 3. “Breakaway roping is my favorite event because it’s a little easier for me. There aren’t as many variables that I can screw up that would make me miss my calf.”
Keeping with his affinity for roping calves, Coy also competes in the ribbon roping and some tie-down jackpots. He doesn’t tie calves in the OKJHSRA other than the occasional jackpot. At least for now. As Coy begins his second junior high season this fall, he’s switching ends and partners in the team roping. “I can do both ends, but I want to head this year instead of heel.” Coy has never wanted to do anything but rope, ride, and rodeo. His dad’s job as manager of Griswold Cattle Company herd lends itself to Coy’s interest in ranching and show cattle.
“I’ve been helping my dad at work since I was probably 7 or 8. Since I learned how to rope basically.” Coy’s arena skills come in handy out in the pasture quite often. “I use my roping for doctoring mostly. Sometimes we have to rope a bull or a steer that won’t go where we want it to. Or we sort them on a horse, get gates, stuff like that. You have to be a horseman out there.” Skills in the saddle are an important component of Coy’s rodeo career and it’s something he’s focused on quite a bit as he’s grown as a competitor. “As I’ve gotten older and bigger, I’ve been able to focus on my horsemanship more because I can handle a horse better than when I was little.” One of Coy’s goals for this season is to simply keep improving his horsemanship. Luckily, he has plenty of opportunities to get more rides in and work towards the coveted status of horseman.
When Coy isn’t riding or roping, he’s working his show heifer. The red Limousin known as Dolly is getting fit for the Oklahoma Youth Expo next March as well as the Perkins County Fair. “My dad grew up showing cattle and has always worked on them. He still does at work now.” It’s the perfect combination of ranching and showing for Coy. He’s been at the end of a show halter for three years now. Weather it’s a rodeo or livestock show, Coy’s mom, Jessica, is ringside with a camera and an encouraging word. “My mom knows what things are supposed to look like, so she tells me what I’m doing right and wrong. She’s also the best chute opener in the entire world.”
Coming off a rodeo season that was cut short this spring, Coy still managed to place decently at state finals. He took seventh in team roping and sixth in breakaway. It wasn’t exactly what he hoped for, but Coy is looking forward to replicating past success at Chris Neal’s Future Stars this fall. In 2019 Coy placed second in the short go and won fourth in the average in breakaway at Chris Neals. He’s also won the breakaway roping twice at the Cavalcade Stampede. “This year I want to do well at junior high rodeos because it’s such a tough thing to do. I would also like to compete at Roy Cooper’s roping next summer. We were at another rodeo this year, so we had to miss it.” As Coy works towards these goals, he keeps his mental game strong. “You can’t change what happens in the arena. But I always tell myself to score sharp, rope sharp, and to do everything just like I do when I practice at home. It seems to work pretty well for me.”
