RMPRA member, Dakody Gines – John Golom
story by Terry Rhodes
Dakody Gines has been in the Rocky Mountain association for the last eight years and it is the only rodeo association that he belongs to. He says the best part of being in the organization is being around the stock contractors and members. “Everybody is pretty easy going and you can get along with everybody. I get to almost all of their rodeos and have been to the Finals for the last three years.” His events are team roping and saddle broncs.
His start into rodeo came with the encouragement of a good friend. “I was in high school and had a friend that talked me into giving it a try. I was born and raised in a farming community and had been around it some but never competed. I started out in the team roping and my buddy got me started with some saddle broncs. And I just took off from there.” Dakody says that a family friend, Kim Richin taught him the team roping skills and Casey Huffaker taught him the saddle bronc end of rodeo. After a semester of college, Dakody entered an internship on the Rex Ranch in Nebraska. “I was working in the cattle operation and doing low stress cattle management and range management. It was a lot of fun.”
Dakody says that when he’s getting ready to compete he focuses on the task at hand. “I try to block out everything around me. I play it in my mind of how I want it to go and take it from there. I’ve always been told that your number one battle is with the horse. That’s your competitor and if I can take care of that, everything will fall into place.” Dakody knows that not every run goes the way you want it to and he believes in the adage’ “A man’s character is not what he does in victory but what he does when his back is against the wall.” Dakody spends a good amount of time in the gym to stay in shape and ready to compete.
Dakody, 26, lives in Kamas, Utah with his wife, Sabrina and daughter, Tynslee, 19 months. “And we have one on the way. Sabrina wants Tynslee to do drill teams but I’d rather have her in rodeo. But it’s really up to Tynslee as to what she wants to do.” Dakody says that his father, Rick has been his biggest influence. “He has always been there for me and has taught me about never giving up and instilled a good work ethic in me.”
During the week Dakody is an engineering technician for a water reclamation company in Park City. Leisure time is spent either working on the cow-calf operation that he and his father run together or going camping with the family. Goals for the future are to continue to rodeo, start his own cattle operation, and at some point maybe get his pro card and compete in the PRCA.
