story by Siri Stevens
Keyton Wright, from Nephi, Utah, took a quick trip (18 hours) to the Fort Worth Stockyards to show in the National Reining Cow Horse Association’s Celebration of Champions. “I’m a full-time college student (Snow College in Richfield, Utah) and in the summers and on the days I don’t have school, I’m training horses full time.” He and his dad, Cory, train team roping horses along with other disciplines. “I also work and train for Dan Myers. We’re heading to Scottsdale to the futurity later this month.”
20-year-old Keyton is a sophomore studying animal nutrition. “I’m focused mainly on feed,” he said. “I’m thinking of maybe a feed store to help people know how to feed animals or work in the field doing the same thing.” He has shown steers and has always paid attention to what feed helps what animal. His is on the rodeo team, competing in calf roping and team roping. “Dad is a cattle rancher and we ran cows and had horses. When I was a senior in high school, I got into the rodeo deal. My dad really liked the horses, and I really liked the cows.”
Keyton is the only one, besides his dad, in the family to rodeos. “I was the odd man in the family – I liked to be on the horses and ride.” None of his other three siblings, nor his mom, Emily, took to rodeo or horses. “I bought my first calf horse, an old mare, when she was 21. She had been everywhere and she just took care of me. I rodeoed awhile and my dad bought some reining horses with Dan Myers, and I started going to his place and he taught me how to get around a horse and eventually I ended up working and training for him.” The coach at Snow College, Kendra Bagley, knew I did a little bit of that and asked if I wanted to go to Fort Worth and show.”
Keyton has been part of the RMPRA for the past three years. “I got out of high school rodeo and found them and went to a few and then last year; Trey and I went together. We were stupid and didn’t buy our card – we would have been going to the Finals.” He met his roping partner, Trey, through Dan. Trey Taylor was working for him and they started roping together. Going to school and living at home, Keyton is able to get to the winter rodeos and the summer rodeos in the RMPRA. “They are great for the winter to keep my horses and me sharp – it’s great to get ready for the summer rodeos.”
His ultimate goal in life is to pro rodeo once his partner, Trey, gets back from his mission trip. “We are going to chase the pro rodeo for awhile,” he said. “Then I want to raise and train quality rope horses that I can sell to anyone at any level.” He is excited to watch the beginnings of the rope horse futurities. “If your horse has got the talent and you can help your horse get to where it needs to be, I feel like you have a shot.”
