story by Michele Toberer
After 5 years with the Kansas High School Rodeo Association, Kyleigh Winn enjoys competing alongside her KHSRA family as they all work to acquire the ‘winning’ runs in the arena. She started in the KJHSRA as an 8th grader and is now in her final season with the high school association as she’s a senior in the Manhattan Virtual Academy. Kyleigh is competing in barrel racing, goat tying, breakaway roping, and team roping, and is savoring every minute of her high school rodeo career as she looks to a future that will hopefully include the college rodeo level soon. Kyleigh is still deciding which college but plans to rodeo while pursuing an ag business degree with a minor in marketing so that she can eventually become a professional in the rodeo or western industry.
Kyleigh’s start in rodeo was in Utah, where she followed in the Winn family tradition, with her parents, Casy and Wendy Winn, and older brothers, Dixon, 27, and Shad, 21. Casy’s dad rodeoed his whole life, and progressed through college and pro rodeo as a bull rider, team roper and calf roper. Casy’s parents, Chad and Vernice Winn, of Nephi, Utah, were both rodeo competitors, and they still raise horses that Chad trains. Wendy, originally from Idaho, grew up riding horses but wasn’t involved in rodeo until she met Casy while they attended Utah State University. The family moved to Kansas when Casy secured his dream job as the rodeo coach for Kansas State University 5 years ago. “My dad is the college rodeo coach and also teaches colt starting classes at the school.” Kyleigh’s mom designs and sells saddles for Burns Saddlery out of Salina, Utah. Kyleigh’s brothers are both in the rodeo industry themselves, Dixon lives in Missouri where he trains horses and is starting his professional rodeo career, calf roping and team roping; and Shad is out on the professional bull riding trail.
Kyleigh has several equine partners for her rodeo competition, all sorrel mares, and she’s proud that every one of them are family raised and trained. She runs barrels and heels for Tia Wallace on a 7-year-old named Whiskey, who her brother Dixon trained. She goat ties on a 12-year-old named Dolly, and breakaway ropes on Lucy, 18. “All the groundwork on our horses have been done by my dad, grandpa, or brother, it’s pretty cool.” Family has been a big source of the success Kyleigh has had in rodeo, “My main source of help is my parents. They both make sure I have everything I need to succeed, even if that means going somewhere else. I’ve been fortunate to have Lari Dee Guy help me with roping. It’s definitely an asset to have parents that do everything they can to help me succeed.” Kyleigh credits the Hodsen family for her success in goat tying. “When I was in Utah, I cut my thumb off team roping when I was 10 and had to learn to tie goats again. The Hodsen family helped me so much with relearning that event so I could succeed. I try to take what everyone teaches me in my events and use it to keep progressing forward. My favorite part of rodeo besides the competition is the family aspect to it.”
Kyleigh placed 3rd in goat tying for the state in her sophomore year, and as a junior in 2019, placed 4th in goat tying in the KHSRA. She was able to attend national finals both years, and last year left Rock Springs, Wyoming as the 4th place goat tyer in the world. “It was pretty surreal! I went into the short round tied for 2nd and 3rd but had a bobble in the short round and finished 4th, which was still a super cool accomplishment. One of my practice partners, Caxton Martin came into the short go right behind me in 4th place, so it was kind of a team effort. The Kansas High School Rodeo Association is such a great and supportive group of people. It’s one big family and everyone cheers for each other and wants everyone to do good. I will always look back fondly on my time with them.”