story by Siri Stevens
Kyler Oliver won the bull riding at the RMPRA Finals this past fall. “I started in the RMPRA when I was 14, getting on Ben Gurman’s bulls,” said the 22-year-old from Roy, Utah. Kyler has won the RMPRA more than once and this next year he will try for another season with that, but his schedule with PBR team series will cut into his time.
Kyler started rodeo through his family; his uncles mainly. He grew up following them around. “My grandparents got me my first pony and took me to rodeos. I wanted to be a rodeo cowboy more than anything else.” Kyler started with sheep at the age of three or four and never shied away from it. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do.” Kyler’s Uncle Shane took him cowboying and working cattle. “That came before rodeos. I remember going to his place all summer, working in the mountains. He took me to rodeos too, and I got to be around it. It fueled the fire to that’s what I wanted to do. My cousins rodeoed too, so that make it more fun.”
From the time he started entering youth rodeos, he always paid his own way. “At first, with the RMPRA, I could make enough a week to pay my way and then I’d frame houses for my grandfather (Tim Oliver) during the week. Luckily, he let me rodeo when I wanted to. RMPRA are always weekends, so I didn’t miss much.”
Kyler has made his way up the ladder in the PBR and has finally landed in the Unleash the Beast tour. Unfortunately, he got knocked out a few weeks ago in Sioux Falls. “I came off after the whistle, and landed on the back of my head; it lawnchaired me.” He was checked out by Dr. Freeman and it got worse overnight. He went to the hospital to find out he has a break in his neck and was referred to a specialist. He’s in a neck brace right now, awaiting the results from the MRI. Kyler has a fractured C6 which will put him out of the arena for two months. “I’ll get some things done at home that I’ve neglected – and I’ll get to hang out with my daughter, Indy, more.”
Kyler isn’t sorry he pursued the PBR. “I always wanted to ride in the PBR, and I started with the Velocity Tour and eventually got on the Unleash the Beast series.” His schedule with the PBR requires quite a bit more travel, usually leaving on a Thursday and returning on Monday. “PBR is paying its own way – If you don’t ride, you don’t get paid,” said Kyler. “Every once in a while, you get a red weekend. I tied for the win when I got knocked out, so that was good. I like going to cool places, but it’s hard to be away from my daughter. She likes the rodeos and goes with me whenever she can.”
Kyler plans to buy some cows and bulls and see where that will take him down the road. “I love it, that’s for sure. It’s a rough sport and you pay the price for it, but it’s worth it.”
