story by Lily Weinacht
Mat Gartz discovered his horse addiction in his early twenties, and today, he is a steer wrestler in the APRA. The 36 year old from Bergen, N.Y., and his wife, Sharon, stepped into the horse world together. They had their first taste of rodeo in Attica, N.Y. “We got started in team penning and met a phenomenal group of people who were always willing to help and teach us new things,” Mat recalls. “As time went on, I got more competitive, and I started steer wrestling with the APRA three years ago. I thought it was a neat combination since I’d wrestled in high school. Every time you back into the box on a dogging horse, it’s an adrenaline rush!”
Once he started steer wrestling, Mat eased out of team penning, although he is still a member of the Attica Rodeo & Show Association. He served as president and chairman of the association for many years, and Attica has won the APRA Rodeo of the Year title numerous times, most recently in 2015. “My biggest mentor is Rob Wright, who’s also a chairman for Attica,” says Mat. “Rob, and Dawn and Nate Powell, have really helped me along with rodeo. I’m still working at it, but it’s such a good thing!”
Mat’s passion for steer wrestling goes beyond his own competition – he wants to share the sport with others. Each week, he and Sharon open their indoor barn for practice, alternately working on tie-down roping or steer wrestling. “At the end of the APRA finals last year, I bought some steers from C.E. Taft – a Mid-States stock contractor – and we put an extension on our indoor barn,” says Mat. “My wife is getting into breakaway roping and we have two daughters who are just starting to rope, so that’s part of my motivation – keeping the sport alive in this area for my kids.” On practice nights, steer wrestlers, including Rob Wright and Tom Farley, come out to coach. “We have between 10 and 15 steer wrestlers each week, and we’re working on steer wrestling dummies, chute dogging, and then working off horses,” Mat explains. “We’re really grateful to all the guys who come help us out and put their time into keeping the sport alive.”
During the week, Mat is a lineman for a utility company. His dad was a lineman, and Mat followed suit. If he’s not climbing power poles, however, he’s climbing on a horse, either to coach his daughters, Lauren and Haylee, or work on training his roping horses. “Haylee is nine and Lauren is seven, and they’ve just moved from roping the dummy on the ground to roping off a horse. I look forward to the day we’re going to high school rodeos with them!” says Mat. “Sharon also teaches riding lessons, and we have several boarders. Being one of the only Western farms in the area gives us an edge, since most of the other farms around here are English.” Mat’s own horses include his steer wrestling horse, Bo, whom he bought from Nate Powell, as well as several roping horses which Mat is training. “I’ve been working on my own horses for a few years, getting one solid enough to start competing on.”
With a new season of the APRA underway, Mat’s goal is to continue steer wrestling and start tie-down roping on one of the horses he’s trained. He also plans on entering many APRA rodeos, along with several co-sanctioned Mid-States rodeos. “My biggest goal is to keep getting guys interested in rodeo and being an avenue for those beginners who are wondering how to get started,” says Mat. “If you’re motivated, the sport of rodeo is a great place to be!”
