story by Riata Cummings
Sage Carlson is a senior at Wasatch High School. She enjoys her animal science, English and graphic design classes. She serves as the Wasatch FFA Reporter and helps organize events and share chapter information. Sage has also been tasked with organizing the horse judging contest for the invitational Career Development Events contest that their FFA chapter hosts. After high school, Sage plans to attend Utah State University or Utah Valley University to obtain her equine science degree.
Sage is the daughter of Tricia and Richie Carlson of Midway, Utah. She has a younger brother, Max, and the family spends most of their time at rodeos and baseball games. They also enjoy hunting and participating in Midway’s annual Swiss Days.
Sage grew up competing in horse 4-H, and she entered her first high school rodeo as a freshman with a plan to compete in a “couple” of rodeos. Not long after starting in the pole bending and barrel racing, Sage decided her, “easy going show horse wasn’t quite fast enough.” So, she tried her cousins retired pole horse. At the Dixie Six, a series of rodeos hosted in Hurricane, Utah, every fall, Sage didn’t make a single clean pole run, fell off her borrowed horse, and was ready to give in. But encouragement from her family and friends helped her stick with it, and the next year at the first of the Dixie Six rodeos, Sage qualified for the state finals.
That horse’s name is Cals Doc Mac Bar, aka Everclear, a 26-year-old buskin gelding with plenty of run and spunk. “Riding him is the most fun and challenging part of my day. There is never an easy day on him, and he always gives his best.” Due to Everclear’s age, Sage was given the chance to lease a horse for the barrel racing. That horse is named Go Clancy’s Cowboy, aka Meizer, a 14-year-old sorrel gelding who seems to be the “polar opposite of Everclear.” She is working hard to pattern Meizer and understand him so that they can qualify for state finals in barrel racing. Last year, Sage was the Wasatch Rodeo Team Pole Bending Champion, and this year the rodeo team’s president hopes to qualify for the Silver State International Rodeo.
Rodeo has taught Sage that, “no matter what happens, you can always come back and try again.” She loves that rodeo has taught her to work for and accomplish goals. She also loves that the rodeo community in Utah is, “one huge family. If you can’t get your horse in the gate or you are having trouble with something, there is always someone willing to help. You are never alone, and even if we are all competing against each other, we root for everybody.”
Sage lives by the saying, “If you’re not scared, then you’re not going fast enough.” The quote reminds her to push the limits of her comfort zone. “If you aren’t uncomfortable you aren’t growing. You have to push yourself to go faster and do more, or you’ll never get anywhere.” One of Sage’s heroes is her mother, Tricia. Tricia has taught Sage that, “Anything can come to you if you work hard enough. If you never give up you will always get what you are working for, and if you don’t get it, your work will show you why you were supposed to get something else.”
Sage would like to be remembered as, “The girl that never hid in the crowd.” She wants people to see that, “no one’s opinions can hold you back, because you can make your own goals your reality.” Sage can usually be spotted as the girl with the wildest pants at the rodeo.
She would like to thank her parents for taking her to countless rodeos. She would also like to thank her grandparents that support her and cheer her on. Sage is grateful for all the people who have given her a chance to chase her rodeo dreams.
