story by Ruth Nicolaus
If Trey Garey has his way, he’ll be pulling home a new trailer after the Nebraska State High School Finals Rodeo in Hastings next month.
The Nebraska State High School Rodeo contestant, a team roper, tie-down roper and steer wrestler, would like to win the timed event trailer at state finals, given to the contestant who has won the most points in the timed events. The trailer, sponsored by V Bar Trailer Sales, is for one year’s use, with the option to purchase it after that.
The heeler for Trace Travnicek, the Broken Bow cowboy’s strength is team roping. He’s tie-down roped for several years, and added steer wrestling last fall, in the hopes of securing more all-around points. He threw his first steer on a Monday, and that weekend, on his first competitive bulldogging run, won points. He’s not a big guy, standing 5’7” and weighing 140 lbs., so it comes down to technique for him.
A senior at Broken Bow High School, he has most of his required classes done so he doesn’t have to be at school till right before lunch. He has three classes: anatomy, statistics, and college literature. Anatomy isn’t his top choice: he had to fill in with something and that was the only thing offered in that period, and college literature is gaining him more college credit courses. The class is currently reading the classic The Great Gatsby. Trey will have more than 20 college credits done by the time he graduates from high school.
Since his mornings are free, he can get up at his leisure (he’s a self-proclaimed night owl and has trouble getting out of bed). He does chores, and if it’s nice out, he’ll rope the dummy.
Trey wrestled all four of his high school years, qualifying for state three of those years. He was an Academic All-American, is vice-president of his FFA chapter, is on his school’s honor roll, and is a member of the National Honor Society.
For the team roping, he has two heel horses. Holly, his ten-year-old mare, is “definitely my go-to horse when she’s healthy,” but she has had some injuries the last few years. Bubba, his twenty-one-year-old, is “pretty much solid,” he said. The family has nicknamed him Tesla, because “he can drive himself. He makes life pretty easy.”
His tie-down horse is Deuce, who is “solid,” Trey said. “He gives me my best shot every time.” Trey can also heel on Deuce if needed.
For the steer wrestling, he borrows Trace’s horse, Hope. “She knows her job a lot better than I do, so she’ll put me” in the right spot. “All I have to do is get out and get off.”
In his spare time, he hangs out with friends. With his school friends, they’ll cruise the streets of Broken Bow, go to the Calamus Reservoir near Burwell, or spend time at someone’s house. If he’s with his rodeo friends, one in Scottsbluff and one in Stuart, they might rope and do a little ranch work.
The best foods his mom makes are lasagna and enchiladas. He loves vanilla ice cream on brownies, with hot fudge, unsweetened ice tea, and Reese’s peanut butter cups as his favorite candy. His favorite fruit is strawberries, and his favorite vegetable is sweet corn, the only vegetable he will consider eating.
The best trip Trey has gone on was to the Lake of the Ozarks, two years ago, with his family. They boated, swam, saw a show at Branson, and had a wonderful time.
Trey loves cheering for the Nebraska Cornhusker football team, and, in second place, the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He’s a Kansas City Chiefs fan, and loves following college wrestling, too, especially the Oklahoma State team. Two years ago, he qualified to be on the Nebraska USA National Dual team.
He competes in the Mid-States Rodeo Association and the Nebraska State Rodeo Association, and hopes to hit more of those rodeos this summer.
This fall, he will attend college and will work towards a degree in sports management. He’s considering Weatherford (Texas) College, where he will compete collegiately.
Trey is the oldest of four. His siblings are brothers Dalton, age fifteen, Wyatt, who is ten, and a sister, Tatum, age four.
He is the son of Travis and Michelle Garey.
