story by Siri Stevens
Trey Sheets won the steer roping at the Daddy of ‘Em All Sunday. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of,” said the 28 year old from Hyannis, Nebraska. “Since I was in diapers we’ve gone to that rodeo – it dang sure was a dream.” He roped against people he considers his friends. “I rope against those guys everywhere. We all cheer for each other and I wouldn’t be where I am today without their help. It was great.”
His family had a cow calf operation in Nebraska and he grew up team roping, and calf roping through junior high, high school and into college. “I started tripping in college, at Casper, Wyoming. I was there on a rodeo scholarship and got an Associate degree in Ag Business.”
His stepdad, Andy Wearin, is a steer tripper and one day in 2012 he taught Trey and he’s been getting better ever since. He goes to jackpot team ropings, but in the pro circuit, he sticks to steer roping. His mom, Georgeann, from Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, competed in high school rodeo in breakaway and barrels, going on to Eastern Wyoming College to compete there. Trey has two older brothers – Tucker is the oldest, and he rode broncs in PRCA. Coy ropes but doesn’t compete much anymore.
Trey has a winter and summer home. “I don’t like the snow that much.” He spends his summers in Cheyenne where he trains horses and does day work for area ranches. He starts colts and takes in team roping horses and tripping horses as well. “Growing up on the ranch, we raised a bunch of horses – we had 15 brood mares so we had colts every year to break.” In the winter, he moves his operation to Texas where he doctors wheat cattle. He started heading south for the winter a few years ago. “I stayed with Scott Snedecor for three years – he won the world four times in the tripping. He is one of my really good friends now.” He shares a place now and works for his cousin Travis Sheets taking care of wheat cattle.
“I wasn’t planning on rodeoeing that much this year, but now I’ll go more to make a shot for the Finals. I’ve got to go win some more to make it.” A member of the Wyoming Steer Roping Association, Trey was going locally and competing at the closer circuit rodeos. Winning a little under $20,000 at Cheyenne changed that plan. “There’s enough rodeos left for me to have a good shot at going.”
He rides a horse that he got as a yearling and has trained. “I got him from Pete Becker, I trained him and started team roping on him when he was three; I started tripping on him in 2012 – he’s great solid horse, probably the best one I’ve had.” His name – T Pain – like the rapper. His other really good grey horse got crippled and is coming back slowly.
His goal now is to get to the Finals. After that, he plans to start back again next year, get another horse or two and go from there. “Keep working and digging and trying,” he said. “I’ve been at this a long time and I feel it’s finally paid off.”
