story by Ruth Nicolaus
Rodeo is extra-special to Tyler Meier, and Tyler Meier is extra-special to the rodeo people who know him.
The Garden City, Kan. boy, who is seven years old, was born with a rare brain malformation that affects him physically and does not allow him to speak or walk independently.
But that doesn’t stop his zest for life. The son of Jason and Shelley Meier, he loves to be wherever there is activity and fun. He has a special walker that allows him to move around a bit, although it doesn’t work well outdoors in the dirt and the sand.
He loves being in the tractor, and when his older brothers, Trevor and Tanner, are in the practice pen, he’s right there alongside them.
The family owns several ponies, including Casper, the “perfect pony,” says his mom. “We can drop the lead rope and he just stands there,” she said. Tyler has special Velcro straps that keep him in the saddle, and “Tyler’s on his horse while the boys are practicing. He just wants to be with the other kids where they’re at, and what they’re doing.”
This last winter, while his brothers competed at the Young Guns Series in Dodge City, Tyler tagged along. The organizers of the Young Gun Series, who, in part, were Kansas Pro Rodeo Association members, decided it would be wonderful to have Tyler participate. While Shelley led him, riding her horse, Tyler did the barrel pattern on a pony. It was a surprise to him, she said. She told him he would be participating, but Tyler, who understands what is spoken to him but cannot respond verbally, had a look like “Yeah, right, Mom,” she said. “When they announced his name, he got this look on his face like, ‘That’s my name!’” she said. He participated every weekend for the rest of the series.
Tyler got another surprise during the awards ceremony. The series organizers had a special award for him, called the “Top Hand Award,” and had a special buckle made for him. It was a moving experience and tribute to Tyler, and a very, very nice buckle. “I’ve seen a lot of buckles in my life,” Shelley said, “but this is the most beautiful buckle I’ve ever seen.” It was donated by A Cut Above Buckles.
The Top Hand Award tribute was written by Leslyn Carson, and it meant a lot to Tyler and the Meier family. “I think it’s amazing,” Shelley said, “how good rodeo people and kids treat Tyler. Just because he has differences, he still wants to be accepted, be one of the kids, and be like everybody else.”
When Tyler goes to his brothers’ rodeos, he can always find someone to play with. “It’s amazing how good everybody treats him. Little kids come up and talk to him and invite him in to play.”
Shelley related a story about Tyler and a group of kids at a rodeo. “I was helping him walk, and he was watching kids play football. The little kids asked him to play with them, and he threw the ball to them. He can’t throw it far, so the kids came in closer” to accommodate him. “It’s amazing how open these kids are to him.”
Tyler is a blessing to his family and those around him. “God has sent us Tyler and has a special plan for him. He has brought out the goodness in so many people, wherever we go. He helps put things in perspective. In rodeo, we want to keep going and winning but that’s not everything sometimes. There’s going to be ups and downs and you keep going with what you have. He’s teaching us all so many things, and teaching us to be better people.”
Tyler’s parents, Shelley and Jason, have been KPRA members in the past.
