WHSRA member, heeler Tyler Purvis
– Marcy Cunningham
story by Ruth Nicolaus
Tyler Purvis is making the most of whatever comes his way.
The eighteen year old cowboy, a resident of Casper, Wyo., works hard, learns quickly, and doesn’t miss an opportunity to advance himself.
A member of the Wyoming High School Rodeo Association, he is a senior at Natrona County High School. It’s a big school, but he uses that to his advantage. “You have to find out what you want to take out of school, and what you want to leave there with it,” he said. He’s taking lots of vocational classes, which he really enjoys. He’s taken all the welding classes offered and has taken ag classes every year.
But his favorite class so far has been a horse shoeing class offered by Casper (Wyo.) College. It took ten nights of classes, each night for four hours, and Tyler got it accomplished. He feels confident he could shoe his own horses and trim them up when he needs to.
In addition to school, he works at Energy Transportation, either from 6 am to noon or from noon to 6 pm, depending on his school schedule, as a mechanic’s assistant. His brother Ethan works there as well and Tyler often works as his assistant, changing out equipment on cranes and trucks and anything that needs to be done. During the winter, when there were no rodeos, he worked weekends as well.
The money he earns goes to his savings account. “I go straight to the bank after I pick up my check,” he said. Sometimes he’ll take out a little cash for fun, but most of the time, he deposits it all. His parents have instilled in him the need to “save up all the money I can.” He knows next year in college he’ll have less time to work, so he’ll have a savings account to dip into when he needs it.
Tyler heels for Ashlyn West from Chugwater, and has competed at state finals his sophomore and junior years. He plans on roping for Casper College next year, where he will take the welding program.
Tyler will complete the welding program in a year, then he’d like to continue to work for Energy Transportation. The company has job sites in Montana, and he wouldn’t mind being transferred there.
His favorite teacher is Mr. Kohler, his welding teacher, who “taught me a lot about the field I’m planning on working in,” Tyler said. “He’s always answered my questions. He’s a real good guy.”
When he has any spare time, he likes to cruise the streets of Casper with his friends and stop by Taco Bell for a beef crunch wrap with fire sauce.
His older brother, Ethan, also team ropes occasionally.
He is the son of Joel and Judy Purvis.
