UJHRSA member, Wyatt Crandall at 2015 NJHFR
stories by Ruth Nicolaus
Wyatt Crandall does nearly every boys event in junior high rodeo, except for the bull riding.
The 14-year-old cowboy, a member of the Utah Junior High School Rodeo Association, loves to ribbon rope, team rope, ride steers in the saddle bronc and bareback riding, goat tie, and chute dog. But his favorite rodeo event is tie-down roping.
He rides a nine-year-old palomino named Norman for all his events except the goat tying, and Norman is “awesome,” Wyatt says. “He just works great.” For the goat tying, he rides a 10-year-old horse named Stud, who is also ridden by Wyatt’s younger brothers for the barrel racing and pole bending.
Wyatt is an eighth grade student at North Star Academy in Bluff Dale. He enjoys history class because he “gets to learn about the fascinating people who saw our world first,” and if he could meet someone from the past, he would choose Thomas Jefferson.
When he grows up, Wyatt would like to be a large animal veterinarian. He loves all animals, especially horses. He also loves to hunt, and got a six-point bull elk with his dad a few weeks ago.
He began junior high rodeo in seventh grade and qualified for state finals last summer, going on to the National Junior High School Finals in the ribbon roping. At Nationals, his runner was Jaciee Bastain.
Wyatt is also a Little Britches Rodeo member, and finished third in the world in team roping last summer with his heeler Rhett Nebeker. He won Rookie of the Year last year for the state junior high association.
He has two younger brothers, Bridger, who is ten, and Tate, who is seven.
He is the son of Jimmy and Tiffanie Crandall.
Jace Jones favors both his mother and his dad in the things he loves to do.
Like his mom, he competes in rodeo. And he follows in his dad’s footsteps as a dirt bike rider.
The Utah Junior High School Rodeo Association member who lives in Lehi, Utah, competes in the chute dogging, goat tying and breakaway.
He rides a nine-year-old sorrel named Shorty who is “super fast and pretty cool,” Jace says. “He gets me down the arena really quick.”
Jace is an eighth grade student at Lincoln Academy in Pleasant Grove. He loves playing capture the flag in P.E. class, but strongly dislikes studying parts of speech in English class.
He loves to race remote controlled cars on the neighborhood’s tracks, and also loves to ride dirt bikes. For fun, Jace likes to ride pedal bikes and play soccer. When he grows up, he’d like to be a professional motocross rider, and he admires his dad’s talent in riding dirt bikes.
Jace has two younger brothers and a younger sister: William, who is eleven, Blake, who is seven, and Eliza, who is four. All three of his siblings rodeo, and the boys ride dirt bikes like Jace does.
He competed at state finals both his sixth and seventh grade years. He is a fun kid, his mother says, and is great help with his younger brothers and sister.
He is the son of Justin and Amanda Jones.
Hayden Roundy – courtesy of the family
Hayden Roundy is a member of the Utah Junior High School Rodeo Association.
The 13-year-old cowboy lives in Genola, Utah, and competes in breakaway roping, team roping, and goat tying. Of all his events, breakaway is his favorite.
He rides a little buckskin named Nacho for his events. The Roundy family also has a buckskin named Cash who is a good head horse, and a bay named Pink who is a breakaway horse.
Hayden is an eighth grade student at Payson Junior High School. He likes math class but is not so crazy about the reading and writing that he has to do in English class. His school serves good lunches: his favorite is the pepperoni pizza. Of the good things his mom makes, steak, sprinkled with garlic pepper and served with a side of French fries, is his favorite.
In addition to rodeo, Hayden plays basketball and baseball and is on his school’s honor roll.
When he grows up, he’d like to be an engineer like his dad.
He is also a contestant in Little Britches Rodeo.
Hayden has an older brother, Rhylan, who is 15, and three younger sisters: Cheznie, age 10, Averie, age eight, and Brynlie, who is three.
He is the son of Gerald and Jeannie Roundy.
