For Kash Loyd, rodeo is more than a passion—it’s a path shaped by family, tradition and professional ambition. The high school junior from Rio Vista, Texas, has been competing since he was 3, and for nearly three years, he has proudly worn the Team Cavender’s patch—something he said he once only dreamed about.
“I have been around rodeo for quite a long time,” Loyd said. “I saw people wearing the Cavender’s brand and thought, ‘How do I get there?'”
With encouragement from friends already on the team and a good word from past team member Cooper Lane, Loyd said he earned his spot. Since then, he has grown not only as a rider but also as a young professional.
“Team Cavender’s teaches you how to be a professional—how to act in public, how to eat properly, how to handle social media and sponsors,” he said. “It’s real-life training that’s incredibly beneficial.”
Lloyd said his favorite memory has been the Team Cavender’s Summit, an annual gathering in Tyler, Texas, that brings together all team athletes.
“You’re not just spending time with rough stock riders,” he said. “You’re with team ropers, breakaway ropers—everybody. It feels like a family.”
Loyd said his rodeo journey started early. His dad, Kevin, was a bronc rider, and he followed closely behind—first on sheep, then on mini ponies as that division gained popularity in 2015. He won his division at the Junior World Finals in 2016 and has not looked back.
“Growing up, that’s all I wanted to do,” he said. “Still is.”
After briefly experimenting with saddle bronc riding, Lloyd said he found his groove in the bareback riding, where he blends techniques from top ProRodeo athletes into his evolving style.
“If I take one thing from R.C. Landingham and another from Bradlee Miller, that style becomes Kash Lloyd,” he said. “You tweak the little things until it works for you.”
Lloyd said mentorship from top riders, like Tilden Hooper, and his parents’ support has been crucial.
“They help me keep a level head and focus on the mental side of the game,” he said. “Everything we do, we do as a family.”
That includes his 12-year-old twin brothers, Kane and Crew, who ride mini ponies. Lloyd said he helps when he can, though he admitted his dad does most of the coaching.
“I can point you in the right direction,” he added. “But I’m not the best at explaining it in detail.”
Lloyd attends Rio Vista High School, a small class 2A school where he competes on the golf team and helped start a rodeo team. He added that balancing both sports can be tough, but his priorities are clear.
“I let the golf coach know from the start—I won’t be at practices or tournaments on the weekends I’m rodeoing,” he said.
Lloyd plans to attend Tarleton State University in the future. He said he is drawn there due to the strong rodeo program and family ties—his mom is an alumna. He added that he hopes to study agricultural business, eventually run his own company, and—if all goes well—make a living through rodeo.
“That’s the goal,” he said. “To rodeo professionally and not need a ‘real job.’ I want to be known for doing it the right way.”
As for his brothers, Lloyd hopes they’ll join him in the arena one day. “If we could all make the NFR in the same year,” he said, smiling, “that would be cool.”
