The Wrangler Horse and Rodeo News

4 The WRANGLER, Horse and Rodeo News • May 5-19, 2020 HUNTER HAYDEN Wri en by Kris e Freudenburg A fi h-genera on rancher, Hunter Hayden is no stranger to spending me on horseback. He has grown up riding, and has been compe ng at rodeos since he was five years old. The Campbell County High School senior may be wrapping up his final year compe ng in the Wyoming High School Rodeo Associa on (WHSRA), but he won't be leaving the rodeo arena any me soon. Ryan and Connie Hayden have raised all three gray gelding, is new to Hunter, and will be his head horse for team roping. "I just got him this fall, so I haven't go en to use him for high school rodeos yet." Belly Pepper, a red roan gelding, is Hunter's cu ng horse that he's used for the past two years, who also came from Troy. The fall rodeo season went well for Hunter, and he is currently si ng 3rd in calf roping and 2nd in cu ng. Hunter has qualified for the Na onal High School Finals Rodeo the past three years, and is hopeful that he will be able to compete there again this year. Switching between the roping events to cu ng can be a challenge. "It's kind of a different world. You go from slow and easy to fast and compe ve." The compe on at na onals in the cu ng has also been an experience. "It's really compe ve. Cu ng is really big with the kids who come from areas like Texas and Oklahoma, so it's a lot different once you make it to na onals." Hunter's goal for the spring is to make it to na onals in all of his events. "My goal is to stay compe ve in calf roping and cu ng so I can make it to na onals again. I'm also hoping that Joe and I will be able to move up in the team roping and qualify in that event also." In addi on to compe ng, Hunter has also been the WHSRA student director for cu ng since he was a sophomore. This is also his second year on the Cinch Rodeo Team. This fall, Hunter plans to a end Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX on an academic and rodeo scholarship. He plans to get a biomedical degree, which will prepare him for pre-den stry or pre-med, with the possible goal of becoming a pediatric den st. He will compete on the college rodeo team in team roping and calf roping. A e of their sons, Hunter, Joe, and Cody, on the family ranch about 40 miles outside of Gille e, WY. "We're all pre y involved in the ranch, along with my uncle Barry Hayden and my grandpa Troy Hayden. A lot of the ranch isn't accessible by ATV's or vehicles, so we have to ride horseback to access most of it." The Hayden's run a cow/calf opera on, in addi on to running some yearlings. Hunter began by compe ng at small team roping jackpots. "I competed quite a bit when I was li le, but I didn't get really serious about it un l I started prac cing at Jerry Means's barn. I also got a lot of help from Bailey Young on my calf roping." Hunter now competes in three events through WHSRA- team roping, calf roping, and cu ng. He's quick to give credit to his family for all their help. "My Grandpa Troy has always helped me a lot with my cu ng, and making sure that I've got good horses to compete on. My other grandparents, Mitch and Dixie Maycock, have also helped a lot with ge ng good horses for me on the team roping side. I've go en a lot of help from my grandparents on both sides, and I'm so apprecia ve of their support. I really can't thank them enough." Both of Hunter's brothers also rodeo, with Joe compe ng with Hunter in WHSRA and Cody in the Wyoming Junior High School Rodeo Associa on. "It's nice to have them around during prac ce. It's almost like a li le rodeo when we're all prac cing together." While Hunter mostly focuses on rodeo, he also wrestled as a sophomore, and has been a 4-H member, compe ng in the horse events. Between compe ng and helping on the ranch, Hunter stays very busy. He also enjoys hun ng elk and deer on the ranch and training horses. "I've go en to help my Grandpa Troy a lot with training some of the young cu ng horses. Bailey Young has also taught me a lot about how to train calf horses. It's something I really enjoy doing." Hunter has three main compe on horses: Gator, Classic, and Belly Pepper. Gator, a bay gelding, is Hunter's calf roping horse. "My Grandpa Troy raised him. I've been riding him in the calf roping for as long as I can remember." Classic, a

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