story by Lily Weinacht
WHSRA member, Chett Whitman
– Photo by Carie Whitman, Bar 111 Photography
The WNFR has played a leading role in inspiring Chett Whitman to rodeo, from watching the finals rodeo on television since he was only knee high, to his supreme rodeo goal of competing in the Thomas & Mack Center. The 18-year-old from Big Piney, Wyo., started rodeoing as soon as he understood the sport, and has had the bighearted support of his parents, Grant and Carie Whitman, the roping coaching of PRCA cowboys Jhett and Justin Johnson, and Chett learned his cutting know-how from his grandpa, who is a horse trainer. Chett calls himself Cesar de la Cruz’s biggest fan, and never fails to be inspired by watching him or Jade Corkill rope. He competes in cutting and team roping as a heeler in the WHSRA, and Chett has also tried tie-down roping, which he hopes to pursue further once he finds a solid calf horse. He has been working on his roping and tying skills since he was quite small, going many places with a rope in hand and tying his family’s table and chairs together with shoelaces.
Within the last year, Chett’s catch rate in team roping has greatly increased. He attributes this to approaching the event with a more confident and positive mindset, something he learned at the Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy. During his 22 weeks at the school, Chett only team roped a handful of times, but returned to high school rodeo roping better than he ever had before. “It kind of shocked me!” he recalls. “I thought I would need some practice to get back into roping, but I mentally went in thinking I would catch, and I did! The WCCA really changed how I looked at things and reacted to them – and life in general. You just have to keep going forward and stay positive, whether it’s in the roping pen, the classroom, or in life.”
The Whitman’s call their small ranch in the foothills of the Wyoming Range home. Chett’s 15-year-old sister, Rylee, competes in cutting in the WHSRA, with some pole bending, barrel racing, and team roping on the side. Rylee competed in the NHSFR in cutting last summer, as well as the NCHA Western Nationals held in Denver, Colo. Chett and Rylee do most of their practicing at home, with an outdoor and indoor arena to choose from. Chett and his friend JD Slagowski have started a horse training business, taking four and five-year-old sale horses that have never seen a rodeo and training them for heading or heeling, depending on the horse. Chett’s own roping horse is Buckcherry, a mare that he purchased from his neighbor – a professional roper – Wes Miller. Chett says of the high powered mare, “She’s a big blessing, and a big key to my success so far.”
Chett is a senior at Big Piney High School this year. He took all online classes from home his first semester and returned to his high school this semester to finish out the school year. Welding has been Chett’s favorite class, where he learned to weld in tight places or upside down, fix rust on horse trailers, and weld a variety of other projects. While rodeo is the career Chett plans to pursue, he is also entertaining the idea of becoming a teacher.
Following high school, Chett plans to rodeo for Western Texas Community College, and he’s hoping to add tie-down roping and even steer wrestling to his rodeo résumé. He finishes, “Thank you to everyone who has helped me out – my family, the Johnson family, and my roping partner, JD Slagowski. Thanks for sticking with me!”
