Meet the Member Rylan Wildeman
story by Linsday Humphrey Making the decision to commit to rodeo as a high school sophomore has forever changed Rylan Wildeman’s life for the better. […]
story by Lily Weinacht
Drake Taysom of Gardner, Kansas, is starting the spring high school rodeo season leading the bareback riding. The 18-year-old slipped his hand into a bareback rigging for the first time as a sophomore and qualified for the NHSFR that same year, also his rookie season. Since then, he’s returned to Nationals a second time and joined the URA and KPRA, along with adding saddle bronc riding to his high school rodeo events. “Bareback riding didn’t come easy to me. It took a while to start catching on to it, but once I started figuring it out, I was having fun. It’s definitely a demanding event, but I’m enjoying it,” says Drake.
Originally from Utah, Drake grew up around horses and enjoyed taking them hunting in the mountains. His dad rodeoed in high school, and when Drake wanted another sport to pursue after he finished cross country, he landed on rodeo. “One thing that keeps taking me back to riding is the adrenaline rush and the feeling you get after a good ride. Getting to college rodeo motivates me, and I’ll hopefully get my PRCA permit and start working my way up. It’s just a blast. It’s definitely a sacrifice and takes dedication, but that’s what makes it worth it.”
Drake enjoys the physical demands of his events and goes to the gym daily, lifts weights, and works on his spur board. “Getting technique down and really getting aggressive — I find that the most interesting part about bareback,” he says. Occasionally, Drake goes to Kansas State University to get in some practice when rodeo coach Casy Winn is bucking horses. Drake also spends time with Rod Hughes, a KHSRA director from Fort Scott, Kansas, who competed in the PRCA. “He’s really helped me out since my sophomore year. He picked up a kid who didn’t know much about the sport and turned me into the rider I am today.”
Drake has started traveling on his own, but enjoys hauling to rodeos with his parents, Shane and Sheila Taysom, and 14-year-old brother, Degan, who competes in bareback steer riding in the KJHSRA. “Since I started riding, my parents have been really supportive and put everything they have in me. Degan and I practice together every once in a while, and I help him on the spur board with technique,” says Drake. He started doing online school through Manhattan Virtual Academy at the start of his senior year to have more flexibility to travel to rodeos and still keep up with his studies. “This year I’m doing more AP classes like AP Psychology. I’m trying to challenge myself and get AP credit to help with college. I want to be a pharmacist—that’s six to eight years of schooling, but it’s well worth it. I really enjoy being around those health professionals. It’s a good industry—there will always be health professionals.”
While Drake is still contemplating what college he plans to attend, either in Kansas or Utah, he is certain he wants to college rodeo. Outside of school, he enjoys hunting and fishing with his dad and brother, but he’s anxious for rodeo season to pick up. “Outside of state, my favorite high school rodeo would be Dodge City, just because the arena we ride in is really nice—they hold the PRCA rodeo there in the summer—and the chutes are pretty good. My rodeo goals are to win that state bareback title and finish out the season strong. It’s going to take a lot of work and I’ll definitely have to dedicate myself to it, but I can do it. I haven’t quite rode at Nationals like I want to, but it is an awesome event, and I think this year will be different.”
story by Linsday Humphrey Making the decision to commit to rodeo as a high school sophomore has forever changed Rylan Wildeman’s life for the better. […]
story by Lindsay Humphrey “If I’m having fun, I’m already winning so I don’t care where I end up placing,” said 17-year-old Emma Krase who’s […]
story by Lindsay Humphrey “I got a really late start in rodeo, I was 13 or 14 when I started going to jackpots and junior […]
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Rodeo Life Magazine™ (ISSN 1934-5224) is located at P.O. Box 93598 Southlake, TX 76092. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rodeo Life Media, P.O. Box 93598 Southlake, TX 76092
September 27, 2020
BAREBACK RIDING
1 Bryce Eck 68.50
2 Robert Walter 34.00
3 Kacen Smith 26.50
4 Matthew Morrell 18.00
5 Rhett Robbins 10.00
6 Bobby Davis 8.00
BARREL RACING
1 Kiley Slavin 63.00
2 Bella Sauvage 39.00
3 Kate Perschbacher 36.00
4 Prairie Rose Robbins 29.00
5 Aubryn Garriott 28.00
6 Natalie Kinderknecht 25.00
7 Ally Brennaman 24.00
8 Libby Berger 24.00
9 Kennedy Gibbs 24.00
10 Shayla Dees 20.00
BOYS CUTTING
1 Jd Robson 20.00
2 Bobby Davis 18.00
BREAKAWAY ROPING
1 Laci Ast 41.00
2 Carlee Potter 38.00
3 Taylor Raupe 34.00
4 Addie Weil 31.00
5 Kiley Slavin 30.00
6 Marlee Quarles 25.50
7 Bella Sauvage 25.50
8 Reese Greenwood 23.00
9 Libby Berger 23.00
10 Ally Brennaman 22.50
BULL RIDING
1 Tate Pollmeier 59.50
2 Garrett Hathaway 29.50
3 Lane Gilbreath 18.00
CALF ROPING
1 Mason Stueve 53.00
2 Matthew Doherty 48.00
3 Brayden Kunz 45.00
4 Jd Robson 43.00
5 Pax Vogel 37.00
6 Kade Harland 34.00
7 Tanner Meier 33.00
8 Cutter Weil 29.00
9 Trey Adams 26.00
10 Brandt Walton 19.00
GIRLS CUTTING
1 Tylor Todd 20.00
2 Alexus Hatcher 18.00
GOAT TYING
1 Kiley Slavin 55.00
2 Tally Wikum 55.00
3 Lakin Cunningham 52.00
4 Sage Toews 40.00
5 Annsley Vernon 39.00
6 Ally Brennaman 36.50
7 Montana Heller 29.00
8 Hadley Teut 28.00
9 Carlee Potter 21.00
10 Emma Arndt 19.50
POLE BENDING
1 Abby Myers 49.00
2 Marlee Quarles 42.00
3 Aubryn Garriott 38.00
4 Prairie Rose Robbins 36.00
5 Tally Wikum 33.50
6 Lily Henderson 32.00
7 Ally Brennaman 30.00
8 Bella Sauvage 27.00
9 Libby Berger 26.00
10 Carlee Potter 21.00
REINED COW HORSE
1 Tylor Todd 10.00
2 Lakin Cunningham 9.00
SADDLE BRONC
1 Bryce Eck 50.00
2 Clay Shannon 27.00
3 Brody Harrison 18.00
STEER WRESTLING
1 Tanner Meier 38.00
2 Jd Robson 38.00
3 Logan Mullin 28.00
4 Kent Berkenmeier 18.00
5 Ryder Dent 7.00
TEAM ROPING
1 Mason Stueve 52.00
2 Trey Adams 52.00
3 Brandt Walton 42.00
4 Cale Morris 41.00
5 Jd Robson 38.00
6 Tanner Meier 33.00
7 Dylan Gugelmeyer 27.00
8 Porter Hall 27.00
9 Addie Weil 25.50
10 Cutter Weil 25.50
11 Matthew Doherty 25.00
12 Kade Harland 25.00
13 Brayden Kunz 23.00
14 Jaytyn Hash 22.00
15 Payton Blank 21.00
16 Pax Vogel 21.00
17 Rylan Wildeman 21.00
18 Hadley Teut 17.00
19 Bryce Teut 17.00
20 Kiley Slavin 16.00