story by Lily Weinacht
Garrett Dickey entered his first rodeo just two and a half years ago. In that time, the team roping header from Midland, Texas, won 2016 AJRA Team Roping Header Reserve World Champion, and was also Reserve Team Roping Champion with heeler Kaden Little for the 2016 THSRA Region 2 Finals, making it to state finals his rookie year of high school rodeo. “Rodeo is something I put my time into, because like any sport, you have to work at it to be good,” says the 16 year old. “As far as sports, I enjoy rodeo and team roping the most because there’s more to it and it’s more challenging for me – and I can rope the rest of my life!”
Garrett was introduced to his life’s passion by his great-grandpa, Roy Beaver, who roped, and found Garrett his first horse. He passed away in 2015, but not before he was able to watch Garrett rope, while Garrett’s other grandpa, Buster Dickey, lives just a few miles up the road and comes to watch his grandson practice daily. Buster and Rita had an arena built for Garrett as a Christmas present in 2014, complete with lights and roping chutes. “It’s cool to be able to walk out and rope any chance we get!” says Garrett. For the last year, he’s been coached by team roper John Paul Lucero. “When I have trouble with something like a head loop, we’ll pull the Smarty Steer, in addition to our roping steers,” he explains. “When the weather is bad, we rope the head dummy in the shop.”
The Dickey family makes their home 20 miles outside of town, where Garrett also enjoys hunting. His parents, Matthew and Kayla Dickey, go with him to every rodeo, unless one of them takes Garrett’s 11-year-old sister, Morgan, to a soccer game. “Morgan watches my rodeos quite a bit, and I watch every soccer game I can,” he explains. Garrett often hauls both his head horses, Doc and Roy, found with the help of his grandpa Buster. Doc, a 14-year-old bay, is his higher number horse when competing in USTRC ropings, while Ray, a 13-year-old red roan, is often his mount for regional rodeos. They’ll both be going with him to Oklahoma City this month for the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping. Garrett qualified for the finals last year and finished 11th in the #10 shootout, while this year he’s competing in the #15, #13, and #10.
Leaving his Infinity rope just long enough for school, Garrett is a sophomore at Greenwood High School. “Chemistry is my favorite subject, and right now we’re learning about the periodic table,” he says. “I also play basketball for the Greenwood Rangers to stay in shape for rodeo. As soon as I’m home from school, I text John to see if he wants to rope, and I do homework after that.” In the summer, Garrett also enjoys going to his family’s lake house on Lake Ivie near Coleman, Texas, where they fish and go water skiing.
Next summer, he hopes to be Wyoming bound for the NHSFR with the help of his sponsors, Rio Red Services and Infinity Ropes. “These next three years of high school, I’d like to qualify for state and Nationals. My parents have always taught me to leave the house with a good attitude for rodeo, and none of this would be possible without them, or the Lord in our lives,” Garrett finishes. “I’d like to college rodeo on a scholarship and compete as long as I can, though I’ll have to work sometime. But this next year, I want to win the team roping in the AJRA!”
