story by Riata Christiansen
Josh Olsen is a young rodeo athlete from Orangeville, Utah, a small community out of the way of things. He just completed his eighth-grade year at San Rafael Middle School. He competes in many sports including football, basketball, wrestling and track. When his older brother Tyler was hurt playing football, he changed sports and tried his hand at rodeo. After that, the family got involved in the sport and hasn’t looked back since. Josh looks up to Tyler and is glad he got it all started. The other siblings are Brooklyn, Matt and Katelyn. Their parents are Jodi and Mike Olsen. Together the family runs a ranch, and they enjoy the weekends spent on the rodeo road.
Josh competes in the chute dogging, tiedown roping, ribbon roping, and team roping. Chute dogging has been his favorite so far and this year he placed in the second round and average at the Utah Junior High School State Finals Rodeo. His rope horses include Dandy and Calamity. He and Matt rope their calves on Dandy and Josh team ropes on Calamity. The sorrel mare is Josh’s go to horse around the ranch and at the rodeo. He tried to rope twice a week, but even when they don’t make it to the arena he tries to practice with the dummy. Other than that, they rope with other local rodeo families whenever they get the chance.
Because rodeo is such an individual sport, it’s different than the other sports Josh competes in. He likes the responsibility and dedication rodeo requires unlike sports that require more of a team effort. Josh knows that his biggest support comes from his dad, who encourages him to practice and hustle. Rodeo has taught Josh that if you don’t practice, you won’t compete well in the arena, so it only makes sense that he would encourage rodeo athletes to practice a lot and have fun.
