story by Ruth Nicolaus
Will Wright is a goal setter.
The eighteen year old cowboy, a bull rider in the Utah High School Rodeo Association, has learned how to set goals, has achieved them, and keeps making new ones.
After moving from Henderson, Nevada, to Utah in the summer of 2016, he began high school rodeo, following in the footsteps of his dad, Shawn Stephens, a former bull rider. At first, he wasn’t very good and got bucked off repeatedly. But he knew what he needed to work on, and worked to improve, doing stationary exercises, working on the drop barrel, and watching videos.
He’s improved, which is “very satisfying,” he said. “It helps you know you are driving forward and getting somewhere. It keeps me wanting to set new goals.”
A senior at North Sanpete High School in Mt. Pleasant, he has enjoyed English class, where his creativity has shone through in his writing. He also likes P.E. class and welding. Will wrestled his first two years of high school in Nevada.
The move to Utah has been a blessing, he said, and he loves his new home state. He likes the open spaces, freedom, and being around rodeo and its people.
He works part-time for a dairy operation, using his earnings for entry fees.
For fun, Will loves to hang out with his rodeo buddies and fish.
He lives in Fairview with fellow bull rider Colton Fulmer and his family, and he’s grateful to them for the help they’ve given him.
He also competes in Little Britches Rodeo and the Rocky Mountain Pro Rodeo Association, and hopes to attend college, compete at the collegiate level, and then in the PRCA and the PBR.
He qualified for the Utah High School Finals Rodeo, making it to the short round and finishing in the top fifteen in the state. In addition to Shawn Stephens, he is the son of Roberta and Travis Culp.
