story by Riata Cummings
Braydin Evans is the son of Kristy and Marvin Evans of small town Erda, Utah. Braydin has an older brother, Brydger, and is also very close to his cousins, Brodi, Birklee, and Bristol Jones. As a family they spend lots of time together on the rodeo road, but they can enjoy almost any activity together. Braydin recently graduated from Grantsville High School and is now working for his uncle installing heating and air conditioning systems. When he isn’t rodeoing or working, Braydin enjoys hunting, and one day he would like to own and operate a ranch.
Braydin’s father used to work as a pickup man, and Braydin has been around the sport his whole life. He started competing when he was only 4 years old, and currently competes in the team roping and tiedown roping. He especially loves the isolated pressure of tiedown roping, where all the heat is on him to perform. Braydin has racked up quite the list of accomplishments, including 2014 National Junior High Boys Breakaway Champion, National Little Britches Rodeo Association World All-Around Cowboy, Utah High School Rodeo Association Champion Heeler, two time Utah High School Rodeo Association State Champion Tiedown Roper, and, most recently, National High School Rodeo Association Reserve World Champion Tiedown Roper. Now Braydin is competing in the Rocky Mountain Professional Rodeo Association and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He is working to qualify for the Wilderness Circuit Finals and the National Circuit Finals. Braydin is a member of the Smarty Young Pro Rodeo Team, an opportunity that has helped him rub shoulders with some of the best people in rodeo.
Braydin’s heel horse is Whiskey, whom Braydin saved from starvation as a boy. This year Braydin has struggled with keeping a calf horse and had to borrow his cousin Brodi’s at state finals. The horse he roped on at nationals, Payday, belonged to a family friend, Cody Bradford. One of the hardest things about rodeo life is, “having to put down good horses and start over.” Braydin has experienced that firsthand, but, “remembers that good things will come back to you and that life will go on.”
Braydin lives by the saying, “Iron sharpens iron. He knows that it is important to, “surround yourself with positive people.” Braydin has learned that, “people don’t remember how you do in the arena. They just remember who you are and how you treat them.” One of Braydin’s heroes is Jade Corkill, a PRCA Heeler that he looks up to for, “always treating people with respect and being amazing with horses and a rope.” One of Braydin’s greatest strengths is his willingness to do anything for anyone. He said, “Everyone talks about how great our rodeo family is and how they take care of people. I guess that just worked into me.” One day Braydin would like to be remembered as a good person, respectful and kind to everyone. He would advise rodeo rookies to remember that, “People remember how you treat them, not how you do. The most important thing is to have fun. If you’re stressing about what people think or how you’re going to do, it makes things harder than they should be. If you relax and have fun, you’ll do better.”
Braydin would like to thank his parents for supporting his rodeo dreams, along with the rest of his family. He would also like to thank Brodi Jones and Cody Bradford for lending him their horses. Braydin loves the sport, and recognizes all of the people who make it possible.
