story by Lily Weinacht
Colt Honey restarted his high school steer wrestling career from square one this season, where the 18-year-old is currently sitting second in the CSHSRA standings. The third generation of his family to rodeo and steer wrestle, Colt’s sophomore and junior rodeo season were interrupted by a shoulder injury that required surgery. During that time, his steer wrestling and hazing horses were hit by a car and killed, but the cowboy from La Junta, Colorado, persisted and wrestled his challenges. “Last year at state finals I missed my last steer in the short round but it’s been really good lately. My shoulder is better than it used to be—I did a lot of physical therapy and lifting weights, and that helps a ton. I think more than anything it keeps me busy. I work for my dad at the sale barn, and it’s nice to have a boss that lets you take weeks off at a time,” Colt says with a laugh. “I have basketball I play in the winter, and the rest of the year I’m rodeoing.”
Along with steer wrestling—his favorite for the way it quickens his blood and his thinking—Colt competes in tie-down roping and team roping as a heeler with Cooper Smith. He started chute dogging when he was 6, and his dad has hazed for him ever since he started jumping steers. “He’s taught me a lot about bulldogging and hazing, and everything in general that I could know about steer wrestling.”
Colt also has ample opportunities to practice. His parents, Jace and Lesli, used to own Pro Fantasy Rodeo, and are part owners of La Junta Livestock and 350 head of steers. They lease steers to nearly 350 rodeos a year, including a pen full for the 2017 WNFR. “Me and a few of my friends that bulldog around here break in steers all year long,” says Colt. His family leases steers to all the CSHSRA and CJHSRA rodeos, along with amateur and pro rodeos around Colorado that Colt also competes in. He’s qualified for the CJRA finals all four years since he joined the association and finished third in their year-end steer wrestling standings last year. He also finished 19th in the CPRA steer wrestling standings last year and was just $40 shy of winning rookie of the year.
His steer wrestling horse, Gus, and hazing horse, Dublin, carried Colt to all his finals rodeos, including the NLBFR. He also ropes calves on Dynamite and heels on Pooh. “I didn’t rope any calves in the fall. I was starting Dynamite and just got him tuned up, so I can hit spring rodeos on him,” explains Colt. “We buy and trade horses and have prospects.” His older siblings, Chance Honey, Jaycee Glover, and Shaylee Estes, also grew up rodeoing and helping at the livestock barn. Chance won the IFYR and NHSFR during his high school career, while Shaylee’s IFYR arena record in the goat tying still holds. Their younger sister, Sheridan Honey, is a freshman, and although she’s allergic to horses, she’s an avid athlete in other sports.
Colt also enjoys other sports, including playing basketball for Cheraw High School. “The season is going really well right now. We’re 11 and 2 which is the best start we’ve had as a team since the ‘90s, and I’m the leading scorer on our team,” says Colt, who has the opportunity to attend college on either a rodeo or a basketball scholarship. Between school and rodeos, he also enjoys hunting, as well as writing music and playing guitar with his friend and former high school roping partner, Kyle Hirakata.
“I want to win the CJRA finals and win our state finals, and I also want to make it to our amateur finals and hopefully finish in their top five,” Colt finishes. “I’m also planning on getting my pro card sometime soon and hopefully filling my permit the first year.”
