story by Kristen Sublette
Colton Shelley is an 18-year-old cowboy residing in Nisland, South Dakota rodeoing for the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association. He is attending Belle Fourche High School as a Senior graduating this coming May. Colton originates from Goshen, Utah, where he spent most of his upbringing until his family moved to the small town of Nisland five years ago.
He is currently competing in the bareback riding although he started out as a team roper at the age of 15. Colton said, “I got sick of not doing anything my freshman year, so my Dad’s girlfriend stuck me on one of her horses and I started roping. I didn’t do real good and everyone told me to do bareback.” Colton hasn’t looked back since, accomplishing 15th place in bareback riding at High School National Finals Rodeo in 2020.
Colton would like to finish out his high school rodeo career by winning State in bareback and then going on to place in the top four at nationals. With high school coming to a close, Colton plans to continue bareback riding. His goals for the future include working his way through his amateur year to obtain his pro card and filling it with lots of wins. A bucket list item he dreams of would be ultimately making it to National Finals Rodeo. Colton has a lot to say about his Dad, Scott Shelley, recognizing him as his idol and his number one motivator. “He shows me a lot, what to do, (and) keeps a roof over my head.” It is clear that Colton spends a lot of time with his dad on their family ranch. Colton’s favorite chore is checking horses and cows. He says when he isn’t rodeoing, he is either helping Scott start colts or working on other people’s ranches. Colton also works at the sale barn and enjoys high school wrestling. One of the proudest moments of his life was completing the 12-hour lock-in for wrestling. He worked out for 12 straight hours to get his weight certification to wrestle. Colton has been wrestling for five years. Colton also dreams of spending a day learning from Bruce Ford. Bruce holds five world championship titles in bareback riding and was the National Finals Rodeo Average Champion four times. Colton wants to mentor under him for his knowledge and skill level. This young man lives by the quote, “You do your best and let God do the rest,” by Marvin Garrett. Marvin Garrett is in the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame for bareback riding, he holds four world championship titles and was twice the Average Champion for National Finals Rodeo and was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of fame in 1998. Marvin’s brother Mark Garrett holds a world championship title as well as the Average Champion in National Finals Rodeo in bareback riding, he was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2015. It has been Colton’s great privilege to ride and learn from Mark, Marvin and Scott Reder. Colton says Mark and Scott have really helped him keep his hips underneath him and improved his spurring. Colton enjoys the rush that comes with bareback riding but also loves how humbling of an experience it is. “I went to this one rodeo and I went spurring out the gate and came off in three jumps. I would’ve got a check if I hadn’t done that.” When Colton experiences setbacks he uses his faith, close friends, and family to help him. Colton has one sister Bailey Shelley, 21, his mother Melece Mckellar of Salt Lake City, Utah, and his father Scott Shelley of Nisland, South Dakota. Colton says that rodeo has brought together the state of South Dakota and kept the heritage of the state alive, even during these trying times.
