story by Lily Weinacht
Dylin Ahlstrom is sitting fourth in the RMPRA team roping heeler standings. The 21-year-old cowboy from Genola, Utah, is in the middle of his third season with the association. He joined his senior year of high school, ready to take the next step in his roping career and enjoy it alongside his friends, who also compete in the RMPRA. “They’re a lot of fun, and I love Tooele. There’s a lot of people there and you have to rope really fast, and it always pays good,” says Dylin. He’s qualified for the RMPRA Finals twice, roping with header Jake Jarvis, while this year he’s primarily roping with Taylor Winn and also enters with Brodi Jones.
Roping is dallied around Dylin’s family tree, and he can’t recall a time growing up when he didn’t rope. Following after his dad and grandpa, he started competing as early as he could, later joining the junior high ranks and qualifying for the NJHFR all three years. He won state in ribbon roping and tie-down roping his eighth grade year, then qualified twice for the NHSFR and won state in the team roping his senior year. “I calf rope every once in a while, but team roping is mainly my event,” says Dylin. “My thing is I’ve always wanted to succeed, and I want to do it for a living. I love to rope—that’s my favorite thing to do—and I love traveling and I like the competitiveness.”
While he college rodeoed for a year at Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona, Dylin also worked in Texas and helped his employer put on team roping jackpots. “There’s so much money to win in team roping, even outside of rodeoing, like at jackpots. Heeling is difficult and I like the difficulty—it makes it fun. I rope at a couple of people’s places, and I rope every day. I’m always working on stuff, and Brodi Jones and I rope together almost every night.” Dylin also roped with his brother, Wyatt (18), at the winter RMPRA rodeos, while their sister, Kaycie (18), breakaway ropes in the association. Their parents, Griff and Amy Ahlstrom, continue to rope as well. “My dad has always been my biggest inspiration. He’s always seen my potential and pushed me to be the best I could possibly be. We’re going to the World Series Finale in Vegas in December, and we’re roping together in the 12.”
Dylin’s horsepower is an 8-year-old gelding, Slim Shady, he purchased from Quinn Kesler this spring. “I think he might be one of the better ones I’ve ever owned. He’s a little horse, and to some people he might not be special, but we sit really well together,” says Dylin. Slim Shady has also carried him to PRCA Wilderness Circuit rodeos this year, and Dylin has qualified for the circuit finals the last two years with Jake Jarvis. “Genola is very central to rodeos for the RMs and pro rodeos on our circuit—I don’t think you can get any more central—so traveling isn’t a big deal.”
In between ropings, Dylin works for his grandpa at Cedar Valley Farms, running cattle and growing crops. Any free time finds him right back in the roping pen. “Everybody’s wanting to make the (NFR) Finals, and that’s my big goal hopefully one day,” says Dylin, who also has three runs at the WSTR Finale and hopes to secure one more. “I entered the BFI this year in Reno, and I’m entered in a lot of those bigger ropings this year that I want to knock off the bucket list. I’m wanting to go harder to pro rodeos next year, and I want to win the (RMPRA) year-end really bad. I came in sitting good this year and that’s my goal to win it one of these years.”
