story by Ruth Nicolaus
Grant Lindsley is in an unusual situation.
The Nebraska High School Rodeo athlete heels for the same guy who he is tied with for first place in the tie-down roping, Rhett Witt.
But in true rodeo fashion, they’re not competing against each other but against themselves, to make their best runs.
“We’re pretty good friends,” Grant said. “We push each other’s calves, and more than likely I’m going to him if I have a question. If he’s successful, heck, he’s my partner so I have to be happy.”
The two have different tie-down styles, Grant said. “Rhett wins a lot of rodeos. He’s won five or six and I’ve only won one. I’ve been nickel and diming them and he’s been winning them.”
A resident of Osceola, Neb., Grant rides a blue roan named Reno for the heeling. The horse is “super independent,” he said. “He doesn’t like a lot of attention. He’s one of those horses who says leave me alone and I’ll do my thing.”
His tie-down horse is the opposite. Rooster, a red roan, is a “fire breathing dragon. He’s a lot of energy and a lot of fun. He’s all about everything.”
A senior at Shelby-Rising City School, the best part of school is being around his friends and the excellent teachers. The worst part is the school lunches. With no open campus, students are required to stay on campus for lunch. Grant usually brings his lunch, which is usually leftovers that he heats in the school microwave.
His favorite teacher is Mr. Austin Carmichael, the wrestling coach and weights class instructor. Mr. Carmichael has taught Grant much: “how to be mentally tough and setting goals and not stopping till you achieve those goals,” he said. “Doing everything you possibly can to make yourself and others better. He’s a great guy.”
Grant has played football, ran track, and wrestled. In wrestling, he qualified for state the last two years and this year, finished in fifth place in Class C. Wrestling and rodeo have a lot of similarities, he said. Each sport “is all on you. They teach you how to handle adversity, how to work hard, and goal setting.” The individual parts of wrestling and rodeo appeal to him. “The pressure is on you. If you mess up, it’s your fault. That part I like. It makes you accountable.”
He is a reporter for his school’s FFA chapter, on the student council, secretary for the senior class, and a member of the National Honor Society.
For fun, he likes to hang out with friends and drive around or play hoops. He and his buddies play basketball at the YMCA in Columbus or in the school gym or at the park in Shelby.
The most fun Grant has had on a trip was to Florida in 2019 for the Disney Duels, a wrestling competition. He was part of the Nebraska team that finished in third place. In their spare time, they went to the beach and to Disney World.
This fall, he will attend Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, on football and academic scholarships. He might wrestle collegiately, too. His major will be biology, with the goal of graduate work in veterinary medicine or animal nutrition.
Grant has a younger brother, Logan, who is twelve years old.
He is the son of Eric and Heather Lindsley.
