Meet the Member Rylan Wildeman
story by Linsday Humphrey Making the decision to commit to rodeo as a high school sophomore has forever changed Rylan Wildeman’s life for the better. […]
By Lily Weinacht
Reins draped in her hands, earphones resonating with her favorite country music, Kaylee Heimer has been preparing herself to rodeo in much the same way for the last six years. Nothing makes her blood pump faster than the high-speed turns around barrels, but the 15 year old from Assaria, Kan., also enjoys goat tying and pole bending, with plans to start breakaway roping this summer.
The first of her family to turn her boots toward the rodeo trail, Kaylee was originally exposed to the sport through 4-H. Today, she’s competing in the KJRA and KHSRA, recently winning her first buckle for all-around cowgirl at the 2015 Canton Junior Rodeo. “Rodeo is one of my favorite things to do – I like being with my friends and competing,” says Kaylee. She met one of her friends, Prairie Rose Robbins, through rodeo, and it’s been Prairie Rose who’s helped Kaylee with her events. “After I’m done making my run, Prairie and I will ride around the arena to cool our horses off and talk about how our runs went.” Kaylee also looks up to 2014 WNFR World Champion Barrel Racer, Fallon Taylor. “She’s been doing really good in the rodeos this year, and I’d like to learn some of the new tricks that she has,” Kaylee explains.
Although Kaylee gave her horses a break this winter, her saddles had little time to gather dust. She’s back to riding and ready to enter the first KJRA rodeo of the season in Lyons, Kan., with hopes of qualifying for the KJRA finals for the second and final time. “My main horse that does all my events is Scooter – I’ve been competing on him for four years,” says Kaylee. “I also have a show horse, Maggie, that I ride in 4-H. We do showmanship, western pleasure, English pleasure, and halter.” In addition to showing her horse at fair, Kaylee also shows sheep, dairy cows, and several of her family’s cattle. “My family raises beef cattle, so we choose several from the herd to show.” Her sister, Kristin (13), doesn’t rodeo, but enjoys cheerleading and showing sheep and cattle in 4-H, while their brother, Kirk (ten), hopes to start rodeoing soon.
The siblings and their parents, Doug and Rebecca Heimer, make their home about 20 minutes from Salina. They grow hay, wheat, corn, and soybeans on the Kansas plains, and Kaylee has long been one of the farm hands. “My favorite job is cutting alfalfa hay – I like driving the swather and the round baler – and I also like gathering cattle on horseback,” she says.
Not surprisingly, Ag. is Kaylee’s favorite class as a freshman at Southeast of Saline High School. She and her classmates have primarily been working on FFA competitions, including leadership and speech competitions, but she especially likes animal judging. In January she went to a beef expo, where she took first place in judging. She’s also been playing the saxophone in band since fifth grade, and as an avid athlete, Kaylee runs cross-country, plays basketball, and runs track, though rodeo comes first on her schedule. What time remains in her day is often dedicated to 4-H, which she serves in as the secretary and the sheep and knitting leader. “If anyone has questions, they call me and I help them,” says Kaylee. “One of my favorite projects was making a bag out of trash bags, which I cut into strips to look like yarn before crocheting with them.”
When it comes to the weaving of her future, Kaylee’s goals all surround horses and rodeo. “I’d like to keep rodeoing after high school and possibly college rodeo. I’m interested in being an equine vet, but right now I hope to make it to Nationals in Kansas high school rodeo.”
story by Linsday Humphrey Making the decision to commit to rodeo as a high school sophomore has forever changed Rylan Wildeman’s life for the better. […]
story by Lindsay Humphrey “If I’m having fun, I’m already winning so I don’t care where I end up placing,” said 17-year-old Emma Krase who’s […]
story by Lindsay Humphrey “I got a really late start in rodeo, I was 13 or 14 when I started going to jackpots and junior […]
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Rodeo Life Magazine™ (ISSN 1934-5224) is located at P.O. Box 93598 Southlake, TX 76092. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rodeo Life Media, P.O. Box 93598 Southlake, TX 76092
September 27, 2020
BAREBACK RIDING
1 Bryce Eck 68.50
2 Robert Walter 34.00
3 Kacen Smith 26.50
4 Matthew Morrell 18.00
5 Rhett Robbins 10.00
6 Bobby Davis 8.00
BARREL RACING
1 Kiley Slavin 63.00
2 Bella Sauvage 39.00
3 Kate Perschbacher 36.00
4 Prairie Rose Robbins 29.00
5 Aubryn Garriott 28.00
6 Natalie Kinderknecht 25.00
7 Ally Brennaman 24.00
8 Libby Berger 24.00
9 Kennedy Gibbs 24.00
10 Shayla Dees 20.00
BOYS CUTTING
1 Jd Robson 20.00
2 Bobby Davis 18.00
BREAKAWAY ROPING
1 Laci Ast 41.00
2 Carlee Potter 38.00
3 Taylor Raupe 34.00
4 Addie Weil 31.00
5 Kiley Slavin 30.00
6 Marlee Quarles 25.50
7 Bella Sauvage 25.50
8 Reese Greenwood 23.00
9 Libby Berger 23.00
10 Ally Brennaman 22.50
BULL RIDING
1 Tate Pollmeier 59.50
2 Garrett Hathaway 29.50
3 Lane Gilbreath 18.00
CALF ROPING
1 Mason Stueve 53.00
2 Matthew Doherty 48.00
3 Brayden Kunz 45.00
4 Jd Robson 43.00
5 Pax Vogel 37.00
6 Kade Harland 34.00
7 Tanner Meier 33.00
8 Cutter Weil 29.00
9 Trey Adams 26.00
10 Brandt Walton 19.00
GIRLS CUTTING
1 Tylor Todd 20.00
2 Alexus Hatcher 18.00
GOAT TYING
1 Kiley Slavin 55.00
2 Tally Wikum 55.00
3 Lakin Cunningham 52.00
4 Sage Toews 40.00
5 Annsley Vernon 39.00
6 Ally Brennaman 36.50
7 Montana Heller 29.00
8 Hadley Teut 28.00
9 Carlee Potter 21.00
10 Emma Arndt 19.50
POLE BENDING
1 Abby Myers 49.00
2 Marlee Quarles 42.00
3 Aubryn Garriott 38.00
4 Prairie Rose Robbins 36.00
5 Tally Wikum 33.50
6 Lily Henderson 32.00
7 Ally Brennaman 30.00
8 Bella Sauvage 27.00
9 Libby Berger 26.00
10 Carlee Potter 21.00
REINED COW HORSE
1 Tylor Todd 10.00
2 Lakin Cunningham 9.00
SADDLE BRONC
1 Bryce Eck 50.00
2 Clay Shannon 27.00
3 Brody Harrison 18.00
STEER WRESTLING
1 Tanner Meier 38.00
2 Jd Robson 38.00
3 Logan Mullin 28.00
4 Kent Berkenmeier 18.00
5 Ryder Dent 7.00
TEAM ROPING
1 Mason Stueve 52.00
2 Trey Adams 52.00
3 Brandt Walton 42.00
4 Cale Morris 41.00
5 Jd Robson 38.00
6 Tanner Meier 33.00
7 Dylan Gugelmeyer 27.00
8 Porter Hall 27.00
9 Addie Weil 25.50
10 Cutter Weil 25.50
11 Matthew Doherty 25.00
12 Kade Harland 25.00
13 Brayden Kunz 23.00
14 Jaytyn Hash 22.00
15 Payton Blank 21.00
16 Pax Vogel 21.00
17 Rylan Wildeman 21.00
18 Hadley Teut 17.00
19 Bryce Teut 17.00
20 Kiley Slavin 16.00