story by Michele Toberer
Last year was Ky Kreder’s rookie year with the Mid-States Rodeo Association, and the fourth-generation cowboy from Ochelata, Oklahoma made quite an entrance. At just 18 years old, he looks forward to a lifetime of rodeo competition, and is grateful for every step he’s made along the way so far. Ky ended the 2018 MSRA season as the champion header and champion rookie of the year. “I really enjoyed last season with the Mid-States Rodeo Association. They are a great organization that feels like a little family. Everyone is fun, and always has a smile on their face.”
Ky’s parents, Freddy and Cheryl Kreder, raised Ky on his great-grandfather’s (Buddy May) ranch in Ochelata, Oklahoma. Buddy, Cheryl’s grandpa, competed back in the Turtle Association days as a calf roper, and won some prestigious rodeos, such as Madison Square Garden, and Salinas, California. Freddy’s dad, Bob Kreder, had a long rodeo career as well, and competed as a bull rider, team roper and calf roper, spending many years as an IFR rodeo judge. Ky spent his youth traveling the roads with his parents as they competed in PRCA and IPRA rodeos and doesn’t remember a day that he didn’t carry a rope in his hands. Freddy competed as a heeler, qualifying once for the Great Lakes circuit, and worked as a pick-man at the Great Lakes circuit 3 years, and at the IFR 9 times. Cheryl still continues to compete as a barrel racer. “My family has quite a rodeo story, and I am proud to be a part of that story, I’ve been competing since I was about 8 or 9 years old.”
Ky recently graduated from Caney Valley High School in Ramona, Oklahoma, where he played basketball on the school’s team, but most days tried to get home as quickly as possible to get on his horse to rope. He skipped his own graduation ceremony because he was entered at a rodeo in Athens, Alabama that day, and went on to compete in 3 rodeos his graduation weekend. Ky spent quite a bit of time last season on the roads with his cousin Shawn and his wife Kara, and the trio of Kreders competed at 67 rodeos in the three summer months leading up to his senior year of high school.
Ky not only had success in the MSRA last season, but also won the rookie of the year title in the International Professional Rodeo Association as well as the 2018 IPRA Reserve World Champion Header title, and the rookie of the year title in the American Professional Rodeo Association. Although Ky did compete at the IFYR his freshman year of high school, he bypassed the typical high school rodeo competition, focusing on amateur rodeos and USTRC jackpots over the years. “I always had to go where it paid something.”
All of last year’s wins were made possible by a 13-year-old sorrel gelding named Zero, “He is the best horse I’ve had so far. My dad bought him from a guy that was roping at one of the jackpots we have every Sunday at our arena, Ky’s Arena. He was like a diamond in the rough, and my dad bought him and told me to take him and go. Zero has done so well for me, I couldn’t have done it all without him. I also appreciate my dad for helping me so much with roping, and some great friends, Casey Hicks, Jesse and Casey Stipes, and Benny Jordan. I’ve learned a lot about horsemanship from Casey, and Benny is just a true cowboy all the way.” For his future, Ky sees nothing but rodeo, and looks forward to competing in PRCA circuit rodeos, hoping to one day compete at the WNFR.
Ky is grateful to his parents and family for getting him where he is today and appreciates his sponsors for helping keep him on the road to the top; Classic Ropes and American Bank of Oklahoma.
