above: KPRA member Ryan Swayze
– Lone S Photography
story by Magie Downare-Nevius
Running only 13 steers in the 2014 season did not stop Ryan Swayze from qualifying for the KPRA Finals and pinching off his second year-end steer wrestling title by a margin of close to $300. Taking a placing position of each go-round, Ryan was also crowned the finals champion with an aggregate time of 17.6 on three head – a 9.8 second split over his closest competitor. “I tend to rodeo closer to home, which doesn’t allow me to hit as many rodeos as others. I just had great luck at the beginning of the season to put me in a good position going into the finals and then had a good final to wrap up the year,” Ryan said. “I’m hoping to do that again this year and have a good enough go to get up in the standings to have a chance.”
Ryan initially joined the KPRA in about 1995 and then has been an on-again, off-again competitor for a total of about 15 years. He was able to grab his first year-end title in 2010, but had taken time off with the organization prior, to chase additional dreams in other associations such as the PRCA Prairie Circuit, and is a former competitor of the Central Plains Rodeo Association and the Professional Cowboys Association. “I live in northwest Oklahoma, so rodeoing close to home is what works best for me. I enjoy the proximity that the KPRA offers in order for me to go,” Ryan said.
The Freedom, Okla., cowboy was introduced to the sport as a youngster as his parents (Dennis and Linda) would take him to watch the NFR held in Oklahoma City and he developed heroes like Monty “Hawkeye” Henson and Roy Duvall. “I remember as a little kid wanting to be a cowboy and things has just worked out from there,” he said. While neither parent was competitors themselves, Ryan says that their support is what urged him forward. “My dad is a good horseman and has taught me the appreciation of a horse and mom has been there for me through it all,” he said. Although Ryan was a high school rodeo contestant, he says that he didn’t get serious about the sport until college, where he attended Fort Hays State U and has been going strong for about 24 years.
Ryan’s outside ambitions focus on the family cattle business where he, his brother (Scott) and dad partner in a cow/calf operation and grow wheat. The family remains involved in rodeo, as Scott is a former steer wrestler, but had to give it up due to injuries and has changed direction to a pickup man for Medicine River Rodeo Company and his wife (Megan) is the current co-director for the KPRA breakaway roping. Ryan has now turned his attentions to expanding on his daughter’s (Madalynn, 10) interest in the sport. “I have been taking her to a Round-up Club and she just loves to run barrels, pole bend, goat tie and began breakaway roping a little bit last year,” Ryan said. Having pasted the “bug” to the next generation, Ryan says that his hazing horse now doubles as a barrel horse for Madalynn, but will still be used to chase his season goals. “I would like to qualify for the circuit finals and make it back to the KPRA finals, to hopefully, defend my title,” he said.
