story by Riata Cummings
Shaelyn Hart lives in the small town of La Sal, Utah, where the close-knit community brings friendship and support. Shaelyn and her family ranch there together. Her parents are Rye and Gayla, and she has two brothers, Austin and Rance. Her brothers are her best friends and her parents are her biggest supporters. Her parents are responsible for her love of rodeo and the two have competed in the sport for as long as she can remember.
Rodeo came naturally to her and during high school she competed in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, team roping and breakaway roping. She especially enjoys barrel racing because she grew up doing it alongside her mom. She also loves breakaway because its fast, fun, and provides the thrill only catching can bring. Shaelyn loves that rodeo challenges the individual. Rather that relying on a team, rodeo athletes must constantly push for self-improvement. She loves how being surrounded by the good people of the sport helps her become a better person. Rodeo has taught Shaelyn to never give up and always work hard. Most importantly it taught her that winning is secondary and if you love what you are doing your dreams will come true.
This fall, Shaelyn will be attending the University of Wyoming and competing on the rodeo team and studying for her nursing degree. Her hero is her great grandfather Rudy who could always make people smile and laugh. She looks up to his positive attitude and way of doing things. One of the people that ranches with the family says, “Don’t work on your horse, work on yourself”. Shaelyn lives by the principle that to fix a situation or problem, one must look inward. The key to making things better is to start with yourself. She would advise rodeo athletes to love what they are doing, have fun in and out of the arena, and work hard. This ethic and attitude helped Shaelyn become one of the many successful rodeo athletes in the Utah High School Rodeo Association.
