story by Riata Cummings
William Riggs Brereton from Heber City, Utah, spends much of his time on trail rides, driving trucks, or shooting trap. He is the son of Bill and Trudy Brereton, and his siblings are Chase, Nikki and Cydney. The 18-year-old senior attendsWasatch High School, and his favorite class is a college level automobile mechanics course. He is an active member of the Wasatch Rodeo Team and his high school’s chapter of the National FFA Organization. After high school, Riggs is considering entering the military and would like a career in mechanics so he can be a “real hands-on kind of person.”
Riggs was first introduced to the world of rodeo by his father who rode bareback in high school. Multiple concussions from Rigg’s freshman year hindered him from competing in the bareback riding, so he picked up trap shooting. “I don’t have to worry about anything. I get my gun and my shells, and I am good to go.”
He loves that competing in the trap shooting gives him the chance to show his competitive side and spend time with his friends. The shooting events require a different level of mental preparation than rough stock events. “The build-up behind the chutes in bareback is harder than the actual eight seconds. Trap shooting is slower moving with less adrenaline. It can be difficult to focus the whole time while you’re shooting, but trap has helped me get better at that long-term focus.”
“Go farther than your little town and really see what’s out there. Do not judge others on their performance.
“If you don’t almost die once a day then you aren’t living. Don’t live your whole life playing it safe. Go out there and have fun. Don’t get hurt but have a good time and don’t let fear hold you back.”
Riggs’s heroes include his father and Chris LeDoux. “My dad put me on my first bucking horse, he taught me how to shoot, he gave me my first shotgun and he has been there for me every step of the way.” Riggs looks up to LeDoux for his journey from a small town to the top of the leaderboard in bareback riding. “He started in just a small place, decided to work for something, and make it all the way up. Now he is a legend.”
One day, Riggs would like to have a legacy of his own. He wants people to remember him as the kind of guy that was “happy and liked to have fun. The kind of person that brings other people up.” He wants to make friends every chance he gets and is willing to stick up for the things or people he believes in.
Riggs would like to thank his parents for helping him get started as a rodeo contestant. He would also like to thank the Cottam family for being willing to haul him to various rodeos throughout the years. He wants to thank his friends that support him and encourage him. Riggs understands the value of a good support system and he is grateful for the opportunity his friends and family have given him to be a competitor in the Utah High School Rodeo Association.
