story by Jennie Lawrence
Rocky Mountain Professional Rodeo Association (RMPRA) member Wyatt Ahlstrom is a self-professed team roping fool, and he comes by it naturally. Both his dad and his grandpa roped, and Wyatt has been roping since he was a little boy.
He has been a member of the RMPRA for three or four years. He took home the reserve championship in the team roping event last year. He is also a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), and the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA).
Wyatt is finishing his sophomore year at Utah Valley University in Provo, Utah, where he is majoring in Civil Engineering. Wyatt qualified for the NIRA finals in Casper, Wyoming last year. Unfortunately, that event was cancelled due to the Covid 19 virus. At that time, he and his sister were roping together. Kaycie is a header, while Wyatt was her heeler. This year he is roping with a different partner, one that goes back to their high school years. Wyatt won the Utah High School Rodeo Association (UHSRA) team roping finals in 2019, and he is now roping again with Jace Hanks, his team-mate when he won that event.
Wyatt was born in Genola, Utah, but says he did not really grow up in any one place. The family moved around when he was a child, from Genola, to Logan, to Clarkston, to Rush Valley, and back to Genola. Wyatt’s parents are Griff and Amy Ahlstrom. Despite living in various places, he has been rodeoing since he was “little-little. I did mutton busting and dummy roping, then junior rodeos, moved up to junior high rodeos, and then did high school rodeos all four years, all across the state.”
Wyatt’s biggest supporters are his family members. He has a brother Dylin who is three-years-older, along with his sister Kaycie. They are all very close in age, and push each other to do better. The trio ropes together every day. Wyatt estimates that he ropes 40 to 50 head of steers a day. He does not really have any other interests. “All I do is rodeo and practice,” he said.
He goes to 80 to 100 rodeos a year, and has no idea how many miles he puts on his rig. The farthest he has travelled is to the junior high national finals in Des Moines, Iowa. He listens to any and all kinds of music when he is traveling. “We just hit shuffle and go,” he said.
Wyatt prepares for each rodeo by practicing. He comes up with a game plan, and with the help of his siblings he breaks down his roping, and figures out what he needs to work on. He wants to represent the Rocky Mountain Region of the NIRA at the college national finals this year. Another goal is to become the 2021 circuit PRCA champion, in addition to the RMPRA champion.
He currently rides a seven-year-old sorrel quarter horse mare named Ruby. He got her as a two-year-old, and trained the mare himself. Wyatt is now employed as a horse trainer for Ben Jordan, who raises rope horses. He and some family members have also started their own business, specializing in roping cattle. They put on team ropings through Jordon River Roping Productions.
When asked about a significant other, Wyatt said, “I am single as a pringle. If you want to put my phone number in [this story], that would be great,” he laughed.
Wyatt lives his favorite quote. “Always work hard, never give up, and achieve.” (Attribution unknown)
