UHSRA member, Wayson Foy – courtesy of Cassi Dick
stories by Ruth Nicolaus
Whether it’s in an arena or on the mat, Wayson Foy loves to wrestle.
The eighteen year old cowboy, a resident of Heber City, Utah, and a member of the Utah High School Rodeo Association, has wrestled competitively for the past six years, and has high school rodeoed as a bulldogger for the past two years.
But he has a lot more interests than just wrestling steers and people.
He serves as the president of the Wasatch High School’s FFA Chapter, which is an enjoyable role for him. The well-spoken cowboy has taken part in extemporaneous public speaking, after being shy when he started high school. “My freshman year, I had no self-confidence,” he said. “I could hardly talk. Being in FFA, the kids I met really brought me out of my shell and made me realize I have a natural talent for shooting my mouth off,” he joked.
He also enjoys working with kids. One night a week, he and his wrestling teammates coach up to 300 kids, ages two to eight, in wrestling. Heber City has a strong wrestling tradition and is the home of a Olympic gold medal wrestler, Cael Sanderson.
He also plays football, and is taking several AP, college and honors classes in school.
After graduation, Wayson would like to rodeo for Utah State and be a state FFA officer. The competition is this month, and if he isn’t chosen, he’ll apply again next year.
He qualified for state finals as a junior, and wishes he had started high school rodeo as a freshman. Both his mom and dad rodeoed in college and believed that Wayson shouldn’t rodeo unless he was one hundred percent into it. “It took me till my junior year to realize that’s what I really liked doing,” he said. “I’m sad that I didn’t do it when I was a freshman and sophomore, because I know how many things I’ve missed out on. But I’m also glad that that I waited till I was a junior. I don’t think I’d have had the confidence to jump off a horse when I was younger.”
Wayson has a younger brother, Zayne, who is sixteen and also a steer wrestler. He is the son of Wayne and Kim Foy.
UHRSA member, Colton Smith – Scoot ‘Em and Shoot ‘Em Photography
Colton Smith is a timed event cowboy in the Utah High School Rodeo Association.
The seventeen year old cowboy, a resident of Highland, Utah, steer wrestles, tie-down ropes and team ropes.
His head horse is a fifteen year old sorrel named Rio who is “really good and solid,” and his calf horse is a nine year old sorrel named Pepper, a mare who “is a little crazy every once in a while,” Colton said. “She’s a hot head like mares are. If you don’t use her very often, she gets more hot. She likes to get her own way.”
For the bulldogging, Colton borrows Clayton Grow’s horse, a sorrel named Cherokee.
He is a senior at Lehi High School, where lunchtime is his favorite part of the school day. He doesn’t eat lunch at school but chooses to visit one of the little restaurants close to school. His favorites are Hart’s or McDonald’s, and if he goes to McDonald’s, he loves to stack a spicy chicken on a double cheeseburger and wash them down with a Coke or Monster drink.
His favorite class is ag mechanics. The class made a goat chute and now he is making a roping dummy, with back legs that move. It’s been a difficult project but it’s been worth it, he says. He may make a flatbed yet.
After graduation, he will attend college, major in ag business, and rodeo collegiately.
He has competed at state finals the past two years; he didn’t rodeo his freshman year.
For fun, Colton likes to hunt and go mudding in his truck.
He has three sisters (Maddison, Savanah and Morgan), and a brother, Austin.
He is the son of Matthew and Krista Smith.
UHRSA member, Makay Smith – Scoot ‘Em and Shoot ‘Em Photography
Makay Smith is in his final year of high school rodeo competition.
The eighteen-year-old cowboy, a member of the Utah High School Rodeo Association, is a steer wrestler, team roper, and will begin tie-down roping this spring.
He is a senior at Corner Canyon High School in Draper, but rodeos for the Lehi High School team. School is good, he says. “It’s my last year of (high) school, so I might as well enjoy it.” Diesel mechanics class is his favorite class, and it’s earning college credits for the honor roll student.
Makay got his start in rodeo when he was a youngster. He and his cousin Colton Smith got interested in the sport, and began spending time with the Caldwell family in Lehi. The Caldwells started the boys with horses and riding, and since then, Makay and Colton have grown to love and excel at the sport. He and Colton are good friends.
Every day after school, Makay can be found at the Caldwells, cleaning out stalls, riding horses, training colts, and feeding.
In his spare time, he likes to work with his dad at their feedlot and slaughter house. “Work is fun for my family,” he says.
Makay qualified for state finals last year in the steer wrestling.
After high school graduation, he will serve a two year mission for his church and then attend college. He’d like to rodeo collegiately as well.
He has two brothers (Jacob, 22 and Joshua, nine), and four sisters (Jessica, 21, Abigail, sixteen, Aliza, thirteen, and Elsie, eleven.)
He is the son of Jeff and Amy Smith.
