The 18 year old is from Yampa, Colorado, a small town located 30 miles south of the famous Steamboat Springs ski resort. Even with that close proximity, Jace doesn’t ski. “I get so busy with sports, I don’t make time for it.” Due to conditions and his high school sports, Jace is unable to practice in the winter. “We had 5 feet of snow last year and freezing temperatures all winter.” During the fall, he splits his time between football and rodeo and then wrestles throughout the winter. He was the running back and linebacker in football for Soroco High School and he wrestled in the 170 pound division, earning the state title this year in 2A. After spending the past three years as runner up, he finally reached his goal. Jace has wrestled since kindergarten, working his way through middle school into high school and coaching the peewee program. “I love the sport – it teaches great life lessons – I love that kind of competition. You are out there by yourself so there are no excuses. Dedication and teamwork are still in there as far as practice partners – being accountable for your actions on and off the mat. Wrestling teaches discipline in cutting weight, making weight, and grinding it out. It’s very rewarding in the success because it’s all you.”
As a freshman, Jace was a big surprise to a lot as he made it to State finals, and ended up runner up – for the next three years. “It was a rough go for a while, but we got it done.” What he concentrated on this year was his mental game. “Honestly in life and in sport – if you can mentally overcome stuff, that will make the difference in your success.”
Jace competes in the Colorado State High School Rodeo Association, where he is this year’s All Around Champion. Going into the fall season he would play football Friday night and then immediately head to the weekend rodeos where he competed in reined cowhorse, tie down, team roping, and steer wrestling. Add that to the fall ranch work, Jace kept busy. His family ranch runs 1,300 leased cow calf pairs during the summer and fall gathering on the 12,000 + acres takes some time. Add shipping to that and the family of three boys has their work cut out for them. “My brothers and I are the cowboys pushing them up to summer pasture and putting out salt and mineral during the summer. Then we gather in the fall.”
Jace and his two brothers, Eric, 21, and Kody, 16, started their own cow herd when they were young. “I bought two cows in second grade and same with my brothers. Each year, we’ve grown our herd.” They have around 200 of their own cows now. “Mom and dad treat us good – we work pretty hard on the ranch and they help by taking care of most of the expenses on the cattle.” The cattle on the ranch are divided into four big bunches and the boys check on something every day during the summer.
He comes by his love of horses through his parents, Mark and Jeannie Logan, who competed in reining before the boys were born. They started raising horses with their stud, Doc Sugar Catalyst when Eric was just a baby and most of their horses they rodeo on and work the ranch on comes from Doc. Jace and his brothers found their niche in the horse world through rodeo, starting with the local gymkhana club and NLBRA, then climbing the ranks of junior high and high school rodeo. Jace competed in team roping and dally ribbon roping with Eric, and the brothers were crowned the NLBRA dally ribbon roping world champions in 2012.
Jace has been pro rodeoing since last October, running down the road with Eric, who also steer wrestles. They use the same horses and haze for each other. “I pulled a check at my hometown rodeo, the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo series. We hit that ten week series every weekend.” One of the horses, the haze horse Skeeter, is one that was raised at the ranch. The steer wrestling horse, Gray, was bought out of Texas when Eric was at Odessa College. Besides steer wrestling, Jace and Eric also compete in team roping together. Jace heads on Skeeter-the haze horse, and Eric heels on a horse they also raised on the ranch and used in reining. During the week the boys and Eric’s fiancee, Shelby-who breakaway ropes, make time to practice everyday. The family put in an arena a few years ago which allows them the flexibility to practice whenever they have free time from the ranch.
Jace is going to the University of Wyoming this fall to study Animal Science with a concentration in livestock production. He plans to apply that later in life as a ranch manager. For now, he’s going to rodeo for a while. “I want to see how far I can go in it.”
