Growing and competing with Utah State Eastern Rodeo
Utah State University Eastern’s rodeo team is small but mighty, according to Brady Ramone, head coach of the team. His strategy is to keep the team small, focusing on the individual athlete instead of having a big team.
“We’ve got winners,” Ramone said. “I try to focus on that, and it seems to have worked out for us so far.”
Right now, the team has eight athletes: four girls and four boys. Ramone said when he started coaching last year, they only had three athletes.
Most of their team is composed of first-year students and sophomores, providing a young team with time to advance. With their already strong talent and up-and-coming athletes, Ramone believes their team is steadily growing.
Despite their small team size, USU Eastern’s team produces athletes that place in the College National Finals Rodeo, or CNFR.
National competitors are determined after both fall and spring seasons, and the top three athletes in each event per region qualify to compete.
Saydee Davis is in her third year competing with USU Eastern in barrel racing and breakaway roping. She has been in rodeo for ten years, and she said she got started when she met Ramone.
“We’re kind of a smaller team, but we all love our coach, Brady. He’s awesome,” Davis said.
In her first year in college, Davis placed No. 6 in the nation in barrel racing and was named Rookie of the Year.
“It was so fun, so cool,” Davis said about competing in Casper, Wyoming. “The crowd is huge. The arena is so cool. Casper is just a cool place.”
Davis said her favorite part of rodeo is winning. She loves to finish on top – knowing that all of her hard work was worth it.
This year, Ramone expects Davis to make another national appearance, alongside her horse, Rockstar. Right now, Davis sits second in the league.
“If she keeps making runs like she does – she’ll make it,” he said.
Ramone also said saddle bronc rider Byron Christiansen is expected to make it to the CNFR. Christiansen placed No. 10 last year in saddle bronc riding and sits No. 1 in the Rocky Mountain League.
“I’ve been rodeoing for as long as I can remember,” Christiansen said. “My mom and dad both rodeoed in high school and college, and my dad trains horses for a living, so it’s come from the very beginning.”
Christiansen started competing in third grade and is in his second year competing collegiately. He is currently studying agribusiness and is already working in the field. Alongside his brother, Christiansen runs a custom grazing operation, running 200 head of cattle over 800 acres of farmland.
Christiansen said one of the best parts about USU Eastern is the way he can participate in school, rodeo and work at the same time. It provides a flexible schedule that helps him succeed in all aspects of his life.
Ramone said the best part of coaching is watching the athletes grow up.
“I like to bring these kids in and help them mature. Teach them to be adults instead of kids,” he said. “I can watch them over two, three, four years and watch them mature and help them see it. It’s pretty awesome.”