Wyatt Casper

 By Susan Kanode

            Saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper’s quest for excellence in the rodeo arena started when he was a toddler. Born in Minnesota, his parents moved to Oklahoma when he was four years old so they could have more opportunities for the family to rodeo. Wyatt is one of three boys and everyone in the family ropes. They made their home in the panhandle of Oklahoma at Balko. Wyatt and his barrel racing wife, Lesley, make their home in the panhandle of Texas with their two children, Cooper, who is six, and daughter Cheyenne, five. And when he gets to his home in Miami, he is all about his family. 

            Being at home, attending the kids’ events, supporting his wife who not only competes but is a barrel racing producer, sees Wyatt getting on planes more often than he would like. As the children get older and have more activities, leaving home is going to get more difficult and he knows that. In the meantime, the five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier is going to enjoy the process and pursue his rodeo goals. 

            He accomplished one of those last December when he had a very successful NFR, earning $219,549 and the coveted NFR Average Championship. Wyatt’s time in the arena as a youth saw him starting as a team roper. In fact, he qualified for the 2010 National High School Finals Rodeo in the team roping. In 2014, he made it in the saddle bronc riding. Two years later, he was the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association championship at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming. He competed for Clarendon (Texas) College where Bret Franks was his coach. Bret has three NFR qualifications in the saddle bronc riding to his credit. 

             Rodeo is an important part of Wyatt’s past, present and future. The buckles in his trophy case will be reminders of the past while he is presently working towards more of them. And he will be competing in the future with a bronc rein or a rope in his hand. His future is also likely to see a lot of supporting roles as he helps his barrel racing wife and children work towards their own goals.     

One on One with the Wrangler NFR Saddle Bronc Rider Wyatt Casper

Favorite movie: Monte Walsh with Tom Selleck. 

What superpower would you like to have: I’d like to be able to fly. Then I could get to all of the rodeos on my own without getting in a truck or a plane. 

Dogs or cats: Dogs. We have some family pets. 

Favorite dessert: Pecan Pie – heated up with ice cream.  

TV show that you binge watch: Pretty much anything that Taylor Sheridan is involved with.

What would people be surprised to learn about you: I can rope too. 

Favorite thing to do away from the arena: Rope and play golf. Golf is a great way to pass time on the road. Any downtime that we have, we are usually golfing. 

Favorite spectator sport, other than rodeo: Probably golf. 

If you weren’t in rodeo, what would you be doing: Honestly, I’d probably be a truck driver. 

Famous person you’d like to have lunch with: President Donald J. Trump.

Tea or coffee: Coffee with a little creamer in it. 

Favorite thing about Las Vegas: The time I get to spend there with my family. We stay so busy at home and between kids, barrel racing and rodeoing, we aren’t always in the same place at the same time. The memories that we get to make in Las Vegas and at the NFR are the best. 

Music or podcast on your playlist: I listen to Zach Top. He has that classic country sound to him and has some great songs. 

Dream bucking horse to get on: Probably Cool Alley or Bobby Joe Skoal. They were the rankest horses of their time. 

What buckle do you wear and why: I’m wearing my Ellensburg buckle now because it’s one of the hardest rodeos to win. I’m pretty hard on buckles when I’m working at home and don’t change them much. The really important ones go on a shelf. 

What’s your strong point as a competitor: My mental game – I don’t show much emotion. It works good for me, taught to act like you’ve been there and done it before.

If you could give advice to your younger self: Be prepared the best that you can for any given situation, then accept the results.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be: Somewhere warm. Maybe Arizona in the winter and summers right here. Wherever the weather is nice enough that I can rope. 

Sponsors that help you get down the road: Western Hauler, Justin, Cinch, Resistol, Sawyer Hay & Cube, TD Angus, MVP (Med Vet Pharmaceuticals), Superior Livestock and Priefert.

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