Tyler Vodon, from a farm just west off of Highway #83, has been Team Roping since he was in Gr. 4; he participated in his first rodeo at age 11.
Attending Virden Collegiate Highschool in Gr. 10 this coming fall, at age 15, he says, ”I still enjoy Team Roping the most because I have done a lot more of it, and it’s what I’m best at.”
Vodon learned a lot about team roping, calf roping, and steer wrestling from his two older brothers, Terrance 19 years-old, and Trevor age 21. His brothers have also been in Highschool Rodeos, and continue to participate in other rodeo associations now.
Vodon says he can credit the Brown and Hagan families as well, for teaching him the ropes of rodeoing. Every year the Brown’s hold roping clinics, which Vodon has attended many of.
Practicing for rodeos takes up two to three hours, on two to three days the week for Vodon.
Last year Vodon attended over 20 rodeos, from Swan River, Gainsborough to Selkirk. He has been a part of the Manitoba Team Roping Association and the Heartland Rodeo Association.
At the 2017 Highschool Finals at Swan River he and his partner, Kade Peak won the Team Roping event. In 2016 Vodon and his partner, Shane Maclennan also won the Team Roping event at Junior Finals in Rapid City. “Tyler cleaned up at the Junior finals in Rapid City,” says proud mother, Rita Vodon, “He came home with over 10 buckles.”
Vodon has also qualified for the last four years to attend Canadian and National High School Rodeo Finals. He has attended Canadian finals twice in 2014 and 2015 at Nanton, AB. He received a third place in one of the rounds of the break-away competition.
Vodon hopes to continue attending rodeos after he graduates highschool. He says participating in rodeos has taught him that, “If you want to be good at something, you have to work at it.”
Chairman is the name of the American Quarter horse, ten years old, that Vodon uses to Team Rope with the most. Chairman was purchased locally five years ago from Francis Smith of Oak Lake. Vodon has also used another nine year-old horse named Roanie.
Just starting Steer Wrestling this year, Vodon rides a horse named Ricky Bobby for this event.
Tyler will be participating in the High School Rodeo and the Manitoba Rodeo Cowboy Association (MRCA)/Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA) rodeos during the Virden rodeo weekend from Aug. 17 to Aug. 19.
