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Twins have a lot to live up to at rodeo

Last year at the Utah High School Rodeo Finals in Heber, South Summit’s Rylee Dick earned All-Around Cowgirl honors for the third-straight year. In the years before Rylee was dominating her competition, Carlee Dick was a mainstay at the event.

Now twins Kendall and Kyler Dick are taking their turns at the rodeo, which ends on Saturday night with the championship performance at 6 p.m. The sophomores aren’t nervous about living up to expectations, though. After all, they’ve been around rodeos all their lives.

"We’ve just been raised in it," Kyler said. "My dad did high school rodeo in the state of Utah and then he just wanted to carry on the tradition. It started with our sisters and we’ve just been riding since we were little — like 2 or 3."

The twins would like to perform well, obviously, but Kendall said it’s more about having fun doing something they love.

"It’s kind of expected out of us to do great," he said. "We want to, but if we don’t, it’s not something to dwell over."

At the rodeo finals this week, it’s most likely that if you see Kyler, Kendall will be nearby, and vice versa. Both participate in steer wrestling and team roping, while Kendall also does tie-down roping and Kyler does cow reining, a new event this year.

Kendall and Kyler compete together in the team roping event. They share a connection that most duos can’t compete with. Add in the extra practice time they get by living together and they’re hoping to make some noise in the event by the time they’re seniors.

"I don’t think any twins have ever won it together," Kyler said. "It’d be cool if we could do that."

"This year, it’s not looking so good," Kendall added. "But maybe next year we’ll be going for it."

Kyler said he and Kendall practice together nearly every day. Naturally, there are bound to be some skirmishes and disagreements, but Kyler said they’re able to quickly get over anything that comes between them.

So, do these sibling fights happen often?

"Oh yeah," Kyler laughed. "Just a few days ago, actually.

"As twins, we’re always doing the same things together," he continued. "Coming up to state, there’s a lot of pressure to do well and, every now and then, you just pop."

"We were both pretty stressed out," Kendall added.

"But, half an hour after that, we were shaking hands and were best friends again," Kyler said. "It’s pretty easy to get over that stuff."

Though Kyler and Kendall spend a lot of time practicing their craft, they aren’t the only ones out in the pen practicing when they’re at home. Rylee may be in college now, but she’s still a big presence in the twins’ lives.

"She’s always there in the practice pen with us, helping us do our best and push us our hardest," Kyler said. "And we’re pushing her for college rodeos now. We all help each other. It’s a family ordeal."

Indeed, Kyler added, the whole family gets involved in the rodeo business.

"People think most families just sit there and read and watch TV," he said. "We’re out there in the chutes. My dad is helping us run, my mom’s in the chutes, our sisters are heeling and heading (team roping positions). Then Kendall’s heeling and I’m heading. It’s just a big family ordeal."

Kendall and Kyler enjoy competing in Heber because of its proximity to the Kamas/Oakley area. They said it benefits their horses — Johnny, Cameron, Albert and Dylan — to be so close to home.

"We can go home between performances and we can change out horses and they can stay in their own pens," Kyler said. "It’s really nice. They get to go home to their friends and we put them out in a big field where they can just relax."

"When they get to these small stalls and everything, they kind of get uncomfortable and they don’t perform their best," Kendall added.

With calmer horses, the cowboys need to keep their cool, too. Kendall said that’s the biggest lesson he took away from competing in the high school finals as a freshman.

"I’ve learned not to get so upset over one rodeo," he said. "There are many during the year and it’s stupid to get all mad about it. You’ve just got to move on to the next one."

"People aren’t going to judge you by how you did or if you won our lost," Kyler added. "They’re going to judge you by how good of a person you are and whether or not you went out in the arena and gave it all you had."

And, at the end of the day, Kyler continued, it’s all about enjoying doing what you love and having a good time.

"It’s always fun," he said. "It’s not worth it if it’s not fun. If it’s not fun, you’re doing it for no reason."

High School Rodeo Schedule

Saturday, June 6

11 a.m. — Championship round of cow cutting

2 p.m. — Championship round of reined cow horse

2 p.m. — Exceptional rodeo

5:45 p.m. — Grand entry

6 p.m. — Championship performance


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