Rodeos, roping a family affair for the Wrights

MCBEE - When Ryan Wright turned 17 and got his driver’s license, he didn’t want a car. He wanted a calf horse.

“This is what he does all the time,” Stacy Wright, his mother, said.

The McBee High School senior participates in calf roping and team roping in rodeos. In team roping, Ryan heads the cow. Zac Rita of Saluda, S.C., is his partner. Ryan has been riding horses since he was 7 and started roping at age 8.

“He’s worked hard at it. He lives it and breathes it,” Lee Wright, his father, said. Lee has been roping for 15 to 20 years and in rodeos for 20 to 25 as a rodeo clown, roping and steer wrestling.

The rodeo is Ryan’s life according to his parents. He practices four hours a day, five days a week. When he’s not riding and roping, he has a miniature dummy to rope inside and a small dummy to rope outside too. Lee has found Ryan awake after 11 o’clock watching roping tapes in his room.

“I honestly believe in my heart that if he keeps it in his heart like he’s got it, you’ll see him one day in the next five to 10 years doing this professionally,” Lee said.

Ryan plans to attend a rodeo college in Texas. So far Charleston State University is at the top of his list.

“I’m going to study to be a horse chiropractor, but I do want to rope for a living,” Ryan said.

The Wrights travel all over South Carolina and the Southeast to participate in rodeos with the S.C. High School Rodeo Association (SCHSRA). This will be Ryan’s third year with the organization. Lee is on SCHSRA board of directors for the first time this year.

“South Carolina has one of the better award programs as small of an association as we are,” Lee said. At the end of the rodeo season during the state finals in June, the children get saddles, bridles and buckles for winning different categories.

“This is the first year contestants can win money in addition to points towards the national competition,” Lee said. He added that the group is trying to get new members because it is solely supported by parents and fundraisers.

“It’s one of the best things for the kids,” Stacy said. “They still have prayer in it.”

She added that she doesn’t have to worry about her son getting in trouble or getting into drugs.

To participate in the rodeo, students have to keep their grades up and have to have good conduct at school. Every week the school’s principal has to sign off on a letter that a student’s conduct is good or he can’t participate.

Tadlock Painting of Darlington sponsors Ryan, and he gets patches and some promotional materials from Cactus Ropes.

What does Ryan like best about the rodeo?

“Winning,” he said.

And he has a number of awards under his belt. Ryan’s on the Wrangler All Star Team. He has been a Mid-eastern Team Roping Association (METRA) finalist for last three years. He placed eighth this year, so he’ll go to the finals in December.

“He’s roped against some good competition,” Lee said.

The Wrights have another boy coming up in the rodeo too, 9-year-old Zachary Skinner. He can rope a dummy, but his hands are too small to put him against a real cow, his parents said. For now, the Wrights are concentrating on Ryan to get him into college.

Area residents have a chance to see the rodeo at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday off Highway 151 coming into McBee. Tickets are $8.

“It’s a good deal for a family oriented event,” Stacy said.

The rodeo continues rain or shine as long as there’s not lightning.

“No matter how hard it’s raining, the rodeo goes on,” Stacy said.