BY KRIS BLANKMAN
Photos by Shandel Hadlock
Cheyenne Hadlock
Never fear! The west is still alive in the hearts of our youth. When asked what her hobbies are, 10-year-old Cheyenne Hadlock proudly stated ranching with her dad and grandpas in Eden, Utah, and art! Cheyenne is a 5th-grade student at Valley Elementary in Eden. Along with art, she loves science, and learning about the earth. This sweet, young cowgirl had a good year at the Weber County Fair with her lamb, Quill, where she won the first showmanship class. She is also a member of the Utah Youth Rodeo Association, where she is honing her roping skills. She rides a good bay horse by the name of Jack that her dad bought when he was a young man. To date, her best rodeo experience is bringing home a check from a youth rodeo. She says that rodeo has taught her patience and hard work, especially times when you miss. She says she spends lots of hours practicing. Cheyenne loves living the rodeo lifestyle with her family as they travel with her dad who is a professional steer wrestler. Cheyenne wants to expand her events to breakaway and barrels as she gets older and plans on being a veterinarian. She loves to draw, paint, take pictures, and ride! They say the west was won on a bay. It is good to know that the tradition continues with talented young cowgirls like Cheyenne.
Photo Credit Abe Wangsgard
Flint Wangsgard
Rural America is in good hands with young men like Flint Wangsgard. Flint is a 15-year-old sophomore at Weber High and lives in Huntsville, Utah. This congenial young man enjoys agricultural science and history in school. 2021 marked his seventh year raising a livestock project for the Weber County Fair. The first years were through the 4H program, and now he is a member of the Weber High FFA. Flint has been raising and showing a hog every year to raise money for his college education. He is a member of the FFA Livestock Judging team. While he enjoys all the animals, he likes to focus on hogs, as that is where much of his experience and knowledge lies; he says he really enjoys the steers as well. Flint said this year’s project was his most challenging and most rewarding. His hog had some problems, and Flint spent many hours a day hand feeding and taking care of his animal. He said he learned a lot about nutrition this year. Flint enjoys working on his grandparent’s farm in Huntsville in the summers. He loves to fish as much as possible and has found that he likes to create and tie his own flies. He enjoys hunting deer and elk in the fall and can often be found skiing on the slopes in winter. His future is bright, and while he is not sure what he wants as a career, he is leaning towards something in the agricultural science industry.