BOZEMAN — As the spring season comes to a close for the Montana State rodeo team, the men sit atop the Big Sky Region standings. A large part is due to senior standout Wes Shaw.
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"Wes has been the center point of our team. When you have a bareback rider, the bareback rider is going to get a lot of points for the team," Montana State coach Kyle Whitaker said. "But, he’s also good at all the timed events, so he gives us four chances at every rodeo.
"He’s a great leader, he works hard, and the kids see that. They see how much he works."
Shaw transferred to Montana State from the College of Southern Idaho last year. The support from the community has made the past two seasons special for him.
"It’s amazing," Shaw said. "I couldn’t believe what they’re willing to do to help us. They sent me down to a couple different clinics to better myself. I couldn’t believe what I was expecting to what I actually got."
Montana State is very strong in the all around, along with Shaw, Cole Gerhardt and Holden Atkinson are all among the top three in the region standings. The ability to compete together every week pushes the group to be their best.
"It’s really cool," Whitaker said. "It’s really good to have people that are pushing each other in multiple events, and I think that sets us apart from a lot of rodeo teams."
"Having everybody that knows what they’re doing in every event, it’s fun going at each other and pushing each other farther and farther, more than what we thought we could," Shaw said.
To be able to excel in the all-around, it isn’t just physical.
"A lot of mental, it’s all mental," Shaw explained. "I take a lot of mental hits and drawing kind of doesn’t help if you’re not drawn good, but all in all it’s just I’ve got to go out there and have fun and lay it out there and let God take the wheel from there."
Shaw plans to go pro after the season ultimately wraps at the College National Finals Rodeo.
