While Monty Dyer’s passion for rodeo is apparent, he modestly states he’s just done it so long he doesn’t know how to quit. Truly a lifelong cowboy, his dad put him on his first horse as a child growing up in Ottawa, Kansas. His dad rodeoed and focused on rough stock events such as bareback and bull riding until Monty was born and he switched over to calf roping exclusively. Monty followed in his footsteps, taking on calf roping as a young man and continuing to hone his craft today through competition in the United Rodeo Association’s (URA) over 40 division.
After heading off to school at Ft. Scott with the intention of becoming a teacher and the support of a rodeo scholarship, Dyer discovered student teaching wasn’t as good a fit as the saddle was, and he devoted more of his time to riding outside horses, utilizing his horsemanship skills to bring out the best in others mounts.
While he no longer rides as many outside horses as possible, he and his wife Jayna raise horses and run yearling cattle on their ranch. In a family where everyone ropes, stockmanship is important as good, minded horses and the Dyers strive to foster both.
Just as rodeo has always been a part of his life, so too has the URA. Growing up, Dyer was involved in 4-H and local activities that provided the foundation for his appreciation of the setup of the URA that makes it so family friendly. He has truly been on all sides of the fence, from competing in the URA to watching his wife and children compete to his current leadership role as Vice President.
He’s dealt with the tragedy of losing good horses and the uncertainty that comes with ranching. He understands the toll of gas prices and the gaps in opportunities often inflicted on the circuit based on ages. While the URA can’t control inflation, it does offer multiple rodeos throughout several states to provide increased opportunities and takes into consideration the opportunity for those on every end of the age spectrum to have a decent payday.
Like so many, Dyer can’t imagine summer without rodeo, and is doing his part to preserve the heritage of the URA while also taking it into the future for the next generation of competitors.
