Bodie Mattson Succeeds at Juggling College and Pro Rodeo

College rodeo athletes all set out on their academic and rodeo journey with goals set for both in and out of the arena. Every college rodeo athlete dreams about attending the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyoming, every June. Bodie Mattson has not only accomplished that goal, but he has also broken out into the pro rodeo world in a unique way for a college student.

Mattson, the 22-year-old cowboy from Sturgis, South Dakota, set out to make his senior year at the University of Wyoming one to remember. Mattson put on his brown and gold vest for his senior year in hopes of returning to the CNFR in two events while also competing on some of rodeo’s biggest stages.

College rodeo is a challenge in itself. Traveling to 10 rodeos a year and maintaining a full college schedule is not for the faint of heart. Bodie Mattson just so happens to be one of the most elite athletes in college rodeo. While many college rodeo athletes balance professional and college rodeo simultaneously, few are having the success that Mattson is. Starting his pro rodeo season in the top four of the all-around standings and in the top 15 of the tie-down roping standings, Mattson jump-started his pro rodeo year just the way he wanted to.

Mattson is a competitor out to win and simply be the best in everything he sets out to accomplish. This is something his team members commend him for and learn from.

“His mentality, you know, we'll look at the steer and he’s figured out what he is and what we need to do, but he doesn't overthink it or anything. He's just a winner. He's won. Every year,” Troupe Coors, Mattson’s college rodeo team roping heeler, said.

When the University of Wyoming senior thought about his final year wearing a college rodeo vest, he simply wanted to make the most out of it and balance both professional and college rodeo at a level of success that would propel his career.

Mattson backed into the box for the first time at the college finals while wearing the vest for Gillette College, located in Gillette, Wyoming. He has since transferred and worn the brown and gold vest for the University of Wyoming for the past two years. Mattson looks forward to entering the Ford Wyoming Center for one last time during his senior year in both team roping and calf roping.

“It's a long year to get there. It's a lot of work schoolwise when you are rodeoing and flying back to college rodeos and this and that, but it's definitely worth it once you get there because of the type of production they put on,” Mattson said.

Balancing professional and college rodeo while being a full-time student is something Mattson takes seriously and plans accordingly. Mattson had plans to rodeo more for the PRCA his senior year, so in preparation for that, he took classes he needed in person his junior year and made the decision to go all online his senior year. Mattson finished his associate degree in business at Gillette College and chose to lean more into his personal skills when he made the switch to the University of Wyoming his junior year and focused on completing a bachelor’s in marketing.

Mattson's goal was to start the new year at the top of the standings, so when he started college rodeos in the spring, he would have a jump start on his year of professional rodeo. In January 2024, Mattson started strong in the rankings, but when he was sitting at the top of both the all-around and the calf roping standings, it gave Mattson a whole new mindset.

“I just kind of viewed myself as just a team roper. I mean, I roped calves good, but I didn't really think I was at the level I wanted to be at in calf roping,” Mattson said.

Clearly, dominating in the team roping and calf roping is something Mattson excels at. Mattson gained a new perspective and competitive drive after the CNFR in 2023 when it came to competing in both events at the professional and college levels.

“I really wouldn't say I didn't know I was capable of, but I didn't have the confidence that I do in the team roping,” Mattson said.

Confidence in Mattson is one thing that not only his team roping partners and competitors have in him, but his college rodeo coaches also exhibit when watching him back in the box at a college rodeo.

“He is a quiet person, but a very fierce competitor. He expects himself to win every time he nods his head. He wants to get better,” Seth Glause, head rodeo coach for the University of Wyoming, said.

Mattson has worked closely with Coach Glause and UW’s women's rodeo coach, Jacey Hupp, to make this year of college rodeo a success while pursuing his career in the PRCA. The coaches at the University of Wyoming's team have high expectations of their athletes and set out to craft a team capable of winning the region and at the CNFR. Mattson is one of those athletes.

Hupp and Glause have communicated with Mattson and helped him navigate the journey of being competitive at both the college and professional level.

“Part of it is just letting him know that he can always come back to Laramie when it works with his schedule, but we understand he's not sitting around and he knows we support him,” Hupp said.

Keeping in communication with the coaches on his needs while he is on the pro rodeo trail is something that contributes to allowing Mattson to balance all that he does. While Mattson proves to be successful in both calf roping and team roping, his college rodeo team roping partner, Troupe Coors, contributed at large to Mattson’s success in team roping this past season. Coors, out of Loveland, Colorado, is a sophomore and a member of the University of Wyoming’s rodeo team and has been at the back end of the steer for Mattson's senior year. Roping for Mattson was something Coors did not hesitate to agree to.

“He's just the best header in the region. And when he called me and I got the opportunity to do that, I had no doubt in my mind,” Coors said.

The pair ended up reserve team roping champions for the Central Rocky Mountain region and are headed to the CNFR in June. Ending a successful year of college rodeo second in the region took consistency and hard work which the team demonstrated throughout the entire year.

A successful all-around athlete in the sport of rodeo at the college and professional level requires horses that can perform at a high level, and this is something that Mattson credits a significant amount of his success. Mattson has two standout horses that have helped propel him to where he is in the standings. Mattson’s calf roping horse is a 13-year-old gelding who came off the Price Ranch in Buffalo, South Dakota.

“He's honest, and is the same trip every single time and that's all you can ask for in calf roping,” Mattson said.

Mattson’s calf roping horse has been an incredibly reliable horse for Mattson in both college and professional rodeo setups. When it comes to team roping, Mattson rides in the box on his horse Pendleton. Pendleton is an 11-year-old gelding that the Mattsons raised and trained themselves.

“He's as good as they come. I credit a lot of my success in heading to him. He scores phenomenal and finishes around very well,” Mattson said.

Pendleton and his calf roping horse did their job, helping Mattson win the 2023 Badlands Circuit Finals all-around title, which Mattson describes as one of his biggest accomplishments. Mattson attributes much of his success to the horses he brings with him on the road, which are a major part of his ability to pursue the schedule and year of rodeo Mattson has had thus far.

College rodeo is a steppingstone that prepares athletes for professional rodeo, but Mattson is making waves in both. It’s one thing to see an athlete dominating not only in the college rodeo world but a whole other level of success at the professional level. Mattson accomplishing all that he has already this year was very important to him.

“It was definitely special because just like we talked about it, it was kind of a moment where I know I can do this and a relief that your hard work has paid off and I plan to keep working hard,” Mattson said.

Participating in professional rodeo has helped Mattson even at the college rodeo level. Mattson discussed how professional rodeoing while college rodeoing was the quickest way for him to level up in the industry.

“You don't get put into those situations like you do, say Cheyenne Frontier Days or Denver, one of the big rodeos where you gotta mentally be there,” Mattson said.

Pro rodeo has challenged Mattson to grow in every competitive aspect to compete at each level in the best possible way.

Considering high-pressure situations at the pro rodeo level, there are a few rodeos that Mattson particularly enjoys competing in. The Days of '76 Rodeo that happens every summer in Deadwood, South Dakota, is one of those rodeos that Mattson simply can’t resist entering.

“But you get people from Sturgis and Deadwood and everybody knows you're kind of a celebrity for a couple of weeks so it's kind of cool and that's definitely one that I'd love to win,” Mattson said.

Next to The Days of '76 Rodeo, Mattson also enjoys entering Cheyenne Frontier Days because of the high pressure and big stakes that go into entering one of the largest rodeos of the year.

“Every time I compete there, it gives just a certain type of feel inside your stomach that you don't get at any other rodeo,” Mattson said.

Mattson plans to continue pro rodeoing and working toward the winter rodeos for the upcoming season. When Oct. 1, 2024, rolls around and the next season of pro rodeo begins, Mattson plans on hitting the road as hard as the winning will let him. Professional rodeo is a pay-to-play sport, something that Mattson takes seriously when considering the next part of his professional career. Having his sights set on making the National Finals Rodeo one day, Mattson plans to continue to better himself competitively and work ahead of those who are striving for the same thing.