Trick rider carries on family legacy

REARDAN – The love of horses is in eight-year-old Laramie Gray's DNA. As the youngest rodeo trick rider in the area, she is highly acclaimed and well on her way to achieving the same success as her parents, Ryan and Lacy Gray.

Ryan, who grew up in Cheney, and Lacy from Desert Hills, AZ, met while on the rodeo team at Odessa College in Texas. Lacy competed in breakaway roping and goat tying, an event in which she placed fourth in the nation.

Ryan holds the collegiate record for the highest score ever recorded in bull riding. He later qualified for the National Finals Rodeo eight times. Ryan retired in 2016 as one of the most accomplished bareback riders in the world.

When Laramie was three months old, her mother sat her on a horse for the first time. Laramie cried when Lacy lifted her off. At 18 months, she spoke her first words when she said to Ryan, "Can I have your horse?"

Since then, her love for horses has only grown stronger.

At age five Laramie began trick riding on her horse Easy. Since Lacy did not have a background in trick riding, she taught Laramie skills from a book written in 1960 titled "The Book of Trick and Fancy Riding."

Now Laramie is proficient in several trick riding maneuvers including the hippodrome, where she races around the arena while standing on the saddle, and the death drag, where she hangs upside down off the side of the horse.

"I like the death drag the best," Laramie said. "It is a lot of fun."

Besides performing tricks, Laramie has had the honor of carrying the American flag in many grand entries, including rodeos in Cheney, Springdale and Davenport. She will carry the flag at the Coeur d' Alene Rodeo at the Kootenai Fairgrounds on August 21.

In 2023, Laramie, along with brothers Ransom, age 10, and Rangler, age 6, competed in seven rodeos. Each one earned All-Around Cowboy/Cowgirl honors in their age division. Laramie's silver championship belt buckle is one of fifty she has won in her brief career.

Laramie rides six different horses a day, but also takes care of their daily needs.

"I catch and saddle them, groom them and clean their stalls," she said. "They are fun to ride, especially when I go fast. I really love them."

Laramie is proud of her heritage and hopes to continue in her parents' footsteps.

"My dad was a bronc rider and I just really love the rodeo. It's fun and exciting. Someday I hope to carry the flag at the National Finals Rodeo."

Lacy counts it a great honor for Laramie to carry the American flag into the arena on rodeo day.

"Laramie is a sweet, caring and empathetic girl," Lacy said. "To see her carry the American flag for a country as great as ours is a real honor. It's a pretty big deal for an eight-year-old to stand on a horse and take the flag around the arena."

"We are so happy that our kids can live out their western heritage and legacy," Lacy said. "With Ryan's rodeo success and both of our fathers and grandfathers being rodeo champions and cowboys, we are so blessed to be living this lifestyle. It is humbling to get to pass it on to our kids."