Shane Hanchey Finding Groove With New Horse At The Right Time

While the veteran tie-down roper has some catching up to do, the 14-time NFR qualifier has built tremendous confidence in his new equine partner, River.

TIe-down roper Shane Hanchey picked up a much-needed win in Vernal, Utah at the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo. / Fernando Sam-Sin/@fsamsin

Lessons in how to handle children. That’s pretty much what Shane Hanchey’s life revolves around these days.

There’s the obvious one that made him a father about a month ago. Shane and his wife, Taylor, welcomed their first child, Stran, back on May 20. It’s a moment that has reshaped his focus and changed his perspective. 

And then there’s the less obvious role of helping nurture a youngster as they mature – a several thousand pound, four-legged child named River. 

“He’s still a kid, that’s what I’ve got to remind myself every day,” Hanchey joked of his new equine partner. “We rode around there at Vernal (Utah) for a couple hours at slack before I roped, just letting him see the sights. It’s obviously just different from the futurities to the rodeo world. He really does take it all in stride, but at the end of the day, he’s only five-years old. That’s something I’ve got to keep in the back of my mind too as we progress through this busy summer.”

Guiding an up-and-coming horse through professional rodeo isn’t a position Hanchey planned on being in this year, but it’s the path the veteran tie-down roper is currently on.

At the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Hanchey’s primary mount, Bugsy, sustained an injury that the 11-year-old bay continues to recover from. Bugsy earned 2023 Nutrena Tie-Down Roping Horse of the Year honors, helping Hanchey reach the NFR for the 14th straight year.

Since the injury, Hanchey has been forced to readjust his approach and River has been asked to step things up. 

To be fair, it hasn’t always been easy. Hanchey and River had a strong showing in mid-March, leaving RodeoHouston with about $4,500 in earnings. From there, the duo labored through 17 rodeos, coming away empty-handed in 12 of them, earning just $3,111 after Houston through the start of June. 

Hanchey’s patience and focus have never waivered. He’s continued to help River get a feel for the bright lights of professional rodeo while developing the chemistry needed to be successful. 

And, after a lot of hard work, things appear headed in right direction. 

The pair snapped a seven-rodeo dry streak at the Sisters (Ore.) Rodeo last weekend, picking up $1,259 in earnings after a fifth-place finish in the second go. Then came the big one, ironically on Father’s Day weekend, at the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah. Hanchey was fortunate enough to run after the pen reset, allowing him to draw a high quality calf. He finished the run in 7.9 seconds, a full second ahead of three cowboys who tied for second. 

“The season has been trying I’d say,” Hanchey said. “But he’s just a good little horse man. He makes it fun and makes it easy with the right calf at the right setup.”

“Rollin” out of the Dinosaur RoundUp leading the way on young “River” with a 7.9-second run in slack. Now we’re headed...

Posted by Shane Hanchey on Thursday, June 13, 2024

The money from Vernal lifted Hanchey from the mid-30s of the PRCA World Standings into 27th after the weekend. He now has more than $26,700 in earnings for the year.

With a full summer of rodeo still to go, Hanchey is optimistic about the possibilities that lie ahead. He knows there’s a lot of money still out there to earn, which could get him back to NFR for a 15th straight time. 

And given everything that’s happened over the last several months, Hanchey is embracing the experience. 

“Even though the standings might not reflect it, it’s been awesome,” Hanchey said. 

Other results from the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo

Keenan Hayes won the bareback riding competition with a 90-point effort on Powder River Rodeo’s Misdemeanor, earning $4,759. 

Steer wrestler Talon Roseland finished in 3.6 seconds to win the event and earn $3,096. 

In team roping, the pairs of Kolton Schmidt and Landen Glenn, and Nelson Wyatt and Jonathan Torres each finished in 4.5 seconds to earn $3,997 for each participant. 

It was all “Ryder’s” in the saddle bronc competition as Ryder Sanford and Ryder Wright each posted 87-point efforts to tie for the win. Sanford rode Powder River Rodeo’s Toss Across while Wright was on Powder River Rodeo’s Party Planner. Both riders earned $4,185 each. 

Barrel racer Leslie Smalygo was one-one hundredth of a second better than Megan McLeod-Sprague to capture the title. Smalygo finished in 17.05 seconds to win $4,845. McLeod-Sprague was at 17.06.

Trevor Reiste won bull riding with an 87.5-point effort on Powder River Rodeo’s Banger. Reiste earned $4,625 for the win. 

Paden Bray earned the all-around cowboy title with $2,498 in earnings between tie-down roping and team roping.