Local teen headed to national rodeo finals

When school is out for summer, athletes usually take advantage of having extra time off by practicing their craft. Kyler Herklotz is no different. His practice field is at Freedom Ranch.

"When they hear rodeo, they think I'm a bull rider," says Herklotz. "I have to tell everybody I'm not a bull rider I steer wrestle. Then I have to explain to them what that is."

Herklotz has been competing in rodeo tournaments for the last three years.

"I usually test our kids out the first time to see how tough they are, so I put him on a calf and he immediately downed the calf with no problem," says Elton Boney, Kyler's coach. "I told my wife right then that this kids has got some heart."

"Instead of us imposing things on him that he should be doing, we saw him from the inside start to grow as a man and start to become a man," says Kyler's mom, Carol Herklotz. "We said hands off, it was kind of good that we didn't understand it all because we didn't have to coach him."

After winning the Florida High School Rodeo Association state championship in steer wrestling, Herklotz is now preparing for the national rodeo finals.

"My best time so far is 3.9 (seconds). I'm looking to hit that maybe even better," says Herklotz.

The national rodeo finals will take place this week in Wyoming.