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Tetrault named Rypkema colt winner

By Tisa Peek for Tri-State Livestock News

Trey Tetrault , Vetal, S.D., 16-year-old junior at Kadoka High School was recently awarded the Lloyd Rypkema Memorial Quarter Horse award during the Black Hills Stock Show.

“I was proud and honored when I got the phone call about being in the running for the Rypkema yearling,” said Trey.
The Lloyd Rykema Memorial Quarter Horse Award honors youth between the ages of 12 and 18 who show excellence and dedication to ranching. Applications for the award are open to the five-state area including South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. The prize is a registered Quarter Horse from the Open Box Rafter Ranch by Faith, SD.
The young cowboy’s grandmother, Paula Livermont of Vetal, S.D., encouraged her grandson to complete the application and essay.
Amidst his school, work and rodeo schedule, Trey found a way to compile the winning essay about the importance of the western way of life. “Even though I was really happy when I received the award, I was nervous, but a good nervous. It meant a lot, and you can never have too many good horses in what we

Lloyd was a World War II veteran, Black Hills businessman, real estate developer and Pennington County Commissioner who grew up learning the importance of the ranching way of life.
“Lloyd never forgot his cowboy roots and was always an active part of the community,” said Joni Hunt of the Rafter Box Ranch, “His legacy and this award reminds us of what he did for the community and youth and appreciating the western way of life.”
Along with school, ranching, raising and training horses—Trey is also in FFA and National Honor Society and is active in S.D. High School rodeo where he competes in steer wrestling, tie-down roping and team roping. There isn’t much downtime for the cowboy, he starts as center for the Kadoka Koogers high school football team.
Like Rypkema, Trey is a businessman. He constructs atv auto gates, which he engineered, builds, and sells from the ranch. “I actually build them on the ranch. I do a lot of it during calving in between calving checks,” Trey explained.
One of Trey’s biggest inspirations that pushed him to compete in rodeo and start the auto-gate business is his family. “No matter what my sisters or I do, my parents are there encouraging us and don’t let us just say we have an idea of doing something, they make us do it. I’m grateful for that,” Trey stated.
“My sisters and I help raise and train horses right here on the ranch. When it comes to all of us being involved in rodeo and ranching, we just can’t have enough good horses,” said Trey. He added that his plan for the awarded yearling will be to start it, work it through the ranching ranks in hopes of it becoming a head horse or barrel horse that he and his sisters can compete on.
Lloyd Rykema was a man with vision, work ethic, family values, and a passion for the western way of life. Much like Rypkema, Trey is a young cowboy that demonstrates those same qualities and has his future mapped out.
Trey intends on going to college in Gillette, Wyoming to become a diesel mechanic, work in the mines and eventually to operate the family ranch near Vetal. He is the son of Tee and Tabitha and has two younger sisters, Taycee and Tatum.

Joni Hunt and Trey Tetrault.
Joni Hunt and Trey Tetrault.
Trey and Tee Tetrault on the family ranch.
Trey and Tee Tetrault on the family ranch.
Teltrault competes in three timed events.
Teltrault competes in three timed events.
Trey helps catch an escapee on the ranch. Tetrault family | Courtesy photos
Trey helps catch an escapee on the ranch. Tetrault family | Courtesy photos