Winners, all four: High school students work hard at Winner Livestock, play hard in the arena

Four young men from the southern central region of South Dakota can all be found working together at Winner Livestock. They strive for fast times in the rodeo arena, but they are also known for the long hours they put in at the local auction market.

Rowdy Moore, 18, Garret Phillips, 17, Kamryn Meek, 18 and Browdy Kocer, 18, from the Winner area have made a good reputation for themselves not just at work but – for three of them – in the rodeo arena as well.

Cody Moore, co-owner of Winner Livestock and Rowdy Moore’s father, said the four boys have built a reputation within their community the last seven years for being respectful and driven.

“The best part is, you can talk to any trucker that’s loaded there. They’ll tell you how respectful they are to their elders, they have great stories of those boys,” he said.

Kenny Kauer, a trucker who has lived his whole life in Winner had nothing but praise for the four boys that he’s known their whole lives.

“They’re going to go a long way in life from their experience at the sale barn,” said Kauer, “I’m just so proud of them, they’re our future.”

Kauer recalled a story from the Black Hills Stock Show Rodeo in Rapid City where he has some extra tickets for Rowdy and a friend. The clown who was performing climbed up into the stands and asked Kauer which boy he should use for his act. When he explained that Moore was an auctioneer the clown gave him the microphone and had him rattle off some words. The clown had to stop him eventually as he said Moore was making him look bad.

When the four guys said they do about everything at Winner Livestock, they meant it.

“I’m pretty sure they could run it without me,” said Cody.

When asked how they handle everything, Kocer summed up the answers of all the guys with “a lot of coffee and a good mindset I guess.”

Meek added that they all like playing five-point pitch, because they can finish games in between loading trucks out at night. They all like to make the most out of their time together, and while it certainly is long and hard work, they never complain.

Moore explained, “The key to their success was giving them the responsibility of doing things on their own. You can lay in bed and dream or you can get up in the morning and chase your dream. I know they’re getting up every day and doing it.”

The boys have become reliable members of the community. When someone needs help, they call and if one of the boys can’t make it, another one will.

Moore, Phillips and Kocer are members of the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association and compete in the River Region, which is one of four regions within the state.

Moore who just graduated from Winner High School plans on continuing his education at Mitchell Technical College in Mitchell, South Dakota, and to pursue an associate degree in agriculture business.

He competes in steer wrestling and team roping, and while his favorite event is steer wrestling; it doesn’t mean his team roping abilities are lesser. He is no stranger to the coveted “all-around cowboy” award. However, when asked what his biggest accomplishment in rodeo is, he humbly replied, “just doing it.”

Moore noted that a lot of people don’t try new things, and he hasn’t rodeoed the majority of his life. He decided to start chute dogging in 8th grade and the rest, as they say ‘is history.’

Phillips is going into his senior year at Winner High School, still undecided about college, but knows he wants to stay involved in the cattle, sheep, and rodeo business. He competes in reined cow-horse, cutting, team roping, and tie-down roping.

This spring he won a Slone Saddle certificate for winning the “triple crown” which means he attended three practice rodeos offered over one weekend and accumulated the most all-around points across those three rodeos.

As his freshman year of high school rodeo concluded he was named the rookie cowboy of the year and ended fifth place, otherwise known as the crying hole, in reined cow-horse. The top four go to nationals.

Despite the heartbreak of ending fifth both his freshman and sophomore year, his drive and passion for rodeo prevails. “I’ve never seen someone so dedicated,” said Dawson Phillips, his older brother, “he will stop and help any kid out when practicing, he has a heart and passion for the cowboy lifestyle.”

“He is my hero and the true meaning of a cowboy…even with the maverick mustache,” he added.

Kocer is also going into his senior year. He hopes to attend college, possibly to be a diesel technician but is undecided as to where that will be.

He lives and works on their 100-year-old family ranch and while rodeo runs in his family, he just started rodeoing a year ago, competing in team roping.

“Garret and them guys talked me into it,” he said, referring to his buddies at Winner Livestock.

While Kocer is a bit more soft-spoken than the other boys, their boss, Cody Moore, speaks highly of his work ethic.

“He’s a hard worker, has a lot of talent, and very dedicated,” Moore said, “even when there’s no trucks there in the middle of the night he’s cleaning pods or doing something, he won’t sleep.”

Of all the boys, Meek has been there since the beginning. The recently graduated senior will be attending Mitchell Technical College in the fall to be a diesel mechanic.

He prefers four-wheelers over horses when it comes to working cows. Therefore, at the sale barn he said he’s on his feet a lot, but he enjoys it.

Meek doesn’t rodeo like the rest of the boys, but his work ethic and positive attitude is just as strong. He loves working at Winner Livestock and when he’s not doing that, he works on his grandpa’s organic farm operation. There he does everything from running the rake, grain cart during harvest and mechanic work during the winter.

“I don’t like sitting at home,” he said, “I’d rather be working.”

Randy Tuttle of Winner has been a trucker for the past 30 years and has some very fond memories of the boys yet laughed as he said his stories may not be entirely suitable for publication. However, he did confirm that as long as he has been hauling, Winner Livestock has been one of the better places to load out because of the boys.

“They’re good boys, they work hard, and they’re right on their numbers even though they’re always razzing each other,” said Tuttle.

Moore is hopeful that although the boys will be leaving home soon for school and chasing their dreams, if they decide to return, he knows the next generation will be in good hands under their guidance. Even now as they take time out of their busy schedules to help the new kids coming into work, “they’ve taught me more than I’ve taught them,” he said.