Rodeo’s a Bonus for Beaver Wrestler
Drawn to BVU for wrestling, Caleb Eggleston also stays active doing other things he loves, like training a colt on the Agricultural Experiment Station.
Caleb Eggleston knew he’d tackle subjects like biology and art as a Buena Vista University freshman. He also anticipated taking down opponents as a 141-pound wrestler for the Beavers.
But, a colt? Training a colt? That’s something Eggleston didn’t expect. He welcomes the bonus, a result of his place on BVU’s new rodeo team.
“Mike Christen (BVU Land Unit Manager for the Agricultural Experiment Station) has me training a two-year-old colt, so I go out to the farm and get to ride,” Eggleston says. “It gives me a taste of home.”
“I’m a part of two teams and have some great teammates, coaches, and professors who are helping me learn all about the college experience.”
Caleb Eggleston
Home for Eggleston is Cook, Neb., a town of 308 people 180 miles from the BVU campus in Storm Lake. BVU’s science curriculum and emerging Institute for Agriculture served as attractions for Eggleston, as did coaches Mark Rial and Sean White of the BVU wrestling team.
“I’ve watched Coach Rial wrestle, and I believe in what he and Coach White are doing in building our program,” says Eggleston, a three-time state tournament qualifier as a Johnson County prep in Nebraska.
Rodeo, on the other hand, was something in its infancy as Eggleston toured campus. BVU Instructor of Animal Science Landon Sullivan mentioned the emerging team to Eggleston.
“I’ve been out to the Barnes Ranch and have worked with Coach Marty Barnes,” Eggleston says. “It’s a cool place. I get to help Marty with things on the ranch, or work with Mike on the farm. It’s been a great experience.”
Eggleston, an ag business major, says the activities helped him acclimate himself to life on a campus as a freshman, a busy Beaver at that.
“I’m a part of two teams and have some great teammates, coaches, and professors who are helping me learn all about the college experience,” he says.