Logan Vander Hamm can work circles around most 13-year-olds. Most youngsters that just completed sixth grade are probably spending their summers fishing, swimming or mastering the latest video game. But Logan is busy chasing his dreams and achieving them.
Logan and his roping partner Steele Smith, another sixth grader, recently won the World Champion Team Roping title at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Perry, Georgia. It was the duo’s first time to compete at that level.
“The goal is always to win,” Logan said. “I’ve been roping since I was 9, and this was pretty exciting, but it was hot down there.”
Logan is the son of Scott and Melissa Vander Hamm of Ingalls, Kansas. Scott also ropes, as does Logan’s older brother, Jhett. Melissa works tirelessly to manage schedules and make sure her sons get where they need to be to do what they love.
With several horses to ride daily. Logan gets plenty of practice on a variety of horses and with actual steers, one of benefits that gives him the competitive advantage. A second advantage is a talented header in Steele, who gets the steers set up for him. Finally, Logan and his family know how important it is to keep their horses feeling their best, so they give their horses Vitalize® products powered by Amaferm®.
“In Georgia, I roped on a mare named Puddin’, but I didn’t rope off her until about a month before. We feed the Vitalize (Equine High Performance) pellets and the Vitalize Equine Gel. The Equine Gel helps a lot when we are gone to keep our horses eating and drinking and feeling good,” Logan said.
Vitalize offers a line of supplements for horses and dogs with the Amaferm advantage to improve digestive health and gut integrity, keeping your animal healthy and performing. Amaferm is a prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility by amplifying nutrient supply for maximum performance. It is research-proven to increase nutrient absorption resulting in maximized digestive health for improved performance.
“If the horses aren’t on top of their game, you can’t be on top of yours,” Logan said.
Even at the ripe age of 13, Logan has some great advice for his peers and really anyone in the sport. “You’ve got time. Don’t get into a rush.”
It’s evident that taking his time has paid off, as the fourth place and final qualifier out of the state to the National event, Logan and his partner take one run at a time and one calf at a time. In Georgia, they won the average, the short round and claimed the overall title – pretty impressive for a pair of sixth graders.
“It’s cool to see his hard work pay off,” said Melissa, one proud mom.
Hard work, a good roping partner and a horse that feels its best makes for a winning combination. You can be sure that we’ll be seeing Logan Vander Hamm’s name for years in the future.
To learn more about the Vitalize products Logan uses on his horses, or to discover where to buy them, visit https://vitalizeeq.com.
