Making a dream come true

Western Heritage Group and the city of Fallon granted a wish over the weekend, allowing 8-year-old Wyatt Logan to spend a day as a cowboy.

Earlier this year, Wyatt, from Redding, Calif., was diagnosed with a unique form of inoperable Stage 2 cancer. He has been undergoing chemotherapy and his family wants to make sure he has as normal a childhood as possible.

“We don’t want this cancer to define him,” said Linda Logan, Wyatt’s mother. “He’s a fighter … we encourage it; if he’s feeling up to it, go be a kid.”

When they heard about Wyatt’s situation, WHG wanted to help and reached out to the family. They arranged to have the Logans come to Fallon so Wyatt could participate in the Western Heritage Ranch Roping and Hot Iron Branding rodeo. During the rodeo Saturday, Wyatt was a guest of honor, riding out with the flag and riding a calf.

Friday afternoon, Wyatt also had a cowboy-themed pizza party with the Fallon rodeo team. During the party, Fallon mayor Ken Tedford presented him with the key to the city. They also did trap shooting earlier in the day and went to a concert.

Sarah Goedert, of the Western Heritage team, said they wanted Wyatt to have fun and raise his spirits after everything he’s gone through; Logan recalled the chemo was hard on Wyatt and made him sick — she said the event came right as he was being his old self again.

“We’ve had huge support from the city,” Goedert said. “Everyone here is here for this family and for Wyatt.”

Wyatt already had some experience in rodeo, with his whole family participating in various events. Logan said Wyatt competed in mutton busting before and was just about to move up to calf riding when they received the news about his diagnosis.

She said Wyatt was heartbroken when the doctors said it wasn’t recommended he compete in the events and decided to stay home from the May rodeo the family usually competes in.

Most of the weekend was a surprise for the Logans. Wyatt’s mother recalled they were told they needed to come to Fallon at a given time with little information about what was happening. She did know about Wyatt doing his calf ride, though — Logan recalled when plans were being discussed she asked if there was any way WHG could arrange for Wyatt to make up the ride he missed.

“They’re giving him a happy weekend in a terrible time in his life,” Logan said. “To see the rodeo community come together for their own is such a beautiful thing. It’s so beautiful in such an ugly time.”