POCATELLO — Dozens of professional bull riders and nearly the population of 7-year-old Tayt Andersen’s hometown of Rigby filled the Bannock County Fairground’s Indoor Arena Saturday afternoon. They were there to support him and 1-year-old Owen Paul during the second annual Hatcher Wheatley Professional Bull Riding Benefit.

    “It’s amazing that strangers upon strangers have come to help out my boy and they love him,” said Tayt’s mother, Chrissy Andersen. “It shows me that a small community loves my boy more than I do, almost.”

    Andersen is fighting hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, hydrocephalus, spastic paraplegia and has had nine open heart surgeries. Pocatello resident Owen Paul tragically lost both his parents, Boede Paul and Angelea Schultz earlier this year. Both boys have a Western background and were thrilled to attend an event that was both exciting and beneficial to their futures.

    “It’s so overwhelming that the community and our friends and family came together to have this event for Owen and Tayt, it just shows what kind of love is out there in the community,” said Kathy Paul, Owen’s grandmother.

    Both boys were able to get an up-close view of the bull-riding action, which featured more than 30 bull riders that came to show their support.

    The event themed “Ridin’ to Beat the Odds” included professional riders from Texas, North Dakota and throughout the Western U.S. along with some of the area’s high school riders.

    The bleachers were filled and others browsed among the silent auction items — all to help raise money to cover Tayt’s medical costs and to help support Owen’s future.  

    People of all ages peered through the bars surrounding the bull-riding arena. Hundreds of folding chairs were needed for spectators to watch the bull riding and many more stood by the arena or sat on fences around the perimeter.

    “Tayt is at the point where we can’t do anything else in his body until he gets a transplant,” Chrissy said.

    Money raised for Tayt will go into a trust that will be used for his special needs once he gets his transplant and for the family to move to Salt Lake City to be closer to him during his recovery after the surgery is done at Primary Children’s Hospital.

    “Whether it’s in 10 days or 10 years I don’t know when he will get his transplant,” Chrissy said. “All I know is he’s here and he’s running around and he’s having a blast.”

    Event organizer, Shane Haggard, estimated nearly 3,000 people were in attendance and many more filtered in and out of the covered arena throughout the afternoon.

    Haggard said he stumbled upon Tayt’s wish page on Facebook and was inspired to help him out. Owen has lost both his parents and is now in the care of his grandparents, and Haggard said he wanted to help “kick start” Owen’s life and raise money for his college fund.

    “I met Hatcher and he pulled at my heartstrings and he loved bull riding so I decided to organize the event last year and I’m so thankful we were able to help out two more deserving boy’s with this year’s event,” Haggard said.

    Although Owen is just a toddler, Kathy said he loves the outdoors and animals and managed to soak up as much of the rodeo as he could.

    “Owen is loving this, he loves animals and the outdoors so this is a perfect event for him,” she said.

    Nashville recording artist and Gate City native Layce Whitworth provided live entertainment for the event, while local vendors served hotdogs and hamburgers to those in attendance. A four-day fishing trip to Raspberry Lodge Island in Alaska was also auctioned off as part of the festivities.

    Both Bill and Kathy say they are so inspired by the community’s generosity that they plan on becoming a part of the event as it moves forward. That thought was echoed by Chrissy Andersen.

    “I’ve been so blessed in my life and my children have as well, so it’s our turn to help too,” Andersen said. “You never know when Tayt and Owen grow up what they’re going to do with their lives and maybe they’ll pay it forward to someone else as well.”