The gate rattles and Ryder Wallace settles his hand into the rigging, hooks his boots over the horse’s shoulders and waits for one final ride to determine if it was all worth it.

As the chute swings open, the roar of the crowd fades into the background. Those few seconds, nothing else matters.

Not the trophies. Not the pressure. Not the thousands of fans packed inside the arena.

It’s just a horse, a chute and a kid from Firth living out a dream he’s had since he was little.

Wallace was one of hundreds of competitors at the National High School Rodeo Finals in Lincoln, Nebraska, July 19-25. But when it came time to ride, none of that mattered, and he took home second place in the bareback riding competition with a score of 223.

Rodeo is in Wallace’s blood.

His grandfathers, Wayne Christensen and Bill Wallace, along with his dad, Wade, his mom, Katie, and his sister, Kinsley, all have ties to the sport.

“It’s hard to put it into words,” Ryder said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s something my parents both did. It’s a passion for me. It’s something I dream about all night long, all day. Going through rodeos, that’s what I love to do.”

Those dreams began long before Ryder ever climbed onto a bucking horse.

As a kid, he watched rodeos on television, imagining what it would be like to compete on the biggest stage. For a small-town kid, those broadcasts became inspiration.

But dreams don’t happen overnight.

Ryder began competing in sixth grade, and through years of hard work, determination and countless hours of practice, his talent quickly grew.

That work started paying off last year at the Idaho High School State Rodeo Finals in Pocatello.

He finished second in bareback riding, earning a trip to the National High School Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas.

Competing inside the Thomas & Mack Center, Ryder arrived with his sights set on a national championship.

He came up short, finishing 10th in the nation.

For many athletes, a top-10 finish on the national stage would have been enough.

For Ryder, it became motivation.

His journey back to nationals started the same way it always had — with hours of practice, training and another trip to the Idaho State Finals in Pocatello.

This time, he didn’t arrive focused on winning.

He arrived focused on riding.

“My plan going into state was just to ride every horse for what it was, not try and override,” Ryder said. “Just do the best that I could on what I drew and be consistent, and that ended up helping me a lot.”

The plan paid off.

He captured the Idaho state championship in bareback riding with a score of 66 points, earning his second straight trip to nationals, this time in Lincoln.

His experience from the previous year helped him once he returned to rodeo’s biggest high school stage.

“I went last year, so I knew what I was needing to expect,” Ryder said. “I think that helped me a lot.”

This time, Ryder made the most of the opportunity.

Ride after ride, he climbed the leaderboard before finishing second in the nation and proved to himself and everyone what he was capable of.

“At first, I was a little bummed that I didn’t win it,” he said. “Now that I’ve gotten home and I’ve had time to think about it, it’s still a huge accomplishment. I was competing against people from all 50 states and five other countries. So it’s a huge accomplishment, and I’m really proud of myself.”

While Ryder’s name may be on the award, he knows he didn’t earn it alone.

“It takes a lot of time. It’s practice. You’ve got to practice almost every day of the week, and it takes a lot of people to practice,” he said. “To buck one horse, it takes 10 people. I wouldn’t have done as good without everyone that supports me.”

That support extends beyond his family.

It’s his rodeo family.

“Rodeo is one of those sports where everyone wants to see everyone do good,” Ryder said. “It’s a really good community to be a part of because everyone wants to help you and everyone wants to see you do good.”

Ryder represented Firth, Idaho, on one of the biggest stages in high school rodeo, carrying not only his own dreams but also the support of everyone who helped him get there.

Still, second place isn’t where he wants his story to end.

Along with his goals of competing in college rodeo and eventually professionally, Ryder already knows what comes next.

“The one goal I’ve got set for next year already is to go back to nationals and win it,” he said.