A teenage rodeo star who has trained horses for professional cowboys, was tragically died a few months after his family moved to build their ranch activities.
Gage Holzum, 16, was killed during a freak tractor accident on the Montana Ranch of his family on March 3, only years after the family had moved from California to strive for their ranching dreams.
The talented teenager had already made a name for himself in the competitive world of Rodeo, specialized in 'head' – a challenging roping technique that requires precise horsemanship and timing.
The accident took place in Forepaugh, Arizona, in the winter house of his family, according to the Roping Journal Magazine team.
It is currently unclear what caused the tragic death of the accident or gage.
The Van Holzum family had recently moved from Oakdale, California, to Rapejle, Montana, where they run up to 500 cattle.
They also operate Holzum Quarter horses, specialized in ranch-elevated horses.
They had started spending winters in Arizona to continue their training programs throughout the year.
A teen rodeo star who has trained horses for professional cowboys, tragically died, just a few months after his family moved to build their ranch company
Gage had already reached where many horse trainers only at his young age of dreams.
The first main horses ever trained itself is currently driven by Rhen Richard, a five-fold national final Rodeo qualifying match that the teenager admired deeply.
He comes from a long line of farmers on both sides of his family.
Gage's mother Jennifer's family has several generations of Ranching experience in California, while the roots of father Tyler are firmly planted in the ranching tradition of Montana.
His family said that he was not only passionate and successful in his work, but also 'just good for the soul'.
“Gage was pretty gentle, but was very hard for himself and a perfectionist to the point that when he walked 20 to 30 oxen and one neck, he was crazy,” Gage's father, Tyler, told the team of the Journal magazine team.
'Gage was just good for the soul. He was extremely loyal and polite and did not shot or drank. He was clean cut and professional. '
Gage Holzum, 16, was killed in a freak tractor accident on the Montana Ranch of his family on March 3, only years after the family moved from California to strive for their ranching dreams
'Gage loved roping, guns, ranching and brand calves, and was very proud of his horses. Their moons were braided and his tack was clean and oiled. '
“He rpmed the dummy every night and was in every detail of the mechanics of Toping. He looked at a million roping videos and really looked up at the Rodeo and Futurity -boys. He had set his sights on Training Future rope horses. '
Tractoro accidents are the main cause of fatal injuries on American farms, which causes an average of around 130 deaths per year, according to the National AG Safety Database (NASD).
