by Alicia Erickson, Director of Alumni Relations
The DSU Rodeo Council is proud to announce Ryan and Susan Hanna as their 2019-2020 Arena of Excellence recipients. They started off as teammates on the Blue Hawk Rodeo Team in the late ‘90’s. Over time, their love and dedication to rodeo, horses, and the western lifestyle drew them together.
Ryan Hanna ‘99
A guy who has a deep love for sport of rodeo is Ryan Hanna. As a man who used to compete in rodeo, he now looks at the rough stock events through a different lens. He is there to lend a hand to those tough cowboys when they need it the most. There’s no doubt a feeling of relief when those cowboys see him ride up beside them willing to help them off a bronc or bull. Hanna is a gentler, kinder cowboy nowadays as he works the arena as a pickup man.
Raised on a farm and ranch by Berthold, ND, Ryan followed the footsteps of his parents and other family members by attending Dickinson State University. His parents, Dennis and Gayle, both competed on the rodeo team and had successful rodeo careers so they provided the inspiration for him to do well both in college and later in life. According to Ryan, “My parents have always both had a great impact on me to this day. I have been fortunate to be close to them.”
Ryan was blessed to continue to rodeo with a lot of his great friends that he knew from the high school rodeo circuit who became teammates in college. He was able to rope at the CNFR with Tyler Fritz in 1995 and with Will LaDuke during his sophomore year in college. He was able to capture the men’s all-around title that year for the Great Plains Region.
He was originally set on just getting his associate’s degree in Farm & Ranch Management and then going back to the family operation to work. However, after one year on the family farm and ranch, he decided to come back to DSU to attain his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Agriculture.
One of Ryan’s fondest memories is meeting his wife, Susan, at Dickinson State. She was a teammate on the rodeo team and shared the same love and admiration for the western lifestyle. According to Ryan, “Like most people would say, there are a lot of favorite memories. Finding my wife there is at the top.”
Due to his talent and love for the sport, Ryan continued to rodeo professionally for about a decade after college. His love for the sport changed as his children were born. According to Ryan, “After you get married and have kids that changes everything. Every day they help to shape your future, and you do your best to help shape theirs.”
After spending nearly 20 years near Dickinson, Ryan and Susan returned to the Hanna Family Farm and Ranch. As anyone who owns their own operation knows, there is never any free time for hobbies. There is always work to do, especially when you are becoming the head of the operations. “Currently, I am in the process of taking over my parents side of the family ranch,” stated Ryan. “We are running commercial angus cattle and all that goes along with that. I am also working as a pickup man for various contractors at all levels of rodeo. In 2019, we worked approximately 90 rodeos.”
There is no doubt that Ryan will be remembered by countless cowboys who were eager to see him gallop up next to them after their ride. After all, he states it best, “I have always tried to be fair and help anyone that might need it.” No doubt many cowboys are thankful as well as his community.
Susan Rummel Hanna ‘00
Old country roads that are familiar make some students want to stick closer to home when it comes to college. Rather than looking at other schools, Susan Rummel Hanna knew she had everything she needed right here and didn’t have to leave for college after she graduated from Trinity High School. “Dickinson State University was close to home, had one of the best teacher education programs in the state, and one of the best rodeo programs in the region,” stated Susan.
Susan’s college career blossomed at Dickinson State. She was an asset to the women’s team and was a fierce competitor in the Great Plains Region. In fact, she won the titles of the Great Plains Region Rookie of the Year, the Women’s Reserve All-Around title, and helped the DSU Women’s Rodeo Team capture the regional title. Her coach her freshman year, Codi Miller Kraft, inspired Susan to step in the arena and give 110%. There’s no doubt that Kraft saw the young talent and found a way to bring it out and let it shine.
She spent a lot of time practicing and it paid off. All the time spent with her rodeo teammates and traveling to rodeos made her take notice of one of her male teammates. Susan recounts the time, “We had pulled into a college rodeo early in the morning. It was still dark and he jumped on his horse bareback to exercise him a little before putting him away. His horse ran off and jumped over a fence. Ryan didn’t miss a beat and rode through the whole ordeal. I knew then that he was probably someone to know…but honestly not ever thinking that I’d marry him 10 years later.”
Outside of rodeo, Susan spent her days in the Department of Teacher Education. She credits people like Dr. Joe Callahan who made a difference in her life. “Joe Callahan recognized and appreciated my creativity and ability to think outside the box as an educator. He quite possibly realized my teaching style long before I did and helped cultivate me,” stated Susan.
Susan graduated from Dickinson State University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Education. Today, she is a Preschool/Title I Teacher with Lewis and Clark Elementary School in Berthold, ND, where she is proud to live in the country with her husband, Ryan, and their two children.
She will be the first to admit that she owes her parents, husband Ryan, and her kids for who she is today. “My parents, for one, as they made sure that I was able to take advantage of every opportunity life presented, even if they had to sacrifice or go without in the process. Somehow, they managed to provide me with the best…the best horses, the best education, the best opportunities that I have made me the person I am today,” explained Susan. “My husband, he literally hits the ground running every day. He works hard and makes the most of every situation. Rodeo and the western way of life is what brought us together. His untiring work ethic, talent, and positivity has made it possible to keep that way of life central to our lives today,” Susan continued. “My kids, Hayes and Maysa. They gave me the most important job of this lifetime, being a mom!”
From those words alone, you can tell that Susan admires these people in her life. She enjoys packing up her kids, some of their horses, and travelling as a family with Ryan to the roughly 90 rodeos he does each and every year as a pickup man. She has started to rodeo a bit more now that her kids are older. As far as fashion, she will still be an icon to the other women attending the rodeos. She loves the western way of life and it shows. She has learned to do leatherwork, makes handbags, belts, accessories, and even boots.
There is no doubt that Susan will continue to inspire young girls to follow their dreams both in the classroom and in the arena.
