“He exemplified what a youth leader is, just a top-notch young man,” he said, adding that Real was somewhat soft-spoken.

“Clay led by example. He wasn’t loud or boisterous. Clay didn’t have to draw attention to himself except by being Clay.”

Real won a college scholarship from an affiliate of the local chapter of the Nebraska Cattlemen Association, said 34-year-old Tyler Williams, who sits on the board.

Real had worked on his parents' feedlot, which has two locations in McCool and Grafton, according to his Facebook profile. He won the scholarship because he planned to stay in the cattle business by returning to the feedlot once he graduated, Williams said.

Real and Williams also competed against each other in the rodeo, including several events over the summer.

“Every event he was at, he was always very competitive,” Williams said. “He hung right in there.”

Real did rodeo in junior high and high school and had just joined the university’s team, his mother said. As his parent, Kelli Real drove thousands of miles and many hours in a pickup, and the whole family helped him rope cattle and wrestle steers at their home arena.

“We’re thankful for that,” she said.