Muddy trails
Ropers, racer qualify for National Finals rodeo
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
BOZEMAN — It started flat-out ugly but ended fairly pretty.
The Montana State High School Rodeo Association’s state finals muddy, sometimes snowy, start in Bozeman, but the weather turned from spring to summer on Saturday for an almost normal finish. In the end, three members of the Mission Valley Rodeo Club qualified for the National Finals High School Rodeo and two others qualified for the Silver State International Rodeo.
Cody Sheridan and Colt Nagy finished fourth overall in the state in team roping to earn a spot at National Finals in Gillette, Wyo. They combined two good runs to earn the trip, following up a no-time in the first round with a 13.73-second run in the second round and a 20.62 in the championship round.
Emily Schall also earned a trip to nationals in barrel racing, combing a first round run of 18.76 seconds with a second round run of 18.56 and a championship go of 18.68 to win the average for the event. She also won a buckle and a saddle coat for her efforts.
Becky Jo Dumont earned a trip to Silver State by finishing fifth overall in barrel racing. She had a first-round run of 23.16 seconds, hampered by a five-second penalty with one barrel down, then finished with a second round run of 18.20 and a championship run of 18.72 to place fifth.
Jessica Read also qualified for Silver State in goat tying by placing eighth overall. She combined runs of 8.58 seconds in the first round, 9.96 in the second round, and 9.33 in the championship go. Read also won the first attendant position in the Montana State High School Rodeo Queen contest and she will represent Montana at Silver State.
Other local cowboys and cowgirls competed at state, but finished out of the placings to end their high school rodeo season.
Michaela Blevins competed in the girls’ cutting, scoring rounds of 60, 63 and 60. She wasn’t in the running for the buckle, but said she had a good time at state.
Moriah Gilmore competed in pole bending, combing a 30.18-second first round run that included one down pole, and a clean second round run of 24.08 seconds and will compete at Silver State.
