Some of the best in the world set out to compete in the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR). With teams not only from all around the United States, there were teams from Australia, Mexico, Canada and more. The NHSFR’s mission statement is to promote the sport of rodeo in the highest type of conduct, sportsmanship and its positive image to the general public. This includes preserving the western heritage, offering a privilege of family bonding, an opportunity of continuing education and maintaining the highest regard for the livestock.
Local cowboys and cowgirls represented our community well during the events. They competed for Team Utah against 45 other teams around the world. Starting in the National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR), in the Ribbon Roping Performance 7, Johnny Fox of Huntington teamed up with Paizlee Worthen of Goshen for the event. The team would score a 10.83, earning them the sixth-place finish. Tadd Nelson would also earn a sixth-place finish in the Tie Down Roping event, as he scored 17.39. In the Rifle Competition, Long Round event, Drayke Tonk scored 292 points, placing him at the 26th position, missing out on the top 20 to move on by only nine points in the competition filled with 130 competitors.
On to the NHSFR, staying in the Rifle Competition, Long Round event. Emery’s Wyatt Fox had a phenomenal performance, placing in second-place out of 153 competitors, with a score of 335. Carbon’s Kashley Rhodes would also make the top 20 and move on to the next event, as she finished with 315 points, hitting seven X-Rings in the prone position, good enough to move onto the Short Round.
Fox would get a score of 318 in the Short Round, placing him as the number four overall shooter in the NHSFR Rifle Competition. Rhodes would score 315, moving her up to the fourteenth overall position. They both were very impressive and made their communities proud.
Going into the Trap Shooting Competition, Carbon’s Shalako Gunter had a fantastic showing as well. In the Long Round, Gunter placed in a tie for eighth place out of 147 other competitors, with a score of 97. As she moved into the top 20 Short Go Round, her precise shooting gave her a score of 99, which was good enough to move her up to a five-way tie for second place in the two-round total points. The finals standings would keep her at sixth place after an outstanding showing as she represented her community very well.
Dalton Allred of Emery County would get a score of 73 in Performance 4 of the Bull Riding event. He would place fourth on the day as he prepared for his next ride. Allred had himself an exceptional ride in Performance 9, as he placed in first place with a score of 78.5. After his first place ride, he earned $1,294.97 from the Jackpot. Allred placed in the sixth place overall out of 55 competitors in the event, earning an additional $789.31.
In the Reined Cow Horse event, Monty Christiansen of Emery received fifth in Performance 1 with a score of 286.5. In Performance 10, he finished with a tie at number four with 287.5. Christiansen would finish at 21 overall out of 117 competitors from another solid showing from the Emery High School graduate.
Team Utah performed amazingly at the rodeo, placing second-place overall out of the 45 competing states, providences and counties. Team Texas claimed number one overall with 10,652.50 points. Followed by Utah (8,042.50), Oklahoma (6,505.00) and Idaho (6,433.33).