By Julie Johansen
The Utah State High Rodeo Finals are less than a week away, June 5-10, and many young athletes are anxiously waiting for this competition.
Members of the Emery rodeo team and their respective qualified events include: Monty Christiansen (boys’ cutting and reining cow horse), Megan Zunich (barrels and breakaway roping), Charity Greenhalgh (barrels and goat tying), Graycee Mills (breakaway), Kinlie Jensen (breakaway and goats), Shaynee Fox (breakaway and goats), Dalton Allred (bulls), Kyle Ekker (bulls, JV bulls and rifle), Will Jeffs (steer wrestling and team roping), Stace Gilbert (team roping and tie down roping), Race Gordon (team roping), Ryleigh Allred (team roping), Ryter Ekker (rifle), Jalynn Fox (rifle), Chase Hanson (rifle), Braylea Conover (rifle) and Cache Allred (trap shoot).
The following Carbon rodeo team members are also headed to state competition: Maddison Nielson (barrels, breakaway roping, team roping and poles), Kaden Donathan (steer wrestling and team roping), Kayson Peterson (steer wrestling and team roping), Ean Ellis (team roping and tie down roping), Kashley Rhodes (rifle and trap shoot) and Shalako Gunter (trap shoot).
State finals will be at the Wasatch County Complex in all three arenas and begin on Monday, June 5 for cutting and reining cow contestants. The shooting sports also begin on Monday at the Heber Valley Trap and Shoot.
Other events begin on Wednesday, June 7 with two performances each day at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. The final go for both boys’ and girls’ cutting is on Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. and reining cow horse is Thursday at 11 a.m.
The short go for shooting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 8 at 8 a.m. for rifle and 10 a.m. for trap shoot. The final performance, which includes only those that have scored in the top 15 in each event, is on Saturday, June 10.
Final round contestants are chosen by their cumulative and average scores in each individual event. The top four in each event are then qualify for the national competition in Gillette, Wyoming on July 17-23.