<\/p>\n
Bri Suckla, Stormi Pitman and Kody Gregory have returned from the National High School Rodeo Finals in Gillette, Wyoming.<\/p>\n
The NHSFR, which claims to be the world\u2019s largest rodeo featuring approximately 1,500 contestants, outdid itself in 2016.<\/p>\n
This year, the event attracted 2,146 entries and 1,638 competitors for its largest field ever.<\/p>\n
Suckla, who will be a junior at Dolores High School this year, made her first appearance at the high school finals and competed in breakaway roping. Representing the New Mexico High School Rodeo Association, she completed her first run on Tuesday, July 19 and went through her second on Thursday, July 21.<\/p>\n
Although she failed to score in either run, Suckla said that it was still a great experience and that she enjoyed the friendly atmosphere.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were actually a lot of people at both the morning and night performances,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd all of the kids and parents and volunteers that helped work it were all super nice and tried to help. They were never against you, they were there to help you have the best final you could have.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was also 2016 Durango graduate Stormi Pitman\u2019s first trip to the national finals, although she had qualified in the past.<\/p>\n
Pitman had competed in the International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma just before making the trek to Gillette, but she said that the NHSFR was even more impressive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was definitely similar to Shawnee,\u201d she explained. \u201cBut you could tell when you got to nationals that it was more professional. Everyone there is the top four in the state, everyone is there to win and there\u2019s no messing around and it\u2019s all very serious. I mean, it\u2019s the largest rodeo in the world, so it\u2019s definitely taken seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
Representing the Colorado State High School Rodeo Association in the cutting competition, Pitman made her runs on Sunday, July 17 and Saturday, July 23.<\/p>\n
She said that she felt like her opening run was the best she\u2019d ever shown before, but unfortunately, she was scored down for having \u201cSiamese twins,\u201d \u2013 or two cows that stuck together \u2013 and was also docked for her corner man. After the deductions, she finished with a 62, but her second run went smoother.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got three pretty good cuts,\u201d she said. \u201cMy horse didn\u2019t work as good as she did the first round, but I did cut better.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a better showing, Pitman scored a 135 in her second run to finish with 197 points and in 77th place out of 106 competitors.<\/p>\n
Gregory, a 2016 Dolores graduate, qualified for the national finals in his first year competing with the Arizona High School Rodeo Association as the state\u2019s No. 1 bareback rider.<\/p>\n
In his first run on Tuesday, judges claimed he slapped the horse so his ride was disqualified. And in his second run on Thursday, his horse failed to truly buck.<\/p>\n
Gregory was given another shot at his second ride, but said that the horse on his re-ride didn\u2019t buck well either, and he scored a 56 to finish in 51st place out of 68 riders.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t go quite as well as I wanted it to,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it was still an awesome experience and a blessing to have gotten to qualify and go experience that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe atmosphere was awesome,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt was definitely cool to have gotten to experience the biggest rodeo in the world, competing in it, and also just to have gotten to see and meet so many people from other states that were competing.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the NSHFR concluded on the 25th, all three riders intend to continue pursuing their rodeo goals.<\/p>\n
Suckla and Pitman both plan to compete in the Durango Fiesta Days rodeo this weekend, and then Suckla starts back up with the high school rodeo in August.<\/p>\n
Pitman and Gregory, meanwhile, will move up to the college level.<\/p>\n
Pitman plans to rodeo at Odessa College in Odessa, Texas, where she will major in Chemical Engineering, and Gregory intends to rodeo at New Mexico State University, in Las Cruces, where he will major in Agricultural Education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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