Junior High Finals Round One Champions Crowned on Way to World Titles
With over 1,000 competitors and a tight schedule the National Junior High Finals, round one is complete. Given that there is so much action and a high number of contestants, the rodeo is hosted in two different arenas. In the Rough Stock Arena you will find the Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Goat Tying, Chute Doggina dn Bull Riding. The Timed Event Arena plays host to the Barrel Racing, Breakaway Roping, Tie-Down Roping, Ribbon Roping, Team Roping and Pole Bending.
The action is brought to you by each performance showing the best runs of each day. There are so many kids giving it their all, it is important to recognize the performance winners and the entire overall go round winners.
Look through the champions to see your favorite cowgirl or cowboy's name!
Performance 1 started with high scores, great rides, and fast times.
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 1 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Rough Stock Arena
Bareback Riding- Barrett Prince | LA | 69.000
Saddle Bronc Riding- Brody Bisetti | NM | 65.000
Girls Goat Tying- Kenna Hodson | Utah | 8.160
Boys Goat Tying- Kash Jepson | Arizona | 8.360
Chute Dogging- Jacsen Frontz | PA | 3.390
Bull Riding- Bronsyn Dowdle | Kansas | 79.000
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 1 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Timed Event Arena
Barrel Racing- CeCe Cowan | South Dakota | 15.965
Boys Breakaway - Owen Gillespie | Kentucky | 2.130
Girls Breakaway- Kynder Florea | Missouri | 2.130
Tie-Down Roping- Stetson Springs | Texas | 10.790
Ribbon Roping- Gage Jourdan & Anistyn Abel | Texas | 5.830
Team Roping- Logan Vander Hamm & Steele Smith | Kansas | 13.080
Pole Bending- Huntly Byrd | Nevada | 20.726
Performance two lead to some round one leader board changes, but some of the fast runs and good rides from the first performance competitors held onto their top position.
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 2 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Rough Stock Arena Bareback Riding- Maverick Drinkard | Texas & Jaython Simoneaux | LA | 62.000 Saddle Bronc Riding -Tuck Brogden | OK | 58.000 Girls Goat Tying- Londyn Mikkelson | SD | 9.070 Boys Goat Tying- Revyn Floyd | SD | 10.760 Chute Dogging- Daxtyn Dolan | UT | 3.000 Bull Riding- Braden Hutchinson | ND | 68.000
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 2 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! -Timed Event Arena
Barrel Racing- Charlie Sohrt | TX | 15.673 Boys Breakaway- Chase Scott | AZ | 2.080 Girls Breakaway- Cheyenne Rogers | OK | 2.470 Tie-Down Roping- John Seratt | OK | 12.060 Ribbon Roping- Louise DeLong & Henry Buchanan | NV | 6.420 Team Roping- Cooper Rich & Isaiah Giles | NC | 8.860 Pole Bending- Lanie Brooks | WI | 20.412
In the third performance the junior high kids brought everything they had. We saw a leader change in the girls goat tying by nearly .5 tenths, yet the Kash Jepson's first performance standout run of 8.36 seconds in the boys goat tying still held. Chute dogging led to a new leader as well. Barrel Racing presented a new fast time along with ribbion roping. The round two boys breakaway run is holding the lead going into the fourth performance.
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 3 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Rough Stock Arena
Bareback Riding- Hunter Hohn | SD | 67.000
Saddle Bronc Riding- Ben Marvel | NV | 64.500
Girls Goat Tying- Ally Farr | SC | 7.570
Boys Goat Tying- Reid Breedlove | AR | 9.230
Chute Dogging- Ronnie Ragatz | WI | 3.300
Bull Riding- Grayson Gadberry | MO | 67.000
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 3 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Timed Event Arena
Barrel Racing- Chloe Edwards AZ 15.644
Boys Breakaway- Stix Lee | NV | 2.310
Girls Breakaway- Georgia Fryer | CO | 2.260
Tie-Down Roping- Tanner Felix | CA | 12.270
Ribbon Roping- Kyler Wells & Eme McCary | GA| 5.790
Team Roping- Koda Peterson & Jace Olsen | UT | 9.040
Pole Bending- Emeree Tavegie | WY |21.001
Performance four marked the half way point through round one.
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 4 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Rough Stock Arena
Bareback Riding- Rhett Kelly | UT | 75.000
Saddle Bronc Riding- Catch Roberts | NM | 65.000
Girls Goat Tying- Naia Folmer | TX | 8.710
Boys Goat Tying- Ace Lammers |SD | 10.040
Chute Dogging- Levi Johnson | TX | 3.650
Bull Riding- Gage Hooks | LA | 75.000
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 4 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Timed Event Arena
Barrel Racing- Charly Jo Bastia | UT | 15.833
Boys Breakaway- Cooper Sampson | SD | 2.300
Girls Breakaway- Hadley Schiffner | AB | 2.160
Tie-Down Roping- Kene Bracewell | TX | 8.630
Ribbon Roping- Cooper Conry & Londyn Mikkelson | SD | 7.300
Team Roping- Grady Stewart & Kaedence Loomis | WA | 7.940
Pole Bending- Kenzley Hausauer | ND | 21.162
Tuesday night's performance five was memorial night and contestants dressed in black to show their support. The pole bending and the team roping both saw leaderboard changes and put new proud names right at the top.
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 5 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Rough Stock Arena
Bareback Riding- Colter Simpson | UT | 71.500
Saddle Bronc Riding- Truitt Harris | TX | 59.000
Girls Goat Tying- Sego Krempin | CO | 8.130
Boys Goat Tying- Porter Swan | ID | 9.300
Chute Dogging- Isaiah Giles | NC | 3.400
Bull Riding- Traegan Adams | UT | 69.000
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 5 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Timed Event Arena
Barrel Racing- Audrey Sundell | MN | 15.625
Boys Breakaway- Caleb Clark | NE | 2.450
Girls Breakaway- Kelsie Reininger | TX | 2.550
Tie-Down Roping- Jeffery Hayes | TX | 9.300
Ribbon Roping- Lucas Scott & Khloe VanVickle | MN | 6.770
Team Roping- Spur McCabe & Cooper Shuldberg | AZ | 8.560
Pole Bending- Olivia Dames | MO | 20.209
Wednesday brought the curtain down on round one competition. Winners of the first round would be crowned after this performance and the contestants stepped it up!
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 6 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Rough Stock Arena
Bareback Riding- Bronson Smith | ID | 54.000
Saddle Bronc Riding- Van Anderson | UT | 67.000
Girls Goat Tying- Kenlee Kunz | ID | 7.810
Boys Goat Tying- Hayden Wheeler | NM | 11.890
Chute Dogging- Gavin Zerbe | PA | 2.95
Bull Riding- Weston Clemens | IA | 79.000
𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 6 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨! - Timed Event Arena
Barrel Racing- Laci Pole | AB | 15.624
Boys Breakaway- Tyler Kash Fish | OK | 1.790
Girls Breakaway- Skip Sparling | CA | 2.070
Tie-Down Roping- Koda Peterson | UT | 11.170
Ribbon Roping- Preston Thar & Brilee Burford | WY | 6.500
Team Roping- Jacob Hernodle & Cameron Thomas | KY | 8.040
Pole Bending- Taytum Anderson | UT | 20.139
Contestants should be proud of their first performance at the Junior High Finals. If it didn't go as planned, there is always another shot in round two. There were exciting runs and rides in the first go with some contestants holding on to the lead throughout the entire six performances and some contestants stepping it up on the last day to take the round win!
NJHFR Round 1 Champions (Full Results Here)
Bareback Riding- Rhett Kelly | UT | 75.000
Saddle Bronc Riding- Van Anderson | UT | 67.000
Girls Goat Tying- Ally Farr| SC | 7.570
Boys Goat Tying- Kash Jepson | NV | 8.36
Chute Dogging- Gavin Zerbe | PA | 2.95
Bull Riding- Weston Clemens (IA) & Bronson Dowdle | KS | 79.000
Barrel Racing- Laci pole | AB | 15.624
Boys Breakaway- Tyler Kash Fish | OK | 1.790
Girls Breakaway- Skip Sparling | CA | 2.070
Tie-Down Roping- Kene Bracewell | TX | 8.63
Ribbon Roping- Kyler Wells & Eme Mccary | GA | 5.790
Team Roping- Grady Stewart & Kaedence Loomis | WA | 7.940
Pole Bending- Taytum Anderson | UT | 20.139
Currently leading the All Around Rookie Cowboy is North Carolina's Isaiah Giles from Statesville, N.C. with 290.00. The All Around Cowboy at the top after round one is Westin Clemens from Winterset, Iowa with 345.00. Leading the All Around Rookie Cowgirl is Lenna Peterson, Watkins, Minn., with 80.00. The All Around Cowgirl title currently has a tie with Washington's Kaedence Loomis from Buena, Wash., and Kynder Florea, Maryville, Mo., who both have 360.00 on the board. There is plenty of competition left for these standings to change.
Wednesday morning also had the long go for the Light Rifle competition and atop the top 20 headed to the short go is Elizabeth Hays from Texas who shot an amazing 325. Below your top 20 are listed.
Texas leads the girls team standing with 1,135 points and Utah has the grip on the boys team standing with 1,570 points. Utah and Texas are tied for the Team standing with 2,265 points each. They are followed by South Dakota with 1,275 pts, Idaho 1,243.33, and rounding off the top five is North Dakota with 1,185 pts.
There are still five days of action to come in Iowa for the NJHFR. The Cowboy Channel is covering the event and live streaming the performances. We will be watching for Round 2 highlights and see the 2024 NJHFR World Champions be crowned.
SAMI JO BUUM
From tiny pink cowboy boots and pigtails to pro rodeos and fast horses, Sami Jo was definitely bitten by the horse bug at a very young age. She was born and raised in Colorado on a small backyard farm in Brighton. The western industry has been a huge part of almost every aspect of her life. She was not born into a rodeo family and is a first-generation professional barrel racer. With her husband, she co-owns and operates a construction company out of Keenesburg, Colo. as well as run a small performance horse breeding and training operation, Dark Horse Equine. She is passionate about animals, rodeo, family, work and Christ. She plays many roles from business owner, professional cowgirl, rodeo wife, horse trainer and breeder, animal therapist, writer and more; however, being a mom is her favorite job title. I look forward to sharing my experiences and all things western with my audience.