Arena Tracks by Penny Schlagel: SDJHRA
Any youth rodeo organization starts with committed parents. The South Dakota Junior High Rodeo Association’s roots run deep to a set of parents who watched the NHSRA plant the seed that would grow into the Junior High Division and thought, “Our kids need a shot at that.” The Junior High Division of the National High School Rodeo Association sprung up in 2004 with the first Finals held in Gallup, NM in 2005. South Dakota, never one to dawdle, had their team up and running by 2006. Over the past 18 years, (there were no Finals in 2020) South Dakota has taken home 8 National Junior High Rodeo Association Championships, Wyoming has 8 as well. Montana can count the hardware for 5 and North Dakota has 4 Championships. All in all, the northern states hold up well and will count many other champions in the years to come.
As a former 7th grade teacher, I can assure you there is something special about junior high kids. While I realize that’s not the predominant opinion on the age group, I always found them to be at the “sweet spot” where they are old enough to understand adult concepts, yet young enough to be excited about life. Seventh graders aren’t yet numb to the wonderment that life and national competition has to offer. They may smell a little funny and get emotional at inopportune times, but they tend to be full of hope and see a world full of promise. Doug Young, one of the fathers that helped to usher in the South Dakota Junior High Rodeo Association in 2006, agrees. “Kids at that age are just happy to be there. The national stage is new to them and they aren’t yet jaded or cynical.” Doug’s son, Trey Young, was one of the first cowboys from South Dakota to compete nationally in junior high. His first year, 2005, he competed for North Dakota and came back in 2006 riding for his home state of South Dakota. Making the 605 proud, Trey was the 2006 Reserve Champion All Around Cowboy at the National Junior High Finals in Gallup, NM. The championship saddle still sits in his folks’ house near Dupree. A year later, Jace Melvin of Pierre, SD was crowned the NJHRF All Around Cowboy. Jace’s folks, Mark and Diana, were among that group of parents that spearheaded the South Dakota Junior High Rodeo Association in the early days. The early competition paid off as Jace went on to compete on a national level as the PRCA Rookie of the Year and eventually qualify for the NFR in Steer Wrestling.
At the time of its inception in the early 2000s, the National Junior High Rodeo Association offered a younger group of contestants an opportunity to compete on a larger, national stage. It gave kids from all over the country the chance to measure their skills against the best of the best. Our northern states have long held their ground against competition from the southern states where rodeos are more prevalent due to better weather and availability of timed event stock. Doug Young remembers pulling into Gallup, NM and the South Dakota timed event kids competing against Tuf Cooper…and keeping step with the future World Champion. To meet that kind of competition, stand toe to toe and match them shot for shot, can only build confidence in a contestant. That confidence carries on to high school rodeo and beyond. The junior high division sparks a fire in young cowboys and cowgirls that they CAN compete on a national level and gives them the impetus to work that much harder to get back there the following years.
One of the really unique features of the SDJHRA is that all contestants compete in all three weekends of rodeos. There are no regional divisions and the competition is stronger in each event as contestants compete against the entire state of South Dakota every time they enter the arena. Tyler Haugen, the National Director for South Dakota Junior High Rodeo since 2017, notes it also fosters camaraderie among contestants and parents as they get to know one another and cheer on all of the contestants as they better themselves and grow as cowgirls and cowboys. They are already a more cohesive group as they head to the National Junior High Rodeo as a team.
The early days of the National Junior High Rodeo began with teams being recruited as much as qualifying. This year, South Dakota had 202 SDJHRA Members who started the year with dreams of making the national team. After 2 regional rodeo weekends, a state finals and a short go, a team of the top 50 contestants, 23 girls and 27 boys in 14 events, is headed to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, IA for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo June 22-28, 2025.. The excitement of the contestants and their parents is fun and refreshing to see. One mom told me, “We are so excited! He (her son who qualified) hasn’t stopped smiling since we left Rapid.” Those of us watching from our couches and through our computers wish every single one of the 50 contestants from South Dakota and ALL the rest from our surrounding states the best of luck. We hope they will create memories that will keep them motivated and entertained for the rest of their years. Trust me, Junior High really is a magical age.
