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The Outside Circle: High school rodeo season getting closer, great rodeo schools and results from Tucson

Jan Swan Wood

Still cold and overcast here. I’m hoping by the time you read this that it is a lot nicer and that the pending storm tracked elsewhere than the Northern plains.

A while back I erroneously stated that Gallup, NM, was one of the host sites for the National High School Rodeo Finals. I meant to say Farmington, NM, but got my wires crossed. Gallup is, however, the host site for the Jr. High Division Finals.

Speaking of high school rodeo, I just heard that Wrangler is no longer a sponsor for that level of rodeo. Cinch/Cruel Girl has taken up the sponsorship, which is great, but means that contestants needing to wear the label of the sponsoring company will have to spend more money for their clothes. Cinch/Cruel Girl are considerably pricier than Wrangler, especially if your kid wears the good old cowboy cut variety.



All pants and shirts are overpriced, as far as I’m concerned. It just galls me to have to iron a shirt that cost $50 and I see pants that already have holes costing $80 or more. Crazy.

SDHSRA calendar sales wound up March 1. Proceeds from calendar sales go toward helping the National qualifiers get to the finals. Each contestant has to sell a minimum of five calendars to be able to rodeo. Some contestants apparently thought that the rule meant everyone but them, as they didn’t sell any or not enough. Too bad, in light of the expense of joining the organization, and now they can’t rodeo. A life lesson learned, I hope.



However, most did sell a goodly sum of calendars and can rodeo. Two members absolutely outdid themselves though. Schae Hanson of Burke, SD, sold 110 calendars and Tarin Hupp of Huron, SD, sold 84. Incredible! These two could apparently sell snow cones at the North Pole (or to drillers at Williston, ND).

The Belle Fourche High School rodeo team is having a fundraiser March 26 at the Branding Iron Steakhouse south of Belle Fourche. Starting at 5:30 p.m. with a dinner, an auction follows where western items will be offered. At the auction, there will also be a “Slave Auction” where folks can buy a day’s work by one of the team members. Most of them are ranch kids and can do about anything. Call Gabby Bush for more information at 605-892-3129.

Wyoming high school rodeo contestants need to remember that the spring rodeo pre-entry form has to be postmarked by March 21. They need your fall semester grade transcripts, too.

Nebraska high school rodeo kids also need to get their grade transcripts in if they haven’t. Send them to Becky Dailey, PO Box 10, Arthur, NE 69120. Also there are lots of great clinics in most of the events for the Nebraska members. Check them out at http://www.hsrodeo-nebraska.com.

There will be a Lynn Kohr Barrel Racing and Horsemanship clinic March 19 at Horseman’s Park Arena, Gillette, WY, for adults. On March 20, there is one for Youth age 15 and under. Call 307-680-5271 for more information. Lynn is a superb barrel horse trainer and furthermore, her horses are really broke and have a lot of handle on them. She is a super trainer and this clinic is priced very reasonably for the quality of coaching.

The 19th Annual Hollers/Golliher Breakaway Clinics at Gollihers Arena will be April 15-17 and April 21-23. The clinics are $275 with $100 deposit required. Deposits need to be in by April 1. Instructors are Carole Hollers, Jerry Golliher and Zeann Golliher. Call 605-391-9702 to learn more.

Carole is healing up from getting smacked in the face by a horse’s head. It actually broke some bones and required surgery to her pretty face. Sounds like she’s following orders and getting healed up though; she should be back up and running soon. No word on whether the horse hurt its head.

There will be a Breakaway and Calf Roping clinic at Edleman’s Barn south of Huron, SD, on April 9-10. Instructors are the talented Brian Fulton and Troy Pruitt. The cost is $200/breakaway and $300/calf roping. A $100 deposit is needed to hold your spot and they are only taking 15 students per event. Call Blaine Carey at 605-350-4132 or 605-352-3382, or Jason Edleman at 605-350-5000 or 605-352-4814.

There’s going to be a big shindig at the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center in Ft. Pierre, SD on March 26. Called the ‘Cowboy Serenade and Dinner,’ it starts at 6:30 p.m. followed by entertainment by the Heritage Village Cowboys. Tickets are $25 with limited seating; get your name in the hat early by calling 605-494-1094.

Little Britches rodeo season is kicking off with a rodeo March 19-20 at the Event Center in Rapid City SD. It will be rodeo #9 and #10. You have to be entered by March 9. The Northern Hills LBR #1 and #2 will be March 26 and 27 and you have to be entered by March 11. It will be at the Seven Down Arena at Spearfish.

On the ProRodeo side of things, two of our region’s young guns are leading their events as Rookies. Ty Breuer, Mandan, ND is leading the barebacks and Troy Crowser, Whitewood, SD is leading the saddle broncs. I’ve known Troy since he was a little shaver, so it’s sure good to see his name in the results of the rodeos. He is also college rodeoing for Panhandle State and is third in the saddle broncs in that region.

At the La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in Tuscon, AZ, Kelly Timberman, Mills, WY, won the average in the barebacks, plus the first and finals round. Todd Suhn, Hermosa, SD, won round one in the steer wrestling; Wes Goodrich and Matt Zancanella, Aurora, SD, won 6th in the average in team roping; Chet Johnson, Gillette, WY, was 5th in the average in saddle broncs; and barrels had Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, SD, fourth and Rachel Myllymaki, Arlee, MT, 7th in the average.

Here’s a little scientific factoid for you to ponder. Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our noses and ears never stop growing. Oh my. That gives us all something to look forward to, doesn’t it? Kind of the Pinocchio/Dumbo effect as we age. Yikes.

Well, on that silly note, I will sign off. This circle has been a quick ride this week, which is good ’cause it’s way too cold to be out on a horse for very long. Send me your news and announcements. Always happy to share them.