Nice to meet you

Ty Woods, meet Michael Calmelat. Michael Calmelat, this is Ty Woods. Introductions were definitely necessary as the two team ropers had never met each other before making their first run in the 17 & Under Open division Thursday at the Wrangler Rodeo Arena. Two days and five runs later the 15-year-old Woods and the 10-year-old […]

Best of the barrel racers

What a difference a year made for Kelsey Caldwell. At last year’s Junior National Finals Rodeo, Caldwell and her horse Shine On A Dime finished in the middle of the pack in senior barrel racing. Saturday at the Wrangler Rodeo Arena, the two won a world championship. “The Junior NFR last year was the first […]

Championship field is set for timed events

The 2018 Junior National Finals Rodeo comes to a close Saturday, with timed event finals at the Wrangler Rodeo Arena. Action begins at 9 a.m. with the championship go-round in junior barrel racing. Aspen Autry from Kim, Colorado, leads the average with a two-run time of 28.112 seconds. Autry won the first go with a […]

Barrel racers of the future

Savannah Roberts was hard to miss during the junior barrel racing competition at this year’s Junior National Finals Rodeo. Roberts, an 11-year-old sixth grader from Colorado Springs, Colorado, wore pants adorned with unicorns during her first run Wednesday. For her second run Friday she sported pants with doughnuts on them. “My idol is Fallon Taylor,” […]

17 & Under #10 Division Champs

Team ropers Caden Tinsley and Tate Thompson picked a good time to have their best run of the 17 & Under #10 division at the Junior National Finals Rodeo. In the short go-round Thursday at the Wrangler Rodeo Arena, the Texas cowboys – Tinsley is from Midland and Thompson is from Amarillo – roped their […]

Road Warriors

After taking such a long time to get to the Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Madison Murphy sure didn’t spend much time in the Wrangler Rodeo Arena on Wednesday. The 11-year-old from North Fort Myers, Florida, finished second in the first section of junior barrel racing with a 14.277-second run. Aspen Autry from […]

A name to remember

Beau Kelley spent the first week of the Junior National Finals Rodeo on the roughstock end of the Wrangler Rodeo Arena. Kelley, a 13-year-old bull rider from Coolidge, Arizona, finished third in the average in the 12-13 division on Monday. A different Beau Kelley, a bareback bronc rider, placed second in the senior division. Tuesday, […]

On top of the world

Chris Wilson figured as long as he came all the way from Australia to compete in this year’s Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas he might as well take something home to remember the trip. Wilson did just that Monday at the Wrangler Rodeo Arena, winning the 14-15 division of bull riding with an […]

Learning from the best

Saddle bronc and bareback contestants at this year’s Junior National Finals Rodeo don’t have to look far to find rodeo mentors. Not only are their parents in Las Vegas to offer support and advice, but they’ve got a handful of former National Finals Rodeo qualifiers in the Wrangler Rodeo Arena to do the same. Five-time […]

Junior NFR Roughstock Finals Preview

Champions are set to be crowned Monday in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The roughstock portion of the Junior National Finals Rodeo completes its five-day run at the Wrangler Rodeo Arena, with winners to be determined in four division each of bull riding, bareback bronc riding and saddle bronc riding. Five […]