Barrels and poles

Cassidy Evans’ first trip to Las Vegas was a memorable one. Thursday, the 13-year-old cowgirl from Yuma, Colorado, went to New York New York to ride the rollercoaster. Saturday, Evans won the inaugural Kelly Kaminski Run for Vegas pole bending at the Junior World Finals. Evans won the short go-round with a 19.953-second run and […]

Friday the 13th means good luck for Kahla

Jack Kahla woke up Friday with a good feeling. “My brother (Jake) and I were talking this morning that we wanted to come out here and win some money and at least one of us make the short go,” Kahla said. “We drew two good steers and we came out and did the best we […]

Standing out in a crowd

In a field of nearly 60 competitors in the Kelly Kaminski Run for Vegas junior barrel racing at the Junior World Finals, 9-year-old Quincy Ballard stands out. It’s understandable given that Ballard is one of just two boys – Jakub Bender of Burelson, Texas, is the other – who qualified for this year’s event. “It’s […]

Finding a winning formula

Prior to Tuesday, Jett Stewart and Jake Orris had never roped together. Two days and five runs later the two were posing for pictures with the saddles they won for being the Total Team Roping 17 and Under #10.5 world champs at the Junior World Finals in Las Vegas. Stewart, a 15-year-old from Heppner, Oregon, […]

‘It’s a beautiful sport’

Saige Smith knows what it takes to win in the Wrangler Rodeo Arena. The high school sophomore from Touchet, Washington, won the short go-round of senior barrel racing at last year’s Junior World Finals in Las Vegas. But Smith surprised even herself Tuesday. Competing in the inaugural Kelly Kaminski Run for Vegas pole bending event, […]

Winning in Vegas

Aspen Autry was back to her winning ways Wednesday. The 12-year-old barrel racer from Kim, Colorado, won the first round of the Kelly Kaminski Run for Vegas junior division with a 13.911-second run. Autry is the defending world champ in the event. “I like this because it’s an average and me and my horse are […]

Team Roping Wednesday

Caden Tinsley is a man of few words. Instead, the 16-year-old team roper from Midland, Texas, lets his work in the arena speak for him. Wednesday in the 17 & Under #10.5 division of the Junior World Finals, Tinsley and roping partner Newt Lemond of Andrews, Texas, didn’t have their best day – they had […]

Timed

When people think of New Jersey, rodeo is probably one of the last things that comes to mind. But the Garden State isn’t just home to the Jets and Giants of the NFL (yes, it says New York on the schedule, but both teams play their home games in Jersey) and Tony Soprano. New Jersey […]

Championship Monday

There were some familiar faces from the Longhorn state in the winner’s circle as the 2019 Junior World Finals roughstock competition came to a close Monday at the Wrangler Rodeo Arena. Two Texas cowboys — Bradlee Miller from Huntsville and Kash Loyd from Cleburne – both won world championships for the fourth year in a […]

Exceptional Rodeo

The first four rounds of the National Finals Rodeo didn’t go as planned for steer wrestler Kyle Irwin. He placed sixth in the second round but failed to finish in the money in any of the other three rounds. None of that mattered to the Robertsdale, Alabama, cowboy on Monday, however. Irwin was one of […]