Braunson Putting On A Riding Clinic

This year’s National Finals Rodeo features just one cowboy from Wyoming (aka the Cowboy State) as Hillsdale saddle bronc rider Brody Cress is the state’s lone representative. The future, however, looks bright for Wyoming rodeo fans based on what’s going on at the Junior National Finals Rodeo. Saturday at the Wrangler Rodeo Arena in the […]

An international flavor

Now in its third year, the Junior National Finals Rodeo continues to grow, with more than 700 entrants competing this year. Not surprisingly, the event has an international flavor this year. Once again, there’s a strong contingent of bronc riders from Canada, and Mexico is also represented. But perhaps the biggest addition has come from […]

“Primetime” at the Junior NFR

The act has become an integral part of the Junior National Finals Rodeo. During a break in the mini saddle bronc and mini bareback bronc events at the Wrangler Rodeo Arena, Casen Gines walks out on the arena floor wearing a gray jumpsuit and begins “cleaning” the dirt. He then finds a lone glove and […]

No stranger to the Junior NFR

Jadon Hayes is no stranger to the Junior National Finals Rodeo. Hayes is competing in the Junior NFR in Las Vegas for the fourth consecutive year, but the 14-year-old freshman from Cisco, Texas, added to his workload this year. In addition to competing in senior saddle bronc riding and senior bareback bronc riding, Hayes will […]

Part of the process

Bridger Anderson was having a tough fall last year. The freshman at Northwestern Oklahoma State University was sitting sixth in the Central Plains Region steer wrestling standings and had admittedly struggled in the Prairie Circuit season to that point. Anderson, however, had already done enough earlier in the summer and fall to qualify for the […]

Ambassadors for the future of rodeo

Laci Demers doesn’t have a lot of free time on her hands these days. As the promoter for both the Bareback Bronc Riding and Saddle Bronc Riding events of the Junior National Finals Rodeo, Demers will be overseeing more than 200 competitors at the annual rodeo. This year’s Junior NFR takes place Dec. 6-15 at […]

A learning experience for Ote Berry.

Last year was a learning experience for Ote Berry. The former world champion steer wrestler and ProRodeo Hall of Fame member has experienced about all there is to experience in the rodeo arena. Last year, however, Berry got to see things from a different perspective. As the event programmer for the steer wrestling competition at […]

Jordan Morman

Like most barrel racers, Jordan Morman has a special relationship with her horse. Saturday, Morman and her black mare, Remi, took their relationship to another level when they won the Senior Division of the barrel racing at the Junior National Finals Rodeo presented by YETI. Morman was second in the average entering the short go […]

Consistency paid off for Bridger Anderson

Consistency paid off for Bridger Anderson this week in Las Vegas. The 19-year-old steer wrestler from Carrington, North Dakota, put together three impressive runs, including a 4.0-second run in the short go-round Saturday, to win the average in the Steer Wrestling competition at the Junior National Finals Rodeo presented by YETI. “I just wanted to […]

This isn’t Caroline Taylor’s first rodeo.

The 17-year-old daughter of renowned team roper Calvin Taylor has been “roping my whole life,” she figures. The same can’t be said for Kyler Bell, Caroine’s partner in the 19 & Under Team Roping competition at the Junior National Finals Rodeo presented by YETI. “He hasn’t been roping long,” Caroline said of Bell. “My dad […]