Local stars advance to top rodeos

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, July 2, 2002

Bulletin staff report

A large contingent of amateur cowboys and cowgirls from Central Oregon will be competing at the Silver State International Rodeo, which begins today in Fallon, Nev.

Local competitors qualified for the event during the Oregon High School Rodeo Association State Finals, which concluded Saturday at the Deschutes County Fair and Events Center in Redmond.

Those cowboys and cowgirls who placed fifth through 10th in their respective events advanced to the Silver State International Rodeo. Others qualify for Silver State when competitors who finished ahead of them in the final OHSRA year-end points standings choose not to attend.

Competitors who placed first through fourth in their respective events at the conclusion of the OHSRA State Finals – including state champions Mitchell Rickman of Prineville (bareback riding), Cody Every of Redmond (calf roping) and Brandon Beers of Powell Butte (team roping) – qualified for the National High School Finals Rodeo, scheduled July 22-28 at McGee Park in Farmington, N.M.

The Redmond-based Central Oregon High School Rodeo Team and the Prineville-based Crook County High School Rodeo Team each qualified a number of club members for the Fallon event.

Crook County’s Kelsey Johnson, who won 2001-02 OHSRA Rookie Cowgirl of the Year honors, has qualified for Silver State in five events: breakaway roping, pole bending, barrel racing, cutting horse and team roping.

Other local qualifiers, by event, include:

– Barrel racing – Colleen Kingsbury, Crook County; Lexie Goss, Crook County.

– Breakaway roping – Tara Smith, Central Oregon.

– Calf roping – Chance Millin, Crook County.

– Goat tying – Tara Smith, Central Oregon.

– Steer wrestling – Sean Santucci, Crook County; Cody Every, Central Oregon; Justin Solesbee, Central Oregon.

– Team roping – Jake Robinson, Central Oregon; Chance Millin, Crook County; Sean Santucci, Crook County.

– Girls cutting horse – Jackie Rhoden, Crook County.

– Boys Cutting Horse – Sean Santucci, Crook County.

The Silver State International Rodeo was started in 1986.