The National Junior High Finals Rodeo concluded this on Saturday, July 27, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Two members of the Battle Mountain Rodeo Club took part in the week-long event, but did not make it to the short go-around on Saturday night.
Riata Goemmer recorded a no time in her first go-around of breakaway roping, but came back to finish third in her final performance of the event with a time of 4.03. She finished 65th in the event.
Goemmer’s best finish was in the pole bending, where she placed 35th overall. She stopped the clock at 21.891, which was good enough for eighth in her performance and 60th in the first go-around. She improved to 21.667 in her second go-around and had an overall time of 43.558.
Goemmer placed 37th in barrel racing with a combined time of 32.055. She ripped off a quick time of 15.701, which was fourth in her performance and 18th in the first go-around. Goemmer had a time of 16.354 in her second go-around.
Goemmer teamed up with Austin Iverson and the duo were 40th in ribbon roping. They were third in their first performance at 11.63 and 32nd in the first go-around. They ran into trouble in the second go-around with a time of 24.01.
In goat tying, Goemmer was 57th in a combined time of 23.77. She was ninth in her first performance at 10.82, which was 53rd overall. She recorded a time of 12.95.
Battle Mountain’s Emma Lemaire and Humboldt County’s Cade Bell recorded a time of 18.63 in their first performance of ribbon roping, but had no time in their run on Saturday morning.
The 2015 national champions included Caslyn Weidenbener, Queen Creek, Ariz., (girls breakaway), Jake Riley, Brush Prairie, Wash., (boys breakaway), Jyco Roper, Oktaha, Okla., (bareback steer riding), Parker Glenn, Edmond, Okla., (saddle bronc steer wrestling), Laney Robinson, Mars Hill, N.C., (barrel racing), Dawson Cantu, Zolfo Springs, Fla., (tie-down roping), Kamryn Duncan, Denham Springs, La., (girls goat tying), Ross McGuire, Webber Falls, Okla., (chute dogging), Jesse Chase, Mandaree, N.D.,/Ashley Goldale, Baldwin, N.D., (ribbon roping), Jake Anderson, Goshen, Utah, (boys goat tying), Kaiden Ayres, Woodlake, Calif., (pole bending), Kyle McDaniel, Fort Worth, Texa, (junior bull riding) and Blake Bowler, Enterprise, Utah/TJ Bowler, Enterprise, Utah, (team roping).
Cantu was the all-around cowboy with 1,980 points and Kash Cattoe, of St. George, Utah, was second. Garrett Elmore of Springer, Okla., was third.
Caxton Martin of, Alma, Kan., was the all-around cowgirl with 1,160 points and Britta Strain of, Davie, Fla., was second. Kaiden Ayres of, Woodlake, Calif., was third.
Ethan Lomvrado of, Marshville, N.C., was the rookie cowboy and Greeley Eastep, of Brainbridge, Ind., was the rookie cowgirl.
Utah won the team race with 9,440 points and Nevada was 17th at 2,160.
Featuring roughly 1,000 contestants from 42 states, five Canadian provinces and Australia, the NJHFR is the world’s largest junior high rodeo. In addition to competing for more than $75,000 in prizes, NJHFR contestants competed for more than $100,000 in college scholarships and the chance to be named a National Junior High School Rodeo national champion.
