The National Junior High School Finals Rodeo gets underway this weekend in Lebanon, Tenn.
Battle Mountain’s Emma Lemaire and Desi Coombs will be participating in multiple events. Lemaire finished third in the all-around cowgirl standings in Nevada and Coombs was fifth. Coombs was named the rookie cowgirl for the 2016-17 Nevada High School season.
Coombs begins her rodeo with barrel racing on Sunday evening. Her second go-around is set for Saturday, June 24. She will compete in pole bending on Monday morning and the evening of Friday, June 23, while taking part in breakaway roping on Tuesday evening and the morning of Wednesday, June 21. Both of her performances in goat tying will be on Wednesday, June 21.
Lemaire and partner Riley Roderick open ribbon roping on Sunday evening. Their second performance is set for Saturday morning (June 24). The duo will also compete in team roping on Tuesday evening and the morning of Thursday, June 22.
Lemaire makes her first start in barrel racing on Monday and concludes morning and concludes on the evening of Friday, June 23. Both of her pole bending runs will be on Wednesday, June 21.
Created in 2004, the NHSRA junior high division was established to bring the excitement of the sport to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders and to serve as a feeder system into the high school ranks of the Association.
Today, the 48 states and provinces that belong to the NHSRA also produce a junior high division as well, with over 2,500 members in total now competing.
Junior high division students compete in a variety of events, including barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, tie-down roping, chute dogging, team roping, ribbon roping, bull riding, bareback steer riding and saddle bronc steer riding.
The final performance is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 24.
