Article & photos by Tommy Brannon
The opening event of the 2016-2017 Tennessee High School Rodeo (THSRA) season happened the last weekend of the Delta Fair, September 10-11, 2016 at the Show Place Arena in Memphis, TN.
High school students competed in barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping, team roping, goat tying, bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc, tie down calf roping, and steer wrestling. Tennessee High School Rodeo competitors come from all over the state, as well as parts of the adjoining states of Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky.
At this rodeo, the high school rodeo athletes paid tribute to Caleb Wulfert, a bareback rider from Lexington, TN who tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident August 16, 2016. It was a very moving ceremony, led by Caleb’s twin brother Carson with a ”lost man” un-mounted horse, followed by the high school rodeo cowboys (with hats off) and cowgirls.
This season THSRA has a change of command. Taking over the Presidency is Randy Walker of Cookeville, TN, accompanied by his wife Myra who serves as Secretary. Randy and Myra have been supporters of THSRA for 12 years.
Their son Ben was a calf and team roping competitor in THSRA and is now on the UT Martin Rodeo team. Ken Holt of Byhalia, MS is the new national director for THSRA, taking the reins from Jim Mitchell. Jim’s wife Vicky previously served as the Secretary.
Randy said “We are trying to not rock the boat. Joey Holcombe, the former president, Jim and Vicky did a great job with THSRA. They accelerated this organization. Other state’s high school rodeos look to THSRA as an example of how to improve their operation. We have 94 members from across Tennessee, as well as some from adjoining states, and there is still time to join for this season’s competition. Members compete as individuals rather than in teams from their high schools. We would like to see more schools consider high school rodeo a sport for excused absences, as they do for football and basketball. We hold rodeos in multiple locations throughout the season to be fair. Competitors do not have to travel as far from home for every rodeo.”
Upcoming rodeos will be held in Cookeville, TN on October 1-2, in Tunica, MS on October 29-30, and November 19-20, 2016 in Cleveland, TN. The rodeo in Cookeville will include a special needs rodeo, in which special needs children will get an opportunity to ride horses with the assistance of TSHRA cowboys and cowgirls.
For more information about Tennessee High School Rodeo website http://www.tnhsra.com
Winners on Saturday, September 10 were:
Bareback Riding: Marshall Merchant of Oxford, MS with a score of 73.0
Barrel Racing: Layla Roberts of Lexington, TN with a time of 14.931
Breakaway Roping: Kyla Matthews of Athens, TN with a time of 3.240
Bull Riding: Dustyn Thomas of Buchanan, TN with a score of 70.0
Calf Roping: Chasen Thrasher of Columbia, TN with a time of 12.160
Goat Tying: Jaide Ellick of Rogersville, AL with a time of 9.260
Pole Bending: Kyla Matthews of Athens, TN with a time of 20.476
Steer Wrestling: Allen Morse of Dawson Springs, KY with a time of 18.100
Team Roping: Chasen Thrasher of Columbia, TN and David Holt of Byhalia, MS with a time of 14.260
Winners on Sunday, September 11 were:
Bareback Riding: Marshall Merchant of Oxford, MS with a score of 61.0
Barrel Racing: Layla Roberts of Lexington, TN with a time of 14.962
Breakaway Roping: Cody Dowell of Olive Branch, MS with a time of 3.190
Bull Riding: Daniel Carter of Bells, TN with a score of 63.0
Calf Roping: David Holt of Byhalia, MS with a time of 10.590
Goat Tying: Jaide Ellick of Rogersville, AL with a time of 9.220
Pole Bending: Delany Thomas of Buchanan, TN with a time of 20.577
Steer Wrestling: Jesse Keysaer of Culleoka, TN with a time of 4.820
Team Roping: Chasen Thrasher of Columbia, TN and David Holt of Byhalia, MS with a time of 8.560
The opening event of the 2016-2017 Tennessee High School Rodeo (THSRA) season happened the last weekend of the Delta Fair, September 10-11, 2016 at the Show Place Arena in Memphis, TN.
High school students competed in barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping, team roping, goat tying, bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc, tie down calf roping, and steer wrestling. Tennessee High School Rodeo competitors come from all over the state, as well as parts of the adjoining states of Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky.
At this rodeo, the high school rodeo athletes paid tribute to Caleb Wulfert, a bareback rider from Lexington, TN who tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident August 16, 2016. It was a very moving ceremony, led by Caleb’s twin brother Carson with a ”lost man” un-mounted horse, followed by the high school rodeo cowboys (with hats off) and cowgirls.
This season THSRA has a change of command. Taking over the Presidency is Randy Walker of Cookeville, TN, accompanied by his wife Myra who serves as Secretary. Randy and Myra have been supporters of THSRA for 12 years.
Their son Ben was a calf and team roping competitor in THSRA and is now on the UT Martin Rodeo team. Ken Holt of Byhalia, MS is the new national director for THSRA, taking the reins from Jim Mitchell. Jim’s wife Vicky previously served as the Secretary.
Randy said “We are trying to not rock the boat. Joey Holcombe, the former president, Jim and Vicky did a great job with THSRA. They accelerated this organization. Other state’s high school rodeos look to THSRA as an example of how to improve their operation. We have 94 members from across Tennessee, as well as some from adjoining states, and there is still time to join for this season’s competition. Members compete as individuals rather than in teams from their high schools. We would like to see more schools consider high school rodeo a sport for excused absences, as they do for football and basketball. We hold rodeos in multiple locations throughout the season to be fair. Competitors do not have to travel as far from home for every rodeo.”
Upcoming rodeos will be held in Cookeville, TN on October 1-2, in Tunica, MS on October 29-30, and November 19-20, 2016 in Cleveland, TN. The rodeo in Cookeville will include a special needs rodeo, in which special needs children will get an opportunity to ride horses with the assistance of TSHRA cowboys and cowgirls.
For more information about Tennessee High School Rodeo website http://www.tnhsra.com
Winners on Saturday, September 10 were:
Bareback Riding: Marshall Merchant of Oxford, MS with a score of 73.0
Barrel Racing: Layla Roberts of Lexington, TN with a time of 14.931
Breakaway Roping: Kyla Matthews of Athens, TN with a time of 3.240
Bull Riding: Dustyn Thomas of Buchanan, TN with a score of 70.0
Calf Roping: Chasen Thrasher of Columbia, TN with a time of 12.160
Goat Tying: Jaide Ellick of Rogersville, AL with a time of 9.260
Pole Bending: Kyla Matthews of Athens, TN with a time of 20.476
Steer Wrestling: Allen Morse of Dawson Springs, KY with a time of 18.100
Team Roping: Chasen Thrasher of Columbia, TN and David Holt of Byhalia, MS with a time of 14.260
Winners on Sunday, September 11 were:
Bareback Riding: Marshall Merchant of Oxford, MS with a score of 61.0
Barrel Racing: Layla Roberts of Lexington, TN with a time of 14.962
Breakaway Roping: Cody Dowell of Olive Branch, MS with a time of 3.190
Bull Riding: Daniel Carter of Bells, TN with a score of 63.0
Calf Roping: David Holt of Byhalia, MS with a time of 10.590
Goat Tying: Jaide Ellick of Rogersville, AL with a time of 9.220
Pole Bending: Delany Thomas of Buchanan, TN with a time of 20.577
Steer Wrestling: Jesse Keysaer of Culleoka, TN with a time of 4.820
Team Roping: Chasen Thrasher of Columbia, TN and David Holt of Byhalia, MS with a time of 8.560
