GRAHAM, TX — The grit and glamor of rodeo were on full display Sunday afternoon as the Texas High School Rodeo Association held its finals for Region III.
Feats of strength and agility, the hallmarks of athleticism, were jam-packed into every moment as young cowboys and cowgirls battled for their spots at the state championship. This was the last event of the year for many and the last chance for the select few to earn enough points to garner a shot at becoming state — and maybe — national champions later this spring.
Records were set this weekend. Region III, which encompasses everywhere from Dallas to Quanah, will be sending 10 athletes to the May state championship in Gonzales. Region III has not done this in 14 years, Kelley Williams, secretary for Region III, announced to an excited crowd.
Sunday events opened with a prayer and a recording of George Strait singing the national anthem. A trio of bareback riders were the first to stamp the soil at Young County Arena. Kash Loyd set the tone for the day, delivering an 82-point ride.
The saddle bronc riders were next. Cooper Lane was the champion of this event. He delivered an 83-point ride and dazzled the audience by sticking an upright landing during a flying dismount. Even the announcer was impressed, “Nice ride, Cooper,” she said.
Bull riding, SR Goats, SR Barrels, Team Roping, Breakaway, Calf Roping, and SR Poles made up the rest of the day. Numerous champions were produced during these finals. (A full list of the winners is provided below.)
However, the most prolific cowboy of the three-day series was Jake Shelton. Hardly a moment went by when you did not hear the young man’s name called out as the champion of this event or that.
He was ranked No.1 overall, won steer wrestling (year-end and finals), came in second in boys cutting (both year-end and finals), and fifth in calf-roping (year-end and finals). Overall, this placed him on seven leaderboards and put him in the position of winning more trophies than he could carry — the largest of these was a tan leather prize saddle reserved for the overall champion.
How does one become so successful as a senior in high school from Krum? “I grew up doing it all, and it is really what I love to do –– so I work at it nonstop,” Jake said. Was there anyone to whom Jake gave credit for his success? “Mom and dad,” he added, “and K.C. Jones helped with steer wrestling, and Joe Beaver and Michael Otero with calf roping.”
Many other trophies were given out, including belt buckles, YETI cups, bridles, and pocket knives. Some of the cowboys were kind enough to let DX photograph their awards.
Cason Richey and Jett Echols spoke to DX about how they got to their place of prominence within the region and state. Cason, a native of Decatur, and his partner Belden Cox finished as No.3 in team roping. Similarly, Cason nabbed third in the team roping header. Jett advanced to be a state qualifier in the same events.
How did he beat scores of other athletes and face fierce competition where one or two points often determine the winner? His answer resembled Jake’s.”Practice every day,” he said of the sport he has participated in for eight years, “sometimes for 6-7 hours a day.”
Was there any special trick that made him overcome fierce competition? “[I] threw faster than everyone else,” he said. When asked what he’ll do at state, he answered, “[I will] try to go faster than everyone else.” Jett gave a similarly succinct answer. “[I] Just go out there and do what I know how do,” he said.
Jett is newer to rodeo than Cason. He has been a team roper for half as much time. He also had no background in the sport, as his entire family played football. But Jett, whose name comes from James Dean’s character in the 1956 Western Giant, was introduced to team roping by a friend back home in Breckenridge, Texas. In less than four years, he went from knowing nothing of the sport to joining Texas’ best in the upcoming state championship.
The champions of the day were:
REINING (Girls): Quincy Probst
CUTTING FINALS (Girls): Lauryn Kate Roberson
CUTTING YEAR END (GIRLS): Lauryn Kate Roberson
CUTTING FINALS (BOYS): Payden Rust
CUTTING YEAR END (BOYS): Payden Rust
BAREBACK FINALS (BOYS): Kash Loyd
BAREBACK YEAR END (BOYS): Westen Chandler
SADDLE BRONC FINALS (BOYS): Cooper Lane
SADDLE BRONC YEAR END (BOYS): Cooper Lane
BULL RIDING FINALS (BOYS): Jesus Villa
BULL RIDING YEAR END (BOYS): Jesus Villa
STEER WRESTLING FINALS (BOYS): Jake Shelton
STEER WRESTLING YEAR END (BOYS): Jake Shelton
SENIOR GOAT TYING FINALS (GIRLS): Alli Autrey
SENIOR GOAT TYING YEAR END (GIRLS): Alli Autrey
SENIOR BARRELS FINALS (GIRLS): Breckyn Tippen
SENIOR BARRELS FINALS (GIRLS): Piper Alexander
BREAKAWAY FINALS (GIRLS): Quincy Probst
BREAKAWAY YEAR END (GIRLS): Ceegan Akins
SENIOR POLES FINALS (GIRLS): Hadley Spence
SENIOR POLES YEAR END (GIRLS): Hevenli Scribner
CALF ROPING FINALS (BOYS): Denton Parish
CALF ROPING YEAR END (BOYS): Myles Nixon
TEAM ROPING (BOYS TEAMS): Treston Brazile and Denton Parish
TEAM ROPING HEADER (BOYS): Denton Parish
TEAM ROPING HEADER (BOYS & GIRLS): Treston Brazile
OVERALL STANDINGS (GIRLS): Kameryn White
OVERALL STANDINGS (BOYS): Jake Shelton
