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Rowdy Mott, all-around cowboy of Watford City, 8th grader [Photo: submitted]
North Dakota junior high rodeo contestants kicked up some dust this past weekend at the Healing Horse Ranch, Parshall, N.D. The Western Wranglers Club hosted the second rodeo weekend of the spring season for the North Dakota Junior High Rodeo Association (NDJHA) athletes.
“The atmosphere is fun here, and the ground is great. I like it because it’s close to home and a lot of family and friends can come and watch and see what we do in rodeo,” said Colton Lenzen, an 8th grade athlete that competes in the breakaway roping, team roping, chute dogging, and bull riding from Tioga, N.D. Colten is also a club member of the Western Wranglers.
Lenzen in the Breakaway. [Photo: submitted]
“Sponsors mean a lot. They are the reason we can put on the rodeo,” thankfully added Colton.
The Western Wranglers Club has an on-going list of sponsor support and recognition and would not be able to produce this outstanding rodeo weekend without their support. They have a wide net of 20-plus members from Ray, Tioga, Crosby, Kenmare, Berthold, Des Lacs, Ryder, Velva — all centered in Stanley.
“Western wranglers was just an idea when our kids were 6 or 7 years old. Just looking to get a group of kids working together. It was started, because we all know kids would rather listen to someone else vs own parents! When Fargo was not able to have a junior high rodeo, we wanted a different place to go. And that’s when we decided to stop talking about forming the club and we got it formed! We have practice days through the winter, and we have Thursday night practice sessions in the summer,” said Jodi Bombach, Stanley, N.D.
All-around champion cowboy, Rowdy Mott, said that his favorite event is team roping. “The Healing Horse Ranch is a nice facility. I like all junior high rodeos and love rodeos — period. There are lots of good people here, and rodeo is just a good place to be,” said the junior high cowboy who won the bull riding, bronc riding, 5th in the team roping, and 2nd in the goat tying and boys breakaway roping on Sunday.
Rowdy Mott in the Ribbon Roping. [Photo: submitted]
Jacee Johnson, 7th grader from Stanley and Western Wranglers member, said this about the weekend, “I was very confident here, because the ground is always good and the warm-up area is great, I like the racetrack. Healing Horse is a great place.The people that manage it are friendly and open to help in any way.”
Cassidy Hutchiso, 5th grader from Watford City, won the breakaway roping on Sunday and was 2nd in the pole bending. “This is a very nice facility, and I like running on the ground here,” said the cowgirl.
Cassidy Hutchison [Photo: submitted]
Bombach said, “The weekend highlight was watching all of our kids cheering everyone on, and all our kids working so hard for our western Wrangler members!
It’s so nice that we have some high school kids now, and they sure enjoyed coming back and cheering on their old friends from the junior high group!”
The next weekend on the tour stops for these youngsters will be the state finals scheduled for May 19 & 20 in Bowman, N.D. For a complete list of results, please visit: www.ndjhrd.com.
— contribution from Nici Meyer
Tisa Peek is a long-time horse trainer, competitor in barrel racing and team roping, and writer about the equine. Rodeo and horses run deep in her roots. JT Family Equine is where she calls home, south of Bismarck, ND. Tisa, along with her husband, Jon, and boys, Blu and River, train horses and host clinics. Tisa is the host for Dakota Cowboy on BEK TV.