Hi-Line Rodeo Club does well at state

The Hi-Line Rodeo Club has been working hard the past few years to provide local kids a chance to show what they can do. Well recently, at the Montana Junior High Finals Rodeo, those same kids got a chance to compete against the rest of the state and the results were impressive.

A total of five members from the Hi-Line Rodeo Club ended up placing at the state rodeo in Baker, and because of their efforts and their top-four finishes, they will all get to compete at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo, which will be held in Lebannon, Tennessee June 19-25.

The top performer of the group was eighth-grader Cole Hould, who took home first-place honors in the bull riding competition. Hould's teammate Taylor Harwood, who is in the seventh grade, also finished third bull riding, while Brad Cichosz, an eight grader, finished fourth.

Reece Miller was another member of the Hi-Line rodeo team that placed at state, finishing fourth in chute dogging. Miller is in the eighth grade. Enyis Colliflower, who is also in the eighth grade, finished fourth in pole bending.

"I am pretty proud of them," Ruby Hould, the organizer of the Hi-Line Rodeo Club said. "They are a great group of kids and I can't wait to see what they do in high school."

While the five youngsters have already proven they can rodeo with the best in Montana, their skills will truly be put to the test at the NJHFR, the world's largest junior high rodeo. The NJHFR will feature around 1,000 participants from 43 different states, as well as from Canada and Australia. The competitors will be vying for $75,000 in prize money and more than $100,000 in available scholarships.

There is also the chance to win a national championship in each event, although doing so will prove extremely difficult. Each contestant gets to compete in two preliminary rounds of their event and if they finish in the top 20 after that, they will advance to the finals. Then, the score in the final round will be combined with the first two and the best total score will earn a national title.

The championship of the NJHFR, which will be Saturday June 25, will be televised nationally on RFD-TV. The finals start at 7 p.m. that night.