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With temperatures above the 100 degree mark for at least the ninth consecutive day, volunteers at the International Finals Youth Rodeo had greeted more than 400 contestants who had arrived by 4 p.m. Saturday.
All these arrivals are in preparation for this year’s IFYR with the opening performance tonight.
And Roper Joe is back for his seventh consecutive IFYR, helping his master spot RVs.
At least two of 23 local contestants competing, have had to change plans on the horses they will ride this week.
And three Texas contestants, two from Madisonville, who arrived after midnight Saturday morning, described the IFYR as “the best rodeo they’ve ever been to.”
Bill Chrz and his wife of 62 years, Saturday night, expecting many of the contestants to arrive during the night after competing in rodeos on their way here, and because of it being a bit cooler.
Mary Ann Jones, who has been volunteering for the IFYR since its inception in 1993, working in the message center, said she continues doing it “because the kids are so sweet and so polite.” Jones said she also was a volunteer in the message center during the three years the National High School Finals Rodeo was here prior to the IFYR beginning.
Heather Hassler, 17, and her 16- year-old sister Jessica made the trek here again from Madisonville, Texas. Heather, who will be a senior, will complete in barrel racing, goat tying, breakaway roping and pole bending. Two years ago she finished third in the poles, and last year she was the reserve pole bending champion.
She said she hopes with this being her third time at the IFYR, she leaves a champion.
Jessica will compete in the breakaway and goat tying. She said she placed in the second round of the goats a year ago, but just missed the money.
The sisters, along with Jake Choate, 17, who is from Dayton, Texas, all concurred the IFYR is the best rodeo they compete in. Even though Choate and Heather are headed to the NHSFR in Gillette, Wyo., they each said “this is the best.” Heather added “I believe this is the best rodeo I’ve ever been to.”
Choate, who will be a senior, and competes in bareback riding, said “this is a good rodeo to come to. And to get ready for the nationals. It pays well, too, he said.
He made the short go last year here in the barebacks, placing in the initial round and taking home third-place money. He finished the rodeo overall in seventh place.
All three of them are members of the Bloomer Trailer team.
Darrah Stanford arrived from Wilburton about mid-morning Saturday, as did J.C. Hester from Vicksburg, Miss.
Stanford, 16, who will be a junior, will compete in goat tying only. She said she’s returning for her second IFYR because “I had a blast last year. It’s the funnest rodeo I’ve ever been too.”
Hester is Mississippi’s bareback riding champion and headed to nationals after the IFYR. He just graduated from high school. It was his friends from Mississippi and other places which made him want to come here for his first and only time to compete.
Lauren Underwood, Meeker, and Sierra Beauford, Shawnee, both will be on different horses than they planned.
Beauford’s horse Frisco, a 10-year- old, had colon surgery in early June after his colon flipped over his spleen, she said. She and her parents took the horse first to Shawnee Animal Hospital, then Dr. Mike Stewart recommended another veterinarian near Goldsby who performed the surgery.
“He’s recovering okay, but it will be a couple more months before we can ride him,” she said. So, she will be on Lean On Peppy San, a seven-year-old, during the barrel racing competition this week.
“I started working him on the bar- rels right after the State 4-H Horse Show,” Beauford said. “He’s working pretty good. He did pretty good at Meeker last weekend, but we hit a barrel.”
Last year, Frisco, was injured during Beauford’s first-round barrel run.
Underwood’s horse Charisma, has been nursing an injury since last October, but hasn’t healed well enough, forcing her to find another horse. She thinks she’ll be riding an eight-year-old gelding named Deek.
But her first ride in barrels in the IFYR this week, may be only the third time she’s ridden him. She’s ridden two other times in recent days in preparation for the competition. She also will compete in the pole bending, but that is on another horse she has been using for poles previously.
With temperatures above the 100 degree mark for at least the ninth consecutive day, volunteers at the International Finals Youth Rodeo had greeted more than 400 contestants who had arrived by 4 p.m. Saturday.
All these arrivals are in preparation for this year’s IFYR with the opening performance tonight.
And Roper Joe is back for his seventh consecutive IFYR, helping his master spot RVs.
At least two of 23 local contestants competing, have had to change plans on the horses they will ride this week.
And three Texas contestants, two from Madisonville, who arrived after midnight Saturday morning, described the IFYR as “the best rodeo they’ve ever been to.”
Bill Chrz and his wife of 62 years, Saturday night, expecting many of the contestants to arrive during the night after competing in rodeos on their way here, and because of it being a bit cooler.
Mary Ann Jones, who has been volunteering for the IFYR since its inception in 1993, working in the message center, said she continues doing it “because the kids are so sweet and so polite.” Jones said she also was a volunteer in the message center during the three years the National High School Finals Rodeo was here prior to the IFYR beginning.
Heather Hassler, 17, and her 16- year-old sister Jessica made the trek here again from Madisonville, Texas. Heather, who will be a senior, will complete in barrel racing, goat tying, breakaway roping and pole bending. Two years ago she finished third in the poles, and last year she was the reserve pole bending champion.
She said she hopes with this being her third time at the IFYR, she leaves a champion.
Jessica will compete in the breakaway and goat tying. She said she placed in the second round of the goats a year ago, but just missed the money.
The sisters, along with Jake Choate, 17, who is from Dayton, Texas, all concurred the IFYR is the best rodeo they compete in. Even though Choate and Heather are headed to the NHSFR in Gillette, Wyo., they each said “this is the best.” Heather added “I believe this is the best rodeo I’ve ever been to.”
Choate, who will be a senior, and competes in bareback riding, said “this is a good rodeo to come to. And to get ready for the nationals. It pays well, too, he said.
He made the short go last year here in the barebacks, placing in the initial round and taking home third-place money. He finished the rodeo overall in seventh place.
All three of them are members of the Bloomer Trailer team.
Darrah Stanford arrived from Wilburton about mid-morning Saturday, as did J.C. Hester from Vicksburg, Miss.
Stanford, 16, who will be a junior, will compete in goat tying only. She said she’s returning for her second IFYR because “I had a blast last year. It’s the funnest rodeo I’ve ever been too.”
Hester is Mississippi’s bareback riding champion and headed to nationals after the IFYR. He just graduated from high school. It was his friends from Mississippi and other places which made him want to come here for his first and only time to compete.
Lauren Underwood, Meeker, and Sierra Beauford, Shawnee, both will be on different horses than they planned.
Beauford’s horse Frisco, a 10-year- old, had colon surgery in early June after his colon flipped over his spleen, she said. She and her parents took the horse first to Shawnee Animal Hospital, then Dr. Mike Stewart recommended another veterinarian near Goldsby who performed the surgery.
“He’s recovering okay, but it will be a couple more months before we can ride him,” she said. So, she will be on Lean On Peppy San, a seven-year-old, during the barrel racing competition this week.
“I started working him on the bar- rels right after the State 4-H Horse Show,” Beauford said. “He’s working pretty good. He did pretty good at Meeker last weekend, but we hit a barrel.”
Last year, Frisco, was injured during Beauford’s first-round barrel run.
Underwood’s horse Charisma, has been nursing an injury since last October, but hasn’t healed well enough, forcing her to find another horse. She thinks she’ll be riding an eight-year-old gelding named Deek.
But her first ride in barrels in the IFYR this week, may be only the third time she’s ridden him. She’s ridden two other times in recent days in preparation for the competition. She also will compete in the pole bending, but that is on another horse she has been using for poles previously.
