Heber City played host to the Utah High School Rodeo Association’s state finals last week, qualifying several participants from Carbon and Emery for the national competition next month in Gillette, Wyo.
Emery senior Austin Allred claimed the state championship in bull riding as he finished with a total score of 124.50, topping second place Stetson Wright from Milford. Allred improved from his showing as a junior, where he finished 10th place.
Carbon’s Jordon Pierce took home the state championship in the trap shoot, finishing with 84 points. Pierce was eight points better than second place Kami Singleton from Spikers and 13 better than third place Wyatt Barrrat from Lehi.
In order to qualify for the national competition, each participant had to finish in the top four in their own event. Those who finished fifth through fifteenth place qualified to participate in the Silver State Rodeo in Winnemucca, Nev.
Emery finished with four individuals logging top-four finishes to advance to nationals and seven others placed inside the top 15 to secure their spot in Winnemucca. Carbon had three finish in the top four and also qualified four others end in the top 15.
McCoy Christiansen will also represent Emery at nationals after a third place finish in the saddle bronc as he finished with 109 points. Christiansen also logged a top 15 finish in the reining cow horse event. Louie Ivey finished fourth in tie-down roping, and also clinched a spot at the the Silver State Rodeo with an 11th place finish in team roping. Hayden Cloward will represent Emery at nationals after finishing fourth in team roping, scoring 124 points.
Emery’s Riata Christiansen qualified for the Silver State Rodeo with a 15th place performance in the reining cow horse. Ty Gordon, Taylor Wilstead, Will and Wyatt Magnuson also qualified with top 15 performances in team roping.
Carbon junior Morgan Jensen finished third in barrel racing by accumulating 109 total points. Jensen also notched a spot at the Silver State Rodeo with a 13th place finish in pole bending. After finishing first in the trap shoot, Pierce ended sixth in the rifle shoot.
Kortney Backus finished first in the queen contest with 69 points. Sadie Waller added an 11thplace nod in the reining cow horse to round out an impressive weekend for the Dinos.
The national competition will take place July 17-23, while the Silver State Rodeo will begin June 23 and end on June 27. The UHSRA season began back in August and took a short break between December and April. Finishing the season over the last three months, the qualifiers will now shift their attention to the extra events.