Utah Breeds High School Rodeo Champions
Utah’s rodeo kids are on another level when it comes to competing in national and world arenas.
The High School Rodeo Association is gearing up for its 2023 Finals which will be held on July 17-24. This year the National High School Finals Rodeo will be in Gillette, WY. It’s the largest rodeo world according to the NHSRA website.
Combined with the National Junio High Finals Rodeo, there will be 4 top athletes from 44 states, 5 Canadian provinces, New Zealand, Mexico, and Australia. Each competitor will be trying for the title of world champion.
Last year, of the 18 NHSFR champions, six were from Utah.
- National High School Rodeo Queen-Addison Redd (Ogden)
- NHSFR Barrel Racing Champion-Morgan Beckstrom (Spanish Fork)
- NHSFR Goat Tying Champion-Jacee Graff (St. George)
- NHSFR Bronc Riding Champion-Statler Wright (Beaver)
- NHSFR Trap Shooting Champion-Chase Campbell (Plain City)
- NHSFR Ligh Rifle Shooting Champion-Beau Emmet (Enterprise)
If you enjoy local rodeos, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a few of these guys out competing and practicing. Just this weekend, Statler Wright was in Cedar City for the Wendy Woods Memorial Rodeo. His brother Cody Wright is also a Bronc Riding Champion. He was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in Aug 2022 for his two-time PRCA World Champion title.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of both the NJHFR and the NHSFR. Competitors will be riding for more than $150,000 in prizes and over $150,000 in added funds. There is also an opportunity for competitors to win scholarship money. This year’s total scholarship fund is more than $375,000.
There’s a very good chance Utah competitors will once again be taking World Champion titles, but we will just have to wait and see.