County cowboys shine at Texas State Finals Rodeo -- headed to Nationals

Congratulations -- and best of luck at the High School Rodeo Nationals this week -- to (L-R) local cowboys National Champion, Taylor Dudley, Chip Brandes and Dakota Champion. Contributed photo by Lori Dudley Leon County has plenty of good cowboys and cowgirls, and they proved it earlier this month at the Texas High School Rodeo Finals in Abilene. Four of our area’s best young horsemen qualified for the High School Rodeo Nationals which will be held next week in Farmington, New Mexico. That statistic gets pretty impressive when you realize that only 55 kids from Texas qualified to go to Nationals -- and four of them are from Leon County!

Buffalo’s National Champion teamed up with Marquez’s Taylor Dudley in team roping, and the pair turned in three strong performances. A 6.43-second catch in the 1st Go put them in 4th place, and they came back with a 7.45 in the second round and a 6.96 in the Short Go for a 20.84 total that won the average and clinched the guys the Reserve State Champion title in the event and a trip to the National Finals Rodeo.

National also competed in tie-down calf roping.

Consistency also paid off for another Buffalo cowboy, Chip Brandes. A 9.83 in the 1st Go, 9.09 in the 2nd and a 14.31 in the Short Go gave Brandes an average of 33.23 which was good for third place in State and a shot at Nationals.

BHS junior Dakota Champion qualified for the competition in Abilene in steer wrestling, where he posted times of 5.82, 6.04 and a blistering 3.90 for a 15.76 three-steer total that earned him third place at State. He too, qualifies for the National Finals Rodeo.

On the cowgirls’ side, Oakwood was well represented in the State Rodeo Final by OHS students Lisa Stevens and Kendel Robinson. Both cowgirls earned a trip to Abilene in multiple events: Lisa competed in pole bending, barrel racing and goat tying. Kendel raced in poles and barrels. At the other end of the county, Callie Padgett of Centerville also completed in goat tying. Just over the county line, Dew’s Callie Warwick competed in breakaway roping and goat tying. These young ladies gave a great effort but did not advance.

Keep the boys on your mind next week as they compete in Farmington, and watch the Buffalo Press for news from Nationals!