Messages from July 2011
posted 7.26.11
I haven't been very motivated the last few days. Not having pending deadlines has allowed my summer schedule to catch up with me but I am finally getting some work done today. There just isn't enough time between the end of the old season and the start of the new season. But then, there never seems to be enough time, right?
The Texas Team left Gillette, WY with the National Championship trophy for the third straight year. The girls won their individual team title and the boys were second. Not a bad showing. Texas also brought home two event titles: Hunter Hightower in the boys cutting and Heather Hassler in pole bending. Former Region 1 member, Shade Etbauer, won the saddle bronc title for Oklahoma.
Wacie Winterfield in girls' cutting
1st go round - 215.5 - 6/7th place
2nd go round - 216 - 4/5th place
total on 2 - 431.5
short go - 215 - 4th place
average - 646.5 - 4th in the nation
Roger Brandt in boys' cutting
1st go round - 213 - 10/11th place
2nd go round - 210 - 11th place
total on 2 - 413
short go - 180 - 18-20th place
average - 603 - 17th in the nation
Kellie Collier in barrel racing
1st go round - 18.095 - 49th place
2nd go round - 22.944
total on 2 - 41.039
Congratulations to our national finalists and all of our members on a successful year. We'll be starting over with a new season in just a few weeks. Keep an eye on the website next week for the new schedule and updates from the board meeting that is scheduled for Monday night.
posted 7.13.11
I am all packed and ready to leave for Gillette in the morning. I hope it is cooler up north. I would love to get to wear a jacket or sweatshirt. I don't come home until July 31st, so surely I will get some cool weather before then.
Try to check out the live video feeds next week at www.nhsra.ihigh.com. Performances start at 9am and 7pm. Roger Brandt competes Monday AM & Friday PM in the cutting arena, Kellie Collier runs barrels Monday PM & Friday AM in the timed event arena and Wacie Winterfield competes Wednesday AM & Wednesday PM in the cutting arena. Hopefully, they will all be competing again on Saturday in the short go.
Your Board of Directors and Student Officers will be meeting on Monday August 1st. The schedule won't be confirmed until then. I'm sorry you have to wait so long but it should be very similar to last year's schedule which is still posted on the schedule page. If you have something you would like discussed at the meeting, please get in touch with one of the directors, officers or me before the 1st.
I think I'll get to see rain when I go through Colorado. I'm looking forward to it. It rained a little last night in Canyon. I was on my way home from Amarillo and couldn't get the wipers to come on. I thought maybe I had forgotten where the switch was since it has been so long since it's been used. I even briefly thought I was in a different vehicle and that I was turning the lights on and off instead of the wipers. It was very confusing but they did start working, which was a relief. And no, alcohol was not affecting my driving, but the smell of rain may have.
For those of you getting rain, soak it up while you can. Enjoy the last of your summer vacation. When August gets here we'll be jumping feet first into another season and school year.
Good Luck National Finalists!
posted 7.5.11
Well, my secretary skills didn't improve during my week in Gallup. It is hard to believe that you can sit in front of a computer for 12+ hours a day and not have time to get on the internet, but that was the case for me. And I even had a fairly good internet connection this year for the first time! But our members are pretty resourceful at finding out what is going on when I can't get it posted in a timely manner. The NHSRA website kept getting shut down making it difficult to find information but there is also a link at www.nhsra.ihigh.com that has archived results, video and photos that you can check out.
As you all know by now, Texas brought home all three team titles for the Junior High Division. Congratulations National qualifiers, State qualifiers and all of our members of Region 1 and TJHRA. It takes all of you to make this happen.
Region 1 sent 7 members on the 52-member Texas Team to compete in 4 individual events and 2 team events. They all did an outstanding job representing Texas and Region 1 finishing no lower than 23rd in the nation and several in the top 5. That is pretty impressive. Here are individual results / standings for each round and the average:
Amanda Brown in girls' breakaway roping
1st go round - 3.888 - 26th place
2nd go round - 3.739 - 18th place
total on 2 - 7.627 - 9th place
short go - 3.374 - 4th place
average - 11.001 - 3rd in the nation
Lydia Brown in pole bending
1st go round - 20.833 - 15th
2nd go round - 20.717 - 16th
total on 2 - 41.550 - 9th
short go - 20.287 - 3rd
average - 61.837 - 5th in the nation
Kelsey Espenson in girls' goat tying
1st go round - 8.274 - 3rd
2nd go round - 11.862 - 39th
total on 2 - 20.136 - 9th
short go - 12.744 - 17th
average - 32.880 - 16th in the nation
Kelsey Espenson & Kory McConnell in ribbon roping
1st go round - 8.699 - 12th
2nd go round - 13.082 - 32nd
total on 2 - 21.781 - 14th
short go - 7.274 - 2nd
average - 29.055 - 5th in the nation
Cameron McCarley & Sierra White in ribbon roping
1st go round - 17.143 - 58th
2nd go round - 9.499 - 11th
total on 2 - 26.642 - 23rd in the nation
Dalton Wren in tiedown roping
1st go round - 12.180 - 7th
2nd go round - 16.779 - 25th
total on 2 - 28.959 - 10th
short go - 11.213 - 4th
average - 40.172 - 5th in the nation
Kelsey also split 6-7th in the girls' all around race and Lydia's horse placed 5th for the AQHA Horse of the Year.
Congratulations, again! You've made us all very proud!