WD State Finals

TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL RODEO

ASSOCIATION - REGION 1

TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL RODEO

STATE FINALS PAGE

When?

Where?

Who Qualifies?

How Much?

What's Going On?

Any Accommodations?

Anything Else I Need to Know?

WHEN?

June 11 - 20, 2010

Entry forms are due at Happy on April 10th.

WHERE?

Abilene, Texas ~ Taylor County Expo Center

WHO QUALIFIES?

The Top 10 in each event. In the event one of the Top 10 Finalists draws out or is unable to compete, the next contestant in line shall move up and in case of a tie, all will be allowed to move up.

Team Ropers - the combined total of your points and your partner's points determines where you rank in the Top 10. You will designate on your entry form whether you are a header or a heeler.

HOW MUCH?

Entry fees are $80 per event. Each contestant pays a $25 office charge.

Adult season passes are $60 and child season passes are $40. There are 4 slacks and 7 performances. The season passes are a bargain if you plan to attend the majority of these. If not, you will be able to purchase tickets individually at the box office. (Hint: the draw is set up so that multi-event contestants only compete in one event per slack or performance, if possible.)

Stalls and parking are being handled by the Expo Center again this year. Each contestant gets one stall for each event they qualified in - excluding rough stock. Steer wrestlers and Cutters will get two stalls. Each stall is $90 for the week. Stud stalls are $100. If you plan to take a back-up horse or one for the nightly jackpots, the extra stall will cost you $180. **All stalls must be reserved at time of entry. You cannot show up in Abilene with an extra horse and expect to get a stall.

Parking will be $100 for electric and water only. There is a "honey wagon" that comes around during the week. Each region gets 4 full hook-ups and are assigned on a "lottery" basis. These are $125. You must call Mikey by April 1st to get your name on the list. "Winners" will be notified before you come to Happy. Don't just fill in your form and expect to get one.

Now for the really good news: All of your entry fees, stalls, parking and season tickets must be paid when your entry form is turned in at Happy. These payments will be deposited April 12th in the Region 1 account. Then I send one check to the State Office with all of your forms.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

Here is a tentative schedule of events for the week and the order of events for each performance.

Each region is required to work in specified places throughout the week.

Contestant Check-in ~ each region must supply one teacher to help check report cards when the contestants show up at check-in.

Program sales before each performance ~ We are scheduled for Sunday night and Thursday night with Region 2. We will need three adult volunteers for the 1st and 2nd go shifts and one more to help with the Short Go performance Saturday night when all of the regions work. Volunteers will need to be ready one hour before each performance and stay until the rodeo has only four events left.

50/50 Scholarship Fund ~ This year's juniors will be responsible for selling tickets since they will be the one benefitting from the proceeds as seniors next year. If we could get 2-3 volunteers to take charge of this, then the burden won't fall on just one person. Tickets need to be picked up each morning and returned by a specified time each night.

Pole Bending ~ Our Directors will be looking for adult volunteers to help with this evens. You don't have to work every performance but please help out at least once while you are down there. Volunteers will need to be in proper dress code.

ANY ACCOMMODATIONS?

Region 1 has room blocks at 2 motels in Abilene.

Whitten Inn

840 East Hwy 80

Abilene, TX 79601

325-677-8100

$68 / night

Deadline to make reservations is May 28th.

Holiday Inn Express Inn & Suites

1800 E Overland Trail

Abilene, TX 79601

325-675-9800

$85 / night
Deadline to make reservations is May 11th.

ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO KNOW?

RULE CHANGES

Every year, the National Directors meet to discuss rule changes for the next season. All new rules will be in effect at the State Finals and National Finals. It is your responsibility to know the changes that affect your events. Here is a copy of the new rules for the 2010-2012 rulebooks. Once I have time to actually study them. I will post any that I think you need to give special attention. For starters, they have clarified the rule regarding helpers in the roping box:

Rule clarification for contestant helpers in the box.

Contestant helpers in roping timed events/steer wrestling. The contestant is allowed a helper in the box to assist in the helping of settling the horse down and keeping the horse in the corner. The helper may have his hands on the horse at such time that the contestant calls for the animal but if in any way does the helper enhance or hinder any part of the contestants scoring process, the contestant will be disqualified. Clarifications: If the helper starts the horse or holds the horse in any way that affects the scoring process contestant will DELETE: be disqualified. CHANGE TO: receive a no time.

GRAND ENTRY

Our theme this year is "Vaqueros from the North." Our night is Thursday, June 17th. We will have a practice session at the Tri-State Finals in Vernon on Saturday May 8th. We will also discuss ideas for costumes at Vernon.

HOW DO POINTS WORK?

Follow this link to find out how many points you carry with you to Abilene and how many are up for grabs throughout the week.

STUDENT EVENT DIRECTORS

Here is a link that explains how event directors are selected at Abilene.

BACK NUMBERS

You will receive a new back number when you check in at Abilene. This is your ticket into the rodeo performances. It must be pinned onto the back of your shirt - not your belt loop or folded in your pocket. Hence the name: BACK number.

Anyone caught swapping their back number with another contestant or sharing it with someone who is not entered in the State Finals will be disqualified immediately and both parties will be sent home. Consider this your only warning because you won't get another one at Abilene. You've spent way too much time, energy and money just getting to Abilene. I wouldn't take the chance of trying to sneak someone in.

This also applies to the nightly jackpots. Only contestants entered in the State Finals are eligible for the nightly jackpots.

DRESS CODE

Full dress code is required at all times that you are competing in any arena, when you are inside the coliseum for any reason or when you are sitting in the stands in the horse barn or outdoor arena.

Even when full dress code is not required, you still must have your back number on your back.

When you eat or shop in town, make sure the salesperson sees you are wearing your back number. Many businesses offer discounts to the contestants.

PROPER PAPERS FOR YOUR HORSES

If you are taking horses to Abilene, you must have current coggins for each one. Bring a copy with you to check-in. You have to copy specific information for each horse onto the form provided by the health inspector.

If you are bringing horses from outside of Texas, you are also required to have health papers for each horse. This only applies to horses crossing state lines.

So, to reiterate: everyone needs coggins papers. Only New Mexico, Colorado and Oklahoma residents need health papers.