Students compete in state rodeo
The Custer High School Rodeo Team, along with other Custer County high school students, competed in the state rodeo June 13 in Ft. Pierre.
The top four in each event advance to the National High School Finals Rodeo July 14-20 in Rock Springs, Wyo. Scores are determined by an average of points brought into the state rodeo via regional rodeos as well as three go-rounds at the meet.
No county cowboys or cowgirls qualifed for the state meet, although Cody Dirkes just missed out in the boys cutting event, scoring 64 points and placing fifth. Leighton Sander narrowly missed qualifying for the national meet as well, as he placed sixth in the bareback competition.
Other county cowboys to compete were Slate Suhn, Dirkes and Rhett Lowe, all in the team roping competition, as they placed 10th, 11th and 12th (Dirkes and Lowe are teammates).
David White and Reed White of Buffalo Gap also competed in team roping, finishing 51st and 52nd.
In the tiedown, Hermosa’s Slate Suhn finished 22nd, while Reed White was 45th and Hermosa’s Jaxon Fulton was 50th.
On the girls side, Kylee Ellerton finished 10th in goat tying, while Avari Dorrance was 24th in the same event and Kenley Parker was 29th.
Ellerton was also the top county placer in the breakaway competition, finished 22nd, while Parker was 64th.
Rounding out the girls competitors were Addie Sander, who finished 47th in the barrel racing and 55th in pole bending.