Two Jefferson County prep rodeo athletes earned spots in the National High School Finals Rodeo. Warm Springs cowboy Isaiah Florendo was second in both the bull riding and saddle bron events and Madras bull rider Emmett Oliver was fourth. The top four placers in each event following the Oregon High School Finals Rodeo qualified for the national rodeo in July.

The two are part of the Tri-County Rodeo Club. Two members from Crook County, Justin England and Laney Moore, won events. Another Tri-County Rodeo Club member, Sean Mahoney, of Bend, on the bareback title.

The state finals was the last rodeo of the season, but finishes factored in points scored in rodeos from throughout the season

England, from Powell Butte, repeated as the state saddle bronc champion with with a 128 points, topping teammate Florendo’s 100. The pair were among the top performing cowboys of the Tri-County Rodeo Club.  Along with winning the bareback event, Mahoney added a third in the saddle bronc.

Mahoney, from Bend, finished second in the bareback at last year’s national finals and will be gunning for a national title this summer. England finished 11th in saddle bronc last year at nationals and Moore, also from Powell Butte, was 19th in breakaway roping.

Moore topped the girls cutting horse competition with a 106.5 score, while Addison Kiementis, from the Northwest team, was second with a 94.5 score.

England, Moore and Mahoney may have been the lone event title winners from the local club, but several others punched their tickets to the National High School Finals Rodeo by finishing in the top four in their events.

Two club members were third and fourth in bareback: Brody Dent and Logan Maul. Dent finished with 116 points and Maul 53. Mahoney won the bareback with 121 points and Jenner Cole, of the Northwest team, was second with 117.5 points.

Along with taking the cutting horse title, Moore and her partner, Todd Teskey, took fourth in team roping with 150 points. Moore took fourth in reined cow horse but just missed a top four spot in breakaway roping, taking fifth. She qualified for nationals in three events but also earned the rodeo’s Hard Luck Award.

Florendo is a two-event qualifier for the national finals with the pair of runner-up finishes, in saddle bronc and bull riding. Wyatt Davis, of the Jefferson State team, dominated the bull riding with a 109 score. Florendo scored a 65. Florendo was also honored with the Teskey’s Top Hand Award, one of several given out after the state finals.

Oliver totaled 18 points in bull riding to take fourth and earn a national finals invitation.

Tommy Jack Rose, an outstanding cowboy from the Harney County squad, was a force in winning the Boys All-Around title. Rose and partner Cody Siegner won the team roping event, Rose won the steer wrestling competition, he tied for third in tie-down roping, and he was second in boys cutting horse. Qualifying in four events, Rose will be busy at the July national finals.

Crook County’s GW Neatherly, who competes as an independent, nearly topped Rose in steer wrestling. Rose finished with 114 points and Neatherly 111.

Lainee Winebarger tied for second in pole bending. She finished with 95 points, same with Georgia Lieuallen of the Eastern Oregon team. Gretchen Cheyne, off the Jefferson State team, won with 116 points.

The Girls All-Around winner was Jayci Ladner from the Jefferson State team. She was second in goat-tying, fourth in pole bending, eighth in reined cow horse, eighth in girls cutting and eighth in barrel racing. Ladner earned the all-around title in her first year of high school rodeo, and she was the obvious choice for Girls Rookie of the Year.

Asher Moore, an independent, took home the Boys Rookie of the Year awards.

Makensi Faulker of the Tri-County team earned the NHSRA Spirit Buckle Award. In the arena, she was seventh in breakaway roping and ninth in barrel racing.

Ashwood cowboy Coby Holmes was sixth in tie-down roping and Neatherly 10th.

The National High School Finals Rodeo is in Rock Springs, Wyoming, July 13-19. High school rodeo athletes that finished from fifth through 20th place qualify to participated in the Silver State International Rodeo in Winnemucca, Nevada, on June 30-July 7.