From Alberta to Tennessee

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Junior High rodeo competitors headed to Lebanon. Photo courtesy NJHSRA.

Tennessee rolled out the welcome mat June 19-25 to 27 Alberta junior high rodeo competitors and their entourage as they carried the Canadian flag into the arena for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo.

Lebanon, Tennessee, (pop. 26,000) is located about 40 km east of Nashville, and is the host city for the Junior High and National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA) Finals for the next two years.

Created in 2004, the NHSRA Junior High Division features 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, and serves as a feeder system into the high school ranks of the Association. Today, all Canadian provinces and 48 U.S. states that belong to the NHSRA also produce a Junior High Division, with over 2,500 members competing for thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes.

Junior High students compete in Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Goat Tying, Breakaway Roping, Tie Down Roping, Chute Dogging, Team Roping, Ribbon Roping, and Junior Bull Riding, Bareback Steer Riding and Saddle Bronc Steer Riding.

Congratulations to the qualifiers: Macy Auclair, Sierra Bazley, Maddie Bews, Travis Brain, Cole Brain, Denton Burns, Trey Erion, Tori Graham, Austin Hines, Jaxon Kapfhamer, Kyla Kelly, Payden Lillico, Walker Long, Clay McNicol, Ben Mitchell, Cooper Olson, Kendal Pierson, Chezney Pighin, Cooper Resch, Levi Schmidt, Jace Sears, Amy Shuckburg, Payton Smith, Quincy Squair, Quinton Taylor, Nelz Vance and Kyle Wanchuk.