Meet the Member Denton Good
story by Hannah Crandall Down an eight-mile dirt road near Long Valley, South Dakota, 30 miles from Kadoka, Denton Good lives on his family’s ranch. […]
Sage competing at the 2018 NHSFR Queen Contest - Acentric Rodeo
story by Lily Weinacht
Sage Gabriel of Quinn, South Dakota, is the 2018 Miss SDHSRA Queen. When a torn ACL her freshman year kept her from her favorite event of goat tying, Sage decided to use the time healing to pursue rodeo queening. The 18-year-old ran for Miss SDHSRA in 2017 and was the first runner up, then won the title this season. Shortly after her coronation, Sage competed in the NHSFR Queen Contest and finished eighth overall, second in appearance, fifth in modeling and impromptu, and sixth in personality. “I really enjoyed going to Nationals because I learned so much about myself and that I really love getting on stage and speaking,” says Sage. “I enjoy expanding my horizons and meeting new people, and I really like being a role model for younger girls. I was so nervous the first day and didn’t feel like I belonged there, but then I started talking to the other girls and realized they were in the same position as me. I finished eleventh in speaking, and I really enjoyed the whole speech part.”
With her Nationals experience and love of rodeo queening, one of Sage’s goals while representing the SDHSRA this year is to encourage more interest in rodeo queening in her home state. “A goal I set for myself is to step out of my comfort zone and go into my community and have that leadership role. I want to have a younger girls queen clinic—I feel like in South Dakota we’re in need of more queens, and I want to get more girls excited about that.”
Along with competing in the NHSFR Queen Contest, Sage qualified for Nationals in the cutting, and enters the SDHSRA in reined cow horse, goat tying, barrel racing, pole bending, and breakaway roping. “Goat tying is still probably my favorite. I feel like I have more control, and there’s less room for error, and after my knee surgery, the feeling of getting off is awesome.”
Sage’s mom, Heather Gabriel, rodeoed in high school and college, and her dad, Jeff Gabriel, rode saddle broncs. Sage often travels to high school rodeos with her mom, while her dad takes her siblings, Cedar (16), Ember (13), and Latham (11), to their rodeos. “My sister and I always goat tie together. She’s pretty tough already, so we can push each other,” says Sage. “My mom drives me a lot, and last year’s high school queen, Tyler Hintz, has helped me a lot with nerves and getting prepared for Nationals. Levi Grimes has helped me overall with horsemanship, and another rodeo friend of mine, Ellie Moon, comes over to practice with me and we drive each other to do the best we can.”
Sage runs barrels and poles and does her queening on her mare Caddie, while she competes in reined cow horse on Root Beer, whom they call Rooty. “He’s a lot of fun—I’ve never ridden a horse trained like that. My goat tying horse is Popcorn. We raised her so she’s pretty special to our family, and my cutting horse is Wild Thing. I’m super proud of her—we have a special connection, and that shows in the arena, and my breakaway horse is Lonesome. We’re just starting to click.” The Gabriels raise horses, which they send to professional saddle bronc rider J.J. Elshere to start. Sage’s dad also raises bucking horses and cattle, which she enjoys helping with.
When she’s not with her horses, Sage, a senior, is very involved at Phillips High School, where she plays on the volleyball team and is the FFA chapter secretary. She also does extemporaneous speaking and horse judging in FFA, and enjoys her English and writing classes. “I’d really like to go into broadcasting, and I definitely want to college rodeo. I would really like to make it to Nationals in the goat tying, and my big goal for this year is to win state in goat tying.”
story by Hannah Crandall Down an eight-mile dirt road near Long Valley, South Dakota, 30 miles from Kadoka, Denton Good lives on his family’s ranch. […]
story by Kristen Sublette 17-year-old Sage Bach is a senior at Florence High School in Florence, South Dakota. A member of the South Dakota High […]
story by Kristen Sublette Colton Shelley is an 18-year-old cowboy residing in Nisland, South Dakota rodeoing for the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association. He […]
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SDHSRA PRACTICE RODEOS:
RODEO DATE ENTRY DEADLINE LOCATION
April 23-25 2021 April 12 New Underwood (at Rapid City)
April 30, May 1-2, 2021 April 15 Triple Crown Rodeos-Burke, Geddes
April 30 & May 1 Burke
May 2nd Geddes Rodeo
May 7, 8, 2021 Three Rivers Challenge – Kadoka, Wall, Philip
May 7, 2021 April 19 Kadoka 1 & 2
May 8, 2021 April 19 Philip (at Wall)
May 8, 2021 April 20 Wall
May 9, 2021 Call in Entries May 2, 3, see entry form for details Faith
May 28, 2021 May 20 White River
May 22, 2021 May 10 Martin 1 & 2
May 29, 2021 May 14 Timber Lake
May 29-30, 2021 May 21 Oelrichs 1 and 2
May 31, 2021 May 21 Clark
May 31, 2021 May 13 Lemmon
All Entry Forms can be found at sdhsra.com, forms, entry forms
REGIONAL QUALIFYING RODEOS:
Entry deadlines April 15th *YOU MUST CHECK IN BY CHECK IN TIME OR STOCK WILL NOT BE DRAWN FOR YOU!
June 4-6, 2021 Huron, Highmore, Wall, Buffalo
June 11-13, 2021 Watertown, Winner, Sturgis, Dupree
JUNE 15-19 – STATE FINALS RODEO – STANLEY COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, FT PIERRE, SD
See sdhsra.com, rodeos, state finals, for detailed schedule and qualifier information. Schedule will be updated if there are schedule changes. You are entered unless you call and say you will not be coming, please do this immediately
*Queen Contest
see sdhsra.com, rodeos, state finals
JUNE 20, 2021, 8:30 AM CDT,
Mandatory NATIONAL QUALIFIER Awards Ceremony and National Meeting
JULY 18-24, 2021 –
NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FINALS RODEO, LINCOLN, NE
***New or Revised Entry information for rescheduled and postponed rodeos is on sdhsra.com, schedule. If any doubt – call that Rodeo Secretary before you enter***