South Dakota High School Rodeo Association (SDHSRA) Archives

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South Dakota High School Rodeo Association (SDHSRA)

Mailing Address: PO Box 303 Baltic, SD 57003

Email: sdhsra@alliancecom.net

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Members

Meet the Member Jaicee Williams

story by Lily Weinacht Jaicee Williams of Wall, South Dakota, won the breakaway roping at the Wall regional rodeo in early June. A recent graduate from Wall High School, the 18-year-old has her eye on a qualification to the NHSFR in the event to cap off her senior year. She qualified for the NJHFR in goat tying, and continues to tie goats and barrel race in high school as well. “Both my parents were involved…

Meet the Member Blasius Steffen

story by Lily Weinacht Blasius Steffen has won the SDHSRA all-around cowboy title in all of its forms, from rookie of the year in 2016 to reserve all-around, and finally, the year-end all-around in 2018. The 18-year-old cowboy from Gregory, South Dakota, competes in team roping and tie-down roping, and he’s qualified for the NHSFR once in reined cow horse and twice in cutting. His favorite event varies from day to day, and he practices…

Meet the Member Mikenzy Miller

story by Lily Weinacht “I love all the people I get to meet in rodeo and the great lifelong friendships you get to make. It’s a passion of mine and I could never see myself not doing it,” says Mikenzy Miller. “You work hard and see it pay off, and it makes you a better person, and it’s made a way for me to go to college.” The 18-year-old SDHSRA competitor from Faith, South Dakota,…

Meet the Member Riggin Shippy

story by Lily Weinacht “There’s nothing more I want to do than make a living riding bulls. Someday I’d like to be a world champion,” says Riggin Shippy. The 17-year-old bull rider from Colome, South Dakota, took home his first state title last season as the 2018 SDHSRA Bull Riding Champion. “I was sitting second coming into the finals, and I’d set out that spring and told myself I was going to win state. I…

Meet the Member Sawyer Gilbert

story by Siri Stevens 17-year-old Sawyer Gilbert left 150 first calf heifers at home in Buffalo, South Dakota, to go to the Junior American at Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. She made the 13.5 hour trip with her dad, Lloyd, and her horse Roger and a backup horse, Big Enough. “I just tried to keep a level head and not expect to win or lose,” she said of her mental game. “Practice like…

Meet the Member Wacey Brown

story by Lily Weinacht Wacey Brown is the 2018 SDHSRA Barrel Racing Champion, tying for first place with Sydney Maher after a tight competition at state finals last summer. “I was kind of surprised because everyone is really tough and competitive when you get to state, but me and my horse put a lot of time into it,” says the 17-year-old from Piedmont, South Dakota. “I trained him myself and I have a pretty good…

Meet the Member Madi Moody

story by Lily Weinacht “I just love rodeo. The people in it are a big part of it, and it’s an adrenaline rush with every event you do,” says Madi Moody. “When you come out of the arena, no matter how you do, everyone is still smiling and saying hi, and they’re your second family.” The 17-year-old from Letcher represented her South Dakota rodeo family at the NHSFR this summer in the pole bending, and…

Meet the Member Sage Gabriel

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…

Meet the Member Dillon Sackett

story by Lily Weinacht Competing on home-raised horses is a highlight of rodeo for Dillon Sackett. One of those horses, Bear, carried the 17-year-old from Alcester, South Dakota, to his first state title and championship saddle in the SDHSRA this summer. “I came into state in first place for points, and I felt confident,” says Dillon. He didn’t even plan to use Bear, but when his main calf horse—Bear’s dam—pulled a tendon last summer, Dillon…

Meet the Member TJ Schmidt

story by Lily Weinacht TJ Schmidt, the 2018 SDHSRA Reserve Bull Riding Champion, hit the summer rodeo trail with a confidence that carried him through the NHSFR to a fourth-place finish in the national bull riding standings, even while competing with a torn meniscus he sustained at the IFYR. “I felt pretty good about the week itself. You always wish it could’ve gone better, but I didn’t know at the time that I had a…

Meet the Member Cash Wilson

story by Lily Weinacht Cash Wilson’s aim was to finish in the top three in saddle bronc riding at the NHSFR. It’s still sinking in for the 17-year-old from Wall, South Dakota, that he’s the 2018 NHSRA Saddle Bronc Riding Champion. “The season couldn’t have gone any better. We had four regional rodeos on two weekends and I won all four of them, and I won every round at state finals,” says Cash, who took…

Meet the Member Cole Brewer

story by Lily Weinacht “I really like the thrill of rodeo. I’m a real big adrenaline junky, and I really like the people involved in it. I’ve never met a better set of people—I’ve wrestled and played football, but I can’t find a better group of people than my rodeo family,” says Cole Brewer. “Everyone is supporting each other the whole way.” Cole, an 18-year-old roughstock and timed event cowboy from Dupree, South Dakota, started…