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 Riley Donnelly

story by Lily Landreth Riley Donnelly is a seven-event cowgirl in the SDHSRA, competing in all of the girls events including cutting and reined cow horse. Of all her events, poles and breakaway are her favorites, and the 18-year-old from Elk Point, South Dakota, has qualified for Nationals every year since she was a sixth-grader at the NJHFR. “I’ve made it to Nationals every year in poles, except once, and in high school it’s consisted…

Meet the Member Tashina Red Hawk

story by Lily Landreth As the 2019 South Dakota High School Rodeo Queen, Tashina Red Hawk represents the next generation of rodeo. It is a tradition which goes back in her own family to her grandpa, a team roping heeler named Sidney Reddest. The 16-year-old of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in Rosebud, South Dakota, has held all of the Miss Rosebud Rodeo titles—part of the tribal fair that is 143 years strong—since she was a…

Meet the Member Jayda Tibbs

story by Lily Weinacht Jayda Tibbs of Fort Pierre, South Dakota, is entering her fourth year of rodeo in the SDHSRA. The 17-year-old, who is the great-great niece of rodeo legend Casey Tibbs, competes in pole bending, barrel racing, goat tying, breakaway roping, and team roping as a heeler. “I can’t wait to rodeo during the summer. It’s my favorite thing, and I can take time to practice during the winter and improve myself—that makes…

Meet the Member Justin TeKrony

story by Lily Weinacht “Being with the friends that I make in rodeo and trying to make Vegas someday (motivates me), so you have to keep going and keep getting better as you go along,” says Justin TeKrony of Clear Lake, South Dakota. The 18-year-old’s hard work took him to the national level for the first time this summer, where he competed in two rounds of steer wrestling. “It was a good experience out there…

Meet the Member Reece Ullerich

story by Lily Weinacht “It’s just the life lessons rodeo teaches you and the people around you—there’s some adversity you have to deal with throughout life and rodeo really teaches you to take that adversity and turn it into something good and to keep working hard,” says Reece Ullerich. “And I really enjoy the competition and being around the people of the sport, and working with the horses and cattle.” Working through the challenges of…

Meet the Member Talon Elshere

story by Lily Weinacht “When all that hard work finally pays off there’s no better feeling. You work hard all year, and there’s traveling and money and the time you put into practice, and when it finally pays off and you place at Nationals, that’s as good as it gets really.” Talon Elshere, 16, finished fourth in the nation in the saddle bronc riding at his first NHSFR. “I drew a pretty good horse in…

Meet the Member Tayla Thorstenson

story by Lily Weinacht Tayla Thorstenson is the 2019 SDHSRA Breakaway Roping Champion, and the 18-year-old from Pantry is representing South Dakota at the NHSFR for the first time in her high school career. “I’d never won a state title before, and I’d never even placed at state before either. It was a great year!” says Tayla. “I was leading my region, and that was different from the past few years when I came in…

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…