There’s a contingent of Ponoka high school cowboys heading to nationals in the United States.
Young rodeo athletes recently competed in the Alberta High School Rodeo Association finals and managed some high points to qualify for high school nationals. As well, several placed well for the Alberta rodeo.
Those who qualified for the Alberta finals were Macy Auclair in breakaway roping and team roping, Emily Massing in goat tying and breakaway roping, Kash Bonnett in team roping and tie-down roping and Clay Guthrie in steer wrestling. Allison Fox is an AHSRA member but did not qualify for the finals.
Bonnett won the district 2 season leader team roping as heeler and then went on to win the Provincial Team Roping Heeler Championship with partner Tate Schmidt from Barrhead.
Guthrie won season leader in steer wrestling for district 2 and also qualified for nationals in the steer wrestling placing second at provincials. Massing won season leader in district 2 in the breakaway roping and ended up sixth for provincials. The top four in the Alberta standings in their event go on to Nationals.
For the seniors, athletes heading to the National High School Rodeo Association finals in Gillette, Wyoming at the CAM-PLEX event facility for finals, which are July 16 to 22, are Bonnett in team roping with Schmidt, and Clay Guthrie in steer wrestling.
And one young Ponoka cowboy, Couy McBride, will head to the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Lebanon, Tennessee at the James Ward Ag Center from June 18 to 24.
McBride will compete in three events: ribbon roping, team roping and boys breakaway.