RODEO

Diné wild-card reps head for IIFR

By Alastair Lee Bitsoi
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK, Oct. 24, 2011

The 12 Navajo Nation rodeo athletes who won their respective events at the 65th Annual Navajo Nation Fair Rodeo were honored with a reception Tuesday evening for qualifying for the 2011 International Indian Finals Rodeo.

The reception, which was sponsored by the Navajo Nation Museum and the fair rodeo committee, was held to recognize the qualifiers who will represent the Navajo Nation this weekend at McGee Park in Farmington.

John Boyd II, rodeo coordinator for the fair, said the 12 qualifiers earned wild-card entries into the 7th IIFR after positing victories at the tribal fair in September.

"The IIFR sends wild cards to the three biggest rodeos in the U.S. and Canada, and the Navajo Nation is one of them," Boyd said. "The qualifiers are the event winners."

For the past six years, Boyd said, the fair rodeo committee has been fortunate to secure wild-card entries for its winners.

And like most years, the expectation is to win.

"They have to have the heart and desire to win," Boyd said.

Manuelito Wheeler, director of the museum, said the reception in honor of the qualifiers serves as a token of appreciation for them agreeing to represent the Navajo Nation.

"You do what you do, whether it's for your creator, yourself or tribe," Wheeler said. "We wish you luck at the IIFR."

The qualifiers will be wearing fair rodeo vests to help promote one of the biggest rodeos in Indian Country.

For Kassidy Dennison, 19, of Tohatchi, N.M., the chance to represent the Navajo Nation at the IIFR is a prestigious honor.

"I feel honored to represent the Navajo Nation, especially because my grandpa Dean was part of the rodeo," Dennison said. "It's been part of my life - my whole life."

Dennison, who's been a qualifier the last several years, said her expectation for this year's IIFR is no different from any other rodeo she enters - if it's meant to be, it will be.

"It's up to God," she said. "It's in his hands."

To qualify for the IIFR, Dennison finished her three runs at the fair with an average time of 53.79, narrowly edging Raynell Holgate of Page, Ariz., by seven-tenths of a second to win the barrel-racing crown.

The strategy for bareback rider Bennie Begay, of Rock Point, Ariz., is to take it "one horse at a time."

Begay, who placed third runner-up at last year's IIFR, said he's hoping he can draw some good horses and let the average take care of itself.

At the tribal fair, Begay scored an average of 214 to win the bareback event and secure his berth for the IIFR.

Begay, 47, said he's humbled by the opportunity to serve as a role model to up-and-coming Navajo cowboys.

"I see a lot of up-and-coming cowboys and we're there to be their role models," Begay said. "A lot of guys have yet to make it up there. It takes practice."

The Navajo Nation's other qualifiers include Chance Barns, saddle bronc; Garrison Begay, steer wrestling; John Boyd III, tie-down roping; Cody Dedman, junior bull riding; Karl Dennison, senior breakaway; Sharaya Edgewater, junior barrel racing; Andy Sells, bull riding; Chuck Sells, team-roping header; OJ Williams, team-roping heeler; and Robbie Whitehair, ladies breakaway.