Four area athletes punch ticket to nationals

WINDOW ROCK

The New Mexico High School Rodeo Association concluded its season with the state finals during the Memorial Day weekend.

Four local athletes earned qualifications for the National High School Finals Rodeo, which will be held in Gillette, Wyoming, starting July 17.

Crownpoint High got three qualifications with junior Kadin Jodie getting qualified in breakaway while twins Tydon and Tyra Tsosie making it in steer wrestling and goat-tying.

Thoreau’s Oistin Charleston earned his first bid to nationals in saddle bronc.

“I’m a little nervous, but I’m kind of excited to see how it goes,” Charleston said. “I’ll be competing against some of the top high school saddle bronc riders.”

At the state finals in Lovington, New Mexico, Charleston rode 2 of 3 draws, winning the first and short round with a 71- and 70-point rides.

“I lost my stirrup on my second ride, so it was an automatic no score,” he said. “I didn’t draw too good, the horse was like a runaway.”

Charleston gained 30 points at the state finals to push his year-end total to 49 points as he placed third overall in the year-end standings.

The Thoreau senior got a late start to the high school rodeo season as he missed the fall rodeos.

“I joined (the association) during the spring season,” he said. “I just had to make something happen this year.”

To make nationals, Charleston credited Navajo Nation greats Robert Burbank and JR Hunt for teaching him the fundamentals as well as stock contractors Donnie Wilkinson and Lisa Webb.

“They bucked some horses for me, so that I can get somewhere with it,” he said of the latter two.

In the steer wrestling, Tydon Tsosie took third in the season standings with 66 points, earning his second qualification. He is making the trip with his twin sister, Tyra, who penciled in her first trip to nationals by finishing in a two-way tie for fourth-place in goat tying with 110 points.

“It feels good to be going back,” Tydon said while adding that he’s happy that his sister also made it.

At the state finals last week, Tydon posted one qualified run of 5.73 seconds that earned him a first-place check in the second round.

And although he didn’t catch two of his draws, the Crownpoint sophomore was locked in to make nationals. He is looking to make the short round for this year’s finals.

“I’m going in there with the mindset of not trying to win it, but to be solid,” he said. “I just need to catch both of my steers and make the short round.”

At last year’s finals, he caught his first steer and missed his second.

From his recollection, the field of competitors at nationals were pretty stout.

“You know, there were some top steer wrestlers there,” Tydon said. “Some of them were really good to where they didn’t have to try. They knew what to do.”

Like her brother, Tyra said she’s excited to be competing at nationals. Last year she came up a tad short, missing it by two placements.

“I’m thankful that I get to go,” she said. “I’m happy that I was able to make it.”

Tyra said the goat tying field was very competitive.

“I was anywhere from first to fourth throughout the season,” she said. “I even got down as far as fifth.”

In three rounds of competition, Tyra earned eight points during the state finals.

“I didn’t do too good in all my runs,” she confessed. “I got a little too nervous. I got to my goats good, but it was just my tie. I was like shaking when I was tying, so that messed me up.”

Nonetheless, she earned enough points during the season to get her in the top four.

“It was up and down,” she said. “Certain rodeos I did really well and certain rodeos I didn’t do too good. I think I had like three bad rodeos, so I had to catch up with my points.

Tyra said she’s hoping she got all her nerves out for nationals as she is looking for a top finish.

“I just hope that I can make some smooth runs, and make short round,” she said.

In breakaway, Jodie finished second in season standings with 92.5 points as she placed in two rounds at the state finals.

After posting a no time in the first round, she bounced back with a second-place run of 2.43 seconds in the next round. For the short round, she turned in a 2.44 run that placed her third in the round.

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