Navajo INFR contestants talk about the challenges to make the finals

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Oct 29, 2015 | Rodeo |

GALLUP

Throughout its 40-year history, the Indian National Finals Rodeo has changed venues from the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City to the New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque.

For the last eight years, it has found a comfy home at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

And during its 40-year history, the INFR went as far as the Regina Rodeo Arena in Saskatoon, Canada. It was there that Shiprock cowgirl Kim R. Jim participated in her first INFR.

That was in 1996 and since then she has put her INFR ambitions on hold so that she can help raise her family with her husband, Jeff Jim. They have four sons and recently they added a daughter to the household.

And now that most of her kids are grown up, Kim Jim decided to commit more time to rodeo. This past season she finished as the year-end breakaway champion in the Navajo Nation Rodeo Association and punched her second INFR qualification.

“It’s been a long time waiting but I had to put my rodeo career on hold for my kids,” Jim said. “The minute they started to rodeo I put my career aside and I let them achieve their goals.”

Her two older sons – Tee O’Brien Jim and Trevor – found success as they both qualified for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo and this year their roles are going to be reversed as they are going to be in Las Vegas supporting their mom.

“It’s a different perspective because you put so much into your kids and here I am going to the INFR,” said Kim Jim on Monday at the NNRA sendoff banquet at the El Charrito restaurant in Gallup. “They think this is the coolest thing.”