Top hands in NNJBRA earn top finishes in ladies steer riding at Gallup Lion’s Club Rodeo
Special to the Times | Truman Begaye
Rhya Jeff of Thoreau, N.M., stays centered on her draw during the ladies steer riding event at the 76th Annual Gallup Lion’s Club Rodeo on Friday evening. Jeff placed second and collected $315.
CHURCH ROCK, N.M.
Rhya Jeff has been riding steers for about four years.
Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Pinedale, N.M., cowgirl Chevelle McCray stays centered on her animal during the ladies steer riding at the 76th Annual Gallup Lion’s Club Rodeo on Saturday. McCray won the rodeo with a 74-point ride.
The Thoreau teenager discovered her love for the sport while at an amateur team roping event when they started to buck some steers.
“Honestly, it wasn’t really a sport for me until I got on one,” Jeff said. “From there, my dad kind of saw that I was pretty good at it, and it was something that I wanted to do.”
Since that first ride, Jeff has been involved with the sport through the Navajo Nation Junior Bull Riders Association (NNJBRA), a nonprofit group that hosts competitive bull riding events that is geared toward the youth.
“Around the area, there’s a lot of girls that ride,” the 18-year-old said. “We always have a full list of at least 20 riders. Most of us ride with the NNJBRA. That’s the only association that has ladies steer riding that is available to us.”
To read the full article, please see the June 25, 2026, edition of the Navajo Times.
Get instant access to this story by purchasing one of our many e-edition subscriptions HERE at our Navajo Times Store.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow