RODEO

National High School Rodeo Finals

Mexican Springs' Bates ropes to 2nd place

By Quentin Jodie
Navajo Times

CROWNPOINT, July 28, 2011

Last year, Bailey Bates missed out on all the fun at the National High School Finals Rodeo.

This year, she made nationals and claimed the reserve championship in the breakaway-roping event with a 7.97 aggregate on three head.

"This was my first year qualifying and going in I was feeling good about my chances," she said.

Bates, who made the trip up north to Gillette, Wyo., with her parents Norman and Wendy Bates and older brother Michael, kept pace with the other contestants during the week-long event to put herself into contention for a national title.

"Even though it was my first year, I wasn't too nervous," the Mexican Springs, N.M., cowgirl said. "You know before I went up there I had been roping pretty good at other rodeos and that just built my confidence."

In the first-go, Bates roped her calf in 2.87 seconds, placing her 18th overall. In her next performance, the 2011 Tohatchi High graduate improved to fifth place with a 2.49 run.

"I actually won the 10th performance," Bates said. "All I wanted to do was keep my streak going and make the short round."

That she did. But it wasn't until the short round when the enormity of it all hit her like a runaway train.

"Right before I was going to rope I started to feel nervous," Bates said. "I started to think too much about it."

Bates said she cleared her mind and kept her focus. In doing so, she also kept a promise she made before heading into nationals.

"All I wanted to do this week was stick my calves and be consistent," she said.

By staying consistent, she moved up one spot to second place and beat out Arkansas cowgirl Ari Ann Flynn by a mere two-hundredth of a second.

"It was tough, but I think what really helped me was I was mentally and spiritually strong," Bates said.

In addition to that, Bates said she got some much-needed advice from brother Michael and close friend Kassidy Dennison.

"They both qualified for nationals," she said. "Last year Kassidy won (the breakaway event) so it boosted my confidence knowing that I can compete with the other girls."

Although Dennison didn't get a chance to defend her breakaway crown, she did finished seventh in the barrel-racing event with a 52.758 aggregate on three. Rachel Primm of Washoe Valley, Nev., topped the field with a 51.645 average.

After a slow start, Dennison improved her times as the week went along. In the first performance the Tohatchi cowgirl finished 20th with a 17.897 second run and added a 17.532 run in round two, which placed her 12th overall.

In the short round, Dennison came in fifth by crossing the finish line in 17.329 seconds.

Rehoboth's Reno Eddy and Grants' Cody Mirabal were the other two local qualifiers that made it into Saturday night's short round in the team roping as they finished fourth in the average with a 25.2 run on three head.

In the last performance, the pair turned in their best mark of the week with a third-place finish in 7.3 seconds. In the first round, they stretched their draw in 8.93 seconds and followed that up with an 8.97 run in the second.

In the bareback, Will Tuni of Dennehotso, Ariz., rode both of his draws and finished 33rd overall with 118 points. Unfortunately, he didn't make the short round as he earned a 53-point ride in the first round and later added a 65-point effort in the second.

Many Farms, Ariz., tie-down roper Shandell Glasses came in 57th after he posted a 10.52-second run in the first round. In the next round, however, he posted a no time.