Two Mountain View County rodeo athletes are heading down south later this month to pit their skills against competitors from 43 U.S. states, five Canadian provinces and Australia.
Barrel racer Raegan Tebb, 13, won the barrel racing title at the Alberta High School Rodeo Association junior championships held in Olds on May 26-28.
Jasey Barnett, 13, finished third at the Olds meet in the breakaway roping competition.
The finishes qualified both Tebb and Barnett for the 13th annual National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR) in Lebanon, Tenn.
Scheduled from June 18 - 24, that rodeo has more than $84,000 in prize money up for grabs, as well as more than $200,000 in college scholarships.
Although she made it to the provincial finals last year, this year's win in Olds and her upcoming trip to Tennessee are certainly the biggest things yet in Raegan's barrel racing career, she said.
"I've been barrel racing for about five years," Raegan said. "Everyone at Olds was amazing, with lots of good competition."
Asked for the secret to her success so far, she said, "I always trust in my horse Bailey and hope for the best."
Raegan also credited her mom Lisa Tebb for giving her lots of good coaching tips and advice over the years.
Raegan has been riding Bailey for three years.
With the trip to Tennessee only a couple of weeks away, Raegan says she will be working with Bailey to get things ready for what she expects will be some very stiff competition.
"I'll just keep riding him and keeping in shape," she said.
For her part, Jasey says she is looking forward to facing off against some very good international rodeo athletes.
"I'm really excited," she said. "I think the competition is going to be really tough because there's a ton of people coming."
Breakaway roping is similar to tie down roping, but does not end in the calf being tied.
She says she will be "practising a lot" in the coming days before heading south.
The NJHFR is the world's largest junior high rodeo. Winners there qualify for the National Junior High Finals World Championships.
"I always trust in my horse Bailey and hope for the best."Raegan Tebb
