BELLE FOURCHE - Tanner O'Daniel's journey to a state championship in cattle cutting has been one of tragedy and triumph.

The 18-year-old from a ranch near Kadoka grew up at Rapid City, but found himself in a whole new world after the death of his mother in a car accident in 2001.

While in Rapid City, Tanner participated in his share of football, soccer, swimming and golf.

Once he moved to the ranch, athletics took on a new form - rodeo.

Tanner's mom, Lori Stoddard did some riding in her day as did his grandfather and aunts and uncles.

Tanner's aunt and second mom, Jodi Stoddard, said that when Tanner arrived at the ranch, it looked like breeding might tell in people as it did in quality cutting horses.

"The boy took to horses almost instantly," she said. "They were very therapeutic after his mother's death."

Tanner did more than adjust. He excelled.

"I was pretty nervous at first," Tanner said. "I had ridden a little bit, but nothing major."

That first summer he started in Little Britches and 4-H rodeo. He did breakaway roping, flag racing and goat tying.

When he hit high school, Tanner decided he wanted to compete in cutting. But he wanted to do more than just compete - he set a goal to be state champion cutter.

"I started riding horses more and more," he said, then grinned. "I sorta liked it."

Tanner found stiff competition.

Most rodeo kids start when they're big enough to sit a horse by themselves at age 2 or 3.

Tanner was starting late, but he persevered.

And there was that matter of breed.

"My Dad won a saddle at the state fair in cutting," Stoddard said.

This week, the journey culminated in the 18-year-old Red Cloud High School graduate winning the S.D. High School Finals Rodeo boys cutting competition. He now heads to the high school national finals in late July on the South Dakota State Rodeo Team.

He did more than just win, his proud aunt said.

"Tanner got a Gates Millennium Scholarship, so he can go to school wherever he wants," she said.

Tanner heads to Chadron State College in the fall. He can take a couple of horses with him, and that's just what he plans to do.

Then what?

He said he probably will stay with the ranch life.

"I just like it a lot, so I want to get more and more with horses… to train them and such," he said, then grinned again.