BELLE FOURCHE - Rodeo fans attending the final short-go performance of the South Dakota State High School Finals Rodeo in Belle Fourche on Sunday got their money's worth.
The concluding event of the day, bull riding, may have been worth the price of admission all by itself as eight of the 15 finals qualifiers successfully covered their animals and did so with some outstanding rides. When the dust settled, Taygen Schuelke, a freshman from Newell, tacked up the day's best ride (84) and claimed the short-go buckle. Schuelke more importantly secured a spot on the South Dakota national team that will compete at the High School National Finals Rodeo in Farmington, N.M., in July.
"I got a pretty good bull today," said Schuelke. "He got into the gate coming out and got me strung out a little bit but I caught up to him and got back in the middle. My dad rode broncs on the PRCA circuit and riding is kind of what we do."
Bull rider Thad Stirling posted a 78-point ride, good enough to earn him the year-end state title and the custom made saddle that goes with a state crown. Stirling was relieved to maintain the slim lead he brought into the short-go.
"That bull was beating me pretty good, and I just stayed loose and kept trying. He made me hustle a lot that's for sure," said the Highmore-Harrold grad who plans on hitting the pro rodeo trail this summer.
Four of Sunday's 2009 year-end winners were repeat champions. Or rather three, as Joey Painter, a Buffalo cowgirl doubled up defending not only her 2008 goat tying title - a crown she shares this year with New Underwood's Teri Heavlin - but the Harding County senior also retained her 2008 all-around cowgirl title. Painter also added another custom made saddle to the Painter ranch collection by nipping Pierpoint's Taryn Sippel in the barrel racing event.
"I knew that I had to go out and be as quick as I could if I was going to win the state championship," Painter said in describing Sunday's short-go win. "I just wanted to be solid so I could make the national team. So I'm really happy with the way it all worked out.
Another repeat winner, bareback champion Mark Kenyon, of Hayti, knows a winning formula and sticks it with it.
"I just go out there with the idea of having fun," he said about his winning effort. "And today was really fun in that I think that ride was one of the greatest rides I've ever made. That horse sure made me work for sure."
One of the most exciting events of the day was the calf roping, where two former champions went head-to-head before 2006 champ Dane Kissack, of Spearfish, turfed and tied his calf just quickly enough to outlast 2008 champ Travis Cowan, and the points leader going in Trey Young, of Dupree.
"I had a good run," said Kissack, who is headed to Gillette College for some college rodeo next year. "My calf was really slow and my horse pushed the barrier perfectly and I roped and tied good and made all the years of practice pay off."
Other 2009 year-end winners include, Taryn Sippel, Pierpont, in breakaway roping, Jace Melvin, Fort Pierre, in steer wrestling, Calley Worth, Gettysburg, in pole bending, Dawson Jandreau, Kennebec, an easy winner in saddle bronc, and the tandem of Dale Tucker, Timber Lake, and Tee W. Hale, White Owl, in team roping.
