Local high school cowboys, cowgirls qualify for state finals

A number of high school cowboys and cowgirls from Weiser, Midvale and Council have qualified for the Idaho high school rodeo finals in June based on point totals at the end of the season.
 The last rodeo on the schedule this year was held in Cambridge on May 12. Points from 10 rodeos during the season were added up and the top six placers in each event earned a trip to the state finals at the Bannock County Event Center in Pocatello June 8-15.
 The best of the best rodeo contestants during the season also won some great awards, such as buckles, stirrups and even a saddle for the all-around winners.
 The Weiser River Rodeo Team includes participants from Weiser, Midvale and Cambridge. The team competes in District 3, one of eight districts in the state with rodeos sanctioned by the Idaho State High School Rodeo Association.
 There are about 50 high school cowboys and cowgirls that compete in District 3, a large geographic area that stretches in Idaho from Weiser to the panhandle and to the Canadian border.
 The top four finishers in each event at the state finals will qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyo., from July 14-20. It’s one of the biggest rodeos in the U.S. In 2020, the NHSFR will move to Lincoln, Neb.     
 Those contestants that place sixth through 10th at the state rodeo finals are eligible to compete in the Silver State International Rodeo held every year in Winnemucca, Nev. The rodeo is dubbed international for the Canadian high schoolers that compete.
 The local qualifiers for the state rodeo finals include:
 Madelyn Erickson, a sophomore at Weiser High School. She qualified in team roping, pole bending, breakaway roping and reined cowhorse.
 Kelsi Marvin, a junior at Weiser High School, will compete in breakaway roping, goat tying and reined cowhorse.
 Sylais York, a junior at Weiser High School, qualified in team roping, steer wrestling and calf roping. York also won all around cowboy honors this year and was awarded a saddle.
 Sydney Cobb is a senior who graduated from Weiser High School this month. She will compete in barrel racing, pole bending, team roping and reined cowhorse.
 Maddie Cobb, a freshman at Weiser High School, will compete in barrel racing.
 Spencer Gordon, a junior at Payette High School, qualified for the state finals in calf roping and team roping.
 Midvale cowgirl Josey Jones, a sophomore at Midvale High School, will compete in barrel racing, goat tying, breakaway roping and team roping.
 Cooper Iverson, a Council cowboy, will compete in team roping and reined cowhorse.
 Garrett Bunker, a junior at Weiser High School, will compete in team roping.
 Between now and the Idaho high school rodeo finals in June, local competitors who made the cut said they will devote some serious hours to practice. Most have their own arenas at home to sharpen their skills in various events.
 The local kids help each other, along with plenty of encouragement from parents. There is no official coach for the Weiser River Rodeo Team.
 Kelsi Marvin said breakaway roping is probably her best event. The Weiser High School junior has been competing in that event since about the age of 10. She practices a few times each week, alternating events on different days.
 Sylais York said he’s been rodeoing since age four. His partner in team roping is Spencer Gordon and they have been a team for the past three years.