Young cowboy chases the big show

This summer was one long trip for Sylais York as he pursued his dream of competing in the Junior World Finals in Las Vegas.  
 His long history in rodeo and winning the high school rodeo in Idaho had led him to this point. His mother said that “before school is out he is practicing his roping and when he gets home from football practice, he is in the house working on his calf tying over and over again.”
 Qualifying for the finals was based on points during the high school rodeo season. Finishing in the top two positions at each rodeo he competed in would move him closer to that goal.  
 After the high school finals this past year, York and his family headed to Reno for the Junior BFI, which is a team roping event. He was able to compete in a small town named Ironwood the day before outside Reno, where he roped in the open and the 10 ½ , which is like a golfing handicap in the rodeo world, where he was able to accumulate points.  
 At the Junior BFI he was able to get enough points to move on to the finals with two of the quickest times at the timed event. Then the family headed to New Mexico for the best of the best junior time event challenge, where he teamed up with Conner Ward from Jerome, to achieve more points toward the finals.   
 On the road one more time to Colorado, just to rope against more of the best ropers in the west and hone his skills.  Two weeks later he got the call that he had obtained enough points to make it to the finals.   
 He will be teamed up with Gavin Cardoza from California to pick off the top spot. So, on Dec. 10-11 York will be in Las Vegas to try to be the best in the country.
 If he can do well on those two days, he will be in the finals on Dec. 12.  He also qualified to compete in calf roping on Dec. 6-7.  This will be one trip he will never forget.