By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

July 20 through July 25 several rodeo competitors will represent Harney County at the National High School Rodeo Finals in Farmington, N.M. In addition, Harney County will have a contingency going to the Silver State International Finals in Fallon, Nev., June 30-July 5.

Executing strong showings in two rounds, and then coming back to compete in the short go at the Oregon State Finals Rodeo in Klamath Falls last week, Ross O’Sullivan, Brooke Nyman and Chase Creason earned their way to the national level.

O’Sullivan began the finals rodeo last week with possible top-five finishes in the tie-down roping and the team roping. In tie-down roping, he took second place in the first round with a time of 15.03, but didn’t place in round two. He did qualify to come back for the short-go on Saturday, and again took second place with a 16.55 run. For the season, O’Sullivan got second place and a trip to the finals.

In team roping, O’Sullivan and partner Cully Stafford from Prineville went into the first round in second place, and easily held on to that spot by winning the round with a time of 8.76. In the second round the team placed fourth, roping in 14.68. In the final short-go run, O’Sullivan and Stafford stopped the clock at 12.71, giving them second for the round and second for the entire season. O’Sullivan qualified again to head to New Mexico.

Nyman began the finals rodeo in Klamath Falls in third place in the breakaway roping. In the first go, she blistered the competition, winning the round with a time of 2.93. After not placing in the second go, or the short-go, Nyman’s year-end points held out, and she finished in third place.

Creason, Harney County’s lone rough stock rider at the state finals, went into the first round of competition with an opportunity to make the nationals in bareback riding. After three rounds of action, he was only one of two bareback riders to cover all three of his horses. Creason scored 67 points on his first ride for second place, 69 points on his second horse for third place, and in the short-go, he scored 60 points for another second place. The year-end totals had him in fourth place overall.

Joining O’Sullivan, Nyman and Creason at the National Finals Rodeo, will be Cody Henricks. Henricks won the rifle shoot and the trap shoot held in conjunction with the rodeo finals. He will compete in New Mexico in both events.

Qualifiers for the Silver State International Rodeo from Harney County will be Jesse Northrop, Pete Joyce, Nyman and Henricks.

Northrop took sixth place for the year in team roping, heeling for partner Kylee Jo Rogers. At the state finals, the team took sixth in the first round with a time of 17.24.

Joyce will compete in Nevada in steer wrestling, finishing the year in eighth place. In the finals, Joyce took second in the first go with a time of 6.60, fifth in the second go with a time of 25.39 and fifth in the final round with a time of 9.15.

Henricks qualified for Silver State in steer wrestling and team roping with partner Nyman. He finished the steer wrestling in sixth place. At the state finals, he placed fourth in the first rounds with a time of 15.12, and won the short-go with a time of 5.38.

Henricks and Nyman ended the season in ninth place in the team roping. They placed seventh in the first round of the state finals with a time of 19.09 and fourth in the final round with a time of 22.48.