Showdown Saturday

The finals fields are set for the timed events for the 2022 Junior World Finals. The 10-day rodeo comes to a close with finals in six events – pole bending, barrel racing, steer wrestling, team roping, breakaway roping and tie-down roping.

Friday started with the Kelly Kaminski Run for Vegas 17 and under pole bending. Brianna Sharp of Brentwood, California, won the first two go-rounds and leads the average with a two-run time of 41.004 seconds. Ashley McCleve of Gilbert, Arizona, is second with a 41.290.

In the KK Run for Vegas barrel racing, Morgan Beckstrom (senior division) of Spanish Fork, Utah; and Charlee Sohrt (junior division) of Manvel, Texas, are both in position to defend their championships.

Adrienne Steffen of Sisters, Oregon, leads the average with a 29.071, with Beckstrom second with a 29.580. The 9-year-old Sohrt has blazed through the cloverleaf pattern with a two-run time of 30.067 seconds, followed by Smithville, Oklahoma, cowgirl Savannah Toon with a 30.145.

Kaige Reisdorfer of Cheyenne, Wyoming, had a 15.231-second run to give him a two-run time of 30.574 seconds to become the first cowboy to qualify for the finals at the JWF.

“He started when he was four and we got him a horse that we would run around the pattern and he just took off from there,” Lola Reisdorfer, Kaige’s mom, said. “He definitely is super competitive and mentally he’s pretty strong.”

The 11-year-old sixth grader might be the only cowboy in the finals – he enters 14th in the average – but he and his horse Sister are ready for the competition.

“We’ve won 15 buckles, a saddle and we’ve made it to Junior World Finals twice,” he said. “I’m excited.”

Ote Berry’s Junior Steer Wrestling will crown champions in two divisions – open and 16-and-under.

Tyler Bauerle of Jourdan, Texas, leads the open average with a 16.8, but will have to hold off three-time JWF champ Cash Robb of Altamont, Utah, who is second with a 19.3.

In the 16-and-under division, Jace Mayfield of Midwest, Wyoming, is the bulldogger to beat with a 25.6, followed by Ryden Martin of Sulphur, Louisiana, with a 29.7.

There will be three champions crowned in Webb Roping Productions breakaway roping. Keiton Simmons of Stephenville, Texas, leads the 10-and-under average (5.29); Avery Savoie of Moore Haven, Florida, is atop the 15-and-under (5.33); and Rylie Edens of Hillsboro, Texas, leads the 19-and-under (4.78).

Three divisions of tie-down roping will wrap up the 10-day Junior World Finals.

Stetson Springs of Wimberley, Texas, enters the shootout round with an average time of 26.94 seconds to set the pace in the 12-and-under division. He’ll be joined in the finals by Gage Jourdan of Big Spring, Texas (27.87); Coen Carroll of Stephenville, Texas (29.29); Colt Guillot of Arnaudville, Louisiana (33.74); Blaze Carter of Seminole, Oklahoma (34.81); and Hayne Fulford of Moore Haven, Florida (39.49).

In the 15-and-under division, the competitors will be Ace Reese of Aquilla, Texas (17.53); Trey Stembridge of Kamas, Utah (18.18); Cross Fulford of Moore Haven, Florida (18.24); Brodey Clemons of Lake Placid, Florida (19.52); Dillon Grote of Bennington, Oklahoma (19.83); and Chizm Kuykendall of Carnegie, Oklahoma (20.03).

Tyler Calhoun of Richards, Texas, enters the 19-and-under shootout round with an 18.86, followed by Nathan Clawson of Tumwater, Washington (19.13); Trey Stembridge, who also qualified in the 15-and-under (19.89); Cash Hooper of Carlsbad, New Mexico (20.51); Curtis Todd of Cameron, Texas (20.99); and Joel Braden Harris of San Angelo, Texas (21.22).