It's a long ways to Rock Springs, Wyo., but a trip cowgirls Laney Hoier, Hailey O'Daniel and Erika Cruikshank looked forward to.
Well, maybe not the drive itself.
“Catch up on some much-needed sleep,” Cruikshank said when asked how she planned to spend time on the road during the 750-plus mile expedition.
O'Daniel didn't think that'd be too bad of idea.
“I'll probably drive a couple of hours,” she said. “Let Mom sleep for a little bit and then I'll sleep the rest.”
The three Washington County rodeo athletes met in the middle in Kennard on July 10 before making their way west. They — along with Fort Calhoun marksman Morgan Shaner — are in Rock Springs this week for the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) after qualifying during their respective seasons this past school year.
Laney Hoier, goat-tying champ
Hoier, a Herman cowgirl, just completed her 11th-grade school year.
She is a one time National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR) qualifier and competed at last year's high school finals in Gillette, Wyo.
“Going into this nationals, I feel like I have a lot more confidence in myself — in what my abilities are,” Hoier said July 10. “I’m going to go actually try to place in a couple rounds and see what I can get done.”
The two-time Nebraska goat-tying champion was scheduled to make her first run in Rock Springs on Monday at the Sweetwater Events Complex before her second run Friday. In-between, she was set to compete against the world's best in breakaway roping, too.
“The thing that’s made the biggest difference in me growing as a goat-tier and getting better is lifting weights,” Hoier explained. “Staying in the weight room, and focusing on developing myself as an athlete along with developing the skill side of goat-tying.”
She's making her runs in Wyoming with a horse named Cartel.
“She’s kind of a hard to get along with animal,” the Herman cowgirl said. “She’s pushy. She’s got a lot of personality and attitude, but I can trust her to do her job every single time.”
In goat-tying, the tier rides their horse to a goat in the rodeo arena, jumps off and ties the goat's hooves together as fast as possible to stop the clock. The horse's job seems easy, but Cartel makes it even easier on Hoier than the rest.
“They are just running in a straight line, but it’s really nice to have a really dependable horse that you know is going to work for you,” she said.
In this case, Cartel is the animal for the job, but Barbie might be Hoier's favorite.
“She's kind of my golden girl,” she said.
The breakaway-roping horse has been hurt in the past, but is healthy for her first competition on the level of the NHSFR.
“Being able to trust your horse is a pretty big aspect of it,” Hoier said.
After finishing outside of the national short go-round finals last summer, the Herman cowgirl is hoping for a little bit of luck with her draws and an overall better finish this time around. The championship round is Saturday night.
“My biggest thing recently has been, ‘Give it all to God,’” Hoier said. “If it works out in my favor, it works out in my favor.”
Erika Cruikshank, freshman qualifier
Cruikshank, an Arlington High School student-athlete, left for Rock Springs not long after meeting with O'Daniel, Hoier and Enterprise Media Group in Kennard.
The first-time NHSFR qualifier wanted to get out to Wyoming early to do some white-water rafting with friends.
After that, though, the third-place all-around cowgirl on the Iowa high school circuit will compete in barrel racing and pole bending in Rock Springs. She was scheduled to make her debut Sunday in the barrels event before a second run this Saturday morning. Her pole runs are Tuesday and Thursday this week.
“In junior high, I qualified in four events,” Cruikshank said. “This year, I'm only in two, but I'm only a freshman and not very many freshmen make it their freshman year of high school.”
The rider didn't show nerves prior the big rodeo July 10, particularly noting her experiences in the sport. She's a three-time NJHFR qualifier, and has competed in Dallas and Las Vegas at large events, too.
In Wyoming, though, Cruikshank was to make her first barrels run during the week-long NHSFR's first performance — an unenviable spot to be in.
“I would have rather waited just so they can figure out the ground a little bit, but my horse doesn’t really care what the ground is like,” she said.
Yes, Otis enjoys his breathing treatments, but he's a pretty “low-maintenance” horse overall, the cowgirl said. He also happens to be the apple of Cruikshank's eye.
“He’s pretty special because I trained him myself. I’ve, pretty much, done all of the work on him,” she said. “He’s one of my favorites.”
Looker, Cruikshank's poles horse, isn't too bad either.
“Looker is a super-nice horse and I’m blessed to have both of them, really,” she explained.
The job of a pole-bending horse is important, too. It's an event based in horsemanship where any little mistake back-and-forth through the poles can add seconds to a cowgirl's overall time, costing her spots in the standings and, ultimately, money.
“It’s one of the hardest events because it requires so much horsemanship,” Cruikshank explained. “There’s six things you’ve got to get around when, in barrels, there’s only three.”
The AHS student is prepared, though. She said she's ridden great horses and learned from great trainers. One day, the cowgirl wants to make barrel racing her profession.
First, though, Cruikshank wants to treat the NHSFR like a normal rodeo and perform. A goal is to finish within the top 20 against 100s and reach the short go-round finals.
Hailey O'Daniel, on the NHSFR stage again
Like Cruikshank, O'Daniel was scheduled to make her first barrel racing run Sunday on new dirt.
After that, the Arlington cowgirl has to wait until Wednesday afternoon to see how her time stacks up against the rest of the best in the country, Canada, Mexico and Australia.
“I just kind of have to sit there and pray,” she said with a smile July 10 in Kennard. “Can't change anything after I run.”
This NHSFR qualification is the AHS track and field state champ's third. O'Daniel is experienced, but hoping for her best finish yet in the barrel racing and pole bending events. The soon-to-be senior is making her barrel runs Sunday and Saturday, and her pole runs Tuesday and Thursday — just like Cruikshank.
“I would really like to make the short-go in both of my events, but one at least,” O’Daniel said. “Getting a top-10 finish in at least one of the rounds would be really exciting, too.”
While making Wyoming trips isn't unusual for the cowgirl, this rodeo season was a bit of struggle to start. She admits that balancing Eagles cross-country, basketball and track with rodeo was tough.
“It took me a little bit to figure out my time and figure out how to handle all that,” O’Daniel said. “Toward the middle of the season, we figured it out. We started clicking.”
Her horses — Gigi and Romance — played a big role in that. Like Hoier's breakaway horse, Barbie, Gigi has missed past national performances due to injury. This time, though, the speedster is ready to go.
“I’m excited because I think she’s going to be able to handle the pressure way better than my other mare,” O’Daniel said.
To get Gigi ready for a barrels run, though, there is some prep that needs to get done. The cowgirl said she stretches the horse's legs out, and puts on her boots and running bridle.
“Going into the gate or the run before me, I’ll start waking her up — smooching at her,” O’Daniel said. “And, then, you’ll see her ears perk up.”
Romance, though, could almost do a pole bending run on her own. O'Daniel and the horse haven't worked together long, but the mare has put in plenty of runs during her 21 years .
“She knows the job. She knows what she’s doing,” O’Daniel said. “I just have to sit there and stay out of her way and help her.”
It's reassuring to have Romance on the cowgirl's side.
“She’s just a solid horse,” O’Daniel said. “Goes out and does her job.”
All three Washington County rodeo athletes set out to do their own jobs in Rock Springs this week. They may have caught a bit of shut eye on the drive out west, but, now, they're competing for NHSFR belt buckles and saddles.
Shaner set for NHSFR trapshoot
Marksman Morgan Shaner qualified for his first national rodeo in 2020.
The Fort Calhoun High School honor roll student and 2024 graduate didn't get to participate in the National Junior High Finals Rodeo light rifle event due to a COVID-19 cancellation, but he will compete in trapshooting this week in Rock Springs, Wyo.
Shaner's National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) starts Thursday with a shoot at the Sweetwater Trap Club. The top qualifiers from there will then compete in the short go-round shoot on Friday morning.
The FCHS grad was a member of the Blair Youth Shooting Sports team this past season, closing out his high school run as one of two Fort Calhoun marksmen at the Cornhusker Trap Shoot in Doniphan.
At the time of his high school graduation, Shaner was offered multiple scholarships including the Fort Calhoun Presbyterian Church Scholarship, Nebraska College of Technical Ag Scholarship, Washington County Cattlemen Scholarship and the Fort Calhoun TeamMates Chapter Scholarship.
Four years after a cancellation, Shaner gets another shot at taking aim at the NHSFR.
