Ensley Clayton and Tate Sanders, 7th graders at Hampton High School, competed in the Arkansas Junior High School Rodeo Finals on May 9 & 10 in Texarkana, AR. These two students earned a position of the Arkansas National Junior High Rodeo Team and will be traveling with fellow teammates to Guthrie, OK June 21st thru June 27th to compete at the 21st annual National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR).
The NJHFR is the world’s largest junior high rodeo and will feature roughly 1,200 contestants from 43 U.S. States, 5 Canadian Provinces, Australia, Guatemala, and Mexico. In addition to competing for more than $80,000 in prizes, NJHFR contestants will also be competing for more than $200,000 in college scholarships and the chance to be named a National Junior High Finals Rodeo World Champion. To earn this title, contestants must finish in the top 20 – based on their combined times/scores in the first two go-rounds to advance to Saturday evening’s final round. World champions will then be determined based on their three go-round combined times/scores.
The Saturday championship performance will be televised nationally as part of the Cinch High School Rodeo Tour telecast series on the Cowboy Channel. Live broadcasts of all NJHFR performances will air on: http:// www.cowboychannelplus.com/ . Performance times are 7 p.m. on June 22nd and 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day thereafter.
Along with great rodeo competition and the chance to meet new friends from around the world, NJHFR contestants have the opportunity to enjoy shooting sports, volleyball, contestant dances, family-oriented activities, church services sponsored by Golden Spur Ministries, and shopping at the NJHFR trade show, as well as visiting area attractions in Guthrie. To follow your local favorites at the NJHFR, visit NHSRA.com daily for complete results.
Ensley is the 13-year-old daughter of Joey and Louann Clayton of Fordyce, AR. Tate is the 13-year-old son of Bryan and Tammy Sanders of Harrell, AR.
