Brock Belkham of Flandreau and Madi Moody of Letcher are the first place ribbon roping team for the state of South Dakota and will be participating at the National Junior High Finals in Gallup, N.M.

DENVER – Madi Moody, a sixth-grade student at Sanborn Central School, has earned a position on the South Dakota National Junior High Rodeo team and will be traveling with fellow teammates to Gallup, N.M. June 23-29 to compete at the ninth annual National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR) in the Ribbon Roping competition.
Featuring more than 1,000 contestants from 41 states, five Canadian provinces and Australia, the NJHFR is the world’s largest junior high rodeo. In addition to competing for more than $75,000 in prizes, NJHFR contestants will also be vying for more than $100,000 in college scholarships and the chance to be named the National Junior High Finals Rodeo National Champion.
To earn this title, contestants must finish in the top 20 – based on their combined times/scores in the first two rounds – to advance to Saturday evening’s final round. National champions will then be determined based on their three-round combined times/scores.
Again this year, the Saturday championship performance will be televised nationally as a part of the Cinch Town Tour telecast series on RFD-TV. Live broadcasts of each NJHFR performance will also air online at NHSRATV.com, powered by iHigh.com. Performance times are 7 p.m. on June 23, 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, tug-of-war, contestant dances, family oriented activities, church services sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys, and shopping at the NJHFR tradeshow, as well as visiting historical attractions of New Mexico and nearby Arizona.
To follow your local favorites at the NJHFR, visit NHSRA.org daily for complete results. For ticket information and reservations, call (800) 590-1302.