The Corn Palace floor was transformed into a bull riding arena over the weekend as the final Raise ‘Em Rank event took place in Mitchell on Sept. 16 and 17. Mason Moody, of Letcher, rode in the open division and won the event with a score of 90 points on Friday night. He ended the weekend with a third-place finish and advanced to the national competition in Mesquite, Texas in early October.

Moody won’t be traveling to Texas alone, as Tanner Christian, of Woonsocket, also earned a spot in the national competition with his fifth-place finish in the senior mini bull division. Christian rode to a tie for fifth place on Friday night, but he was stepped on during the event and injured his leg, so he got a medical waiver for Saturday night. After everything was done, he hung on to fifth place and punched his ticket to the national finals in Texas, too.

Layton Zoss, of Forestburg, rode both his bulls and covered them both on Friday night. His performances had him tied with Christian for fifth place in the senior mini bull event, but after Saturday night’s performances, his score was knocked out of the top five to advance to nationals. 

All three boys deserve a lot of credit for working hard all season and risking their health and safety while entertaining crowds who enjoy watching them take those risks. It was nice to have an event close to home so more Sanborn County citizens could be at the event to cheer them on. Best of luck to them as their exciting careers continue.

…See pictures in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!