[July 19, 2011] Utah out for Texas justice Tweet Jul 17, 2011 (Standard-Examiner - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- GILLETTE, Wyo. -- Since 1998, Texas and Utah have dominated the National High School Rodeo Association, with no other state winning a team title in the last 13 years. Spanning 1991-94, Texas was the state to beat in high school rodeo. Today, the Utah National Team starts its quest to regain the team title -- Utah swept three consecutive NHSRA titles from 2006-08, but lost to Texas by 1,163 points last year -- at the 63rd annual National High School Finals Rodeo. The 13-performance rodeo, being held at CAM-PLEX Morningside Park, gets under way today and concludes with Saturday's championship short round for the top 20 contestants in the aggregate in 12 high school rodeo events. Cowboys and cowgirls from 41 states, five Canadian provinces and Australia are vying for national titles, prizes and a share of more than $200,000 in college scholarships at the three goround NHSFR. The National High School Rodeo Association has an annual membership surpassing 10,500 students and sanctions more than 1,100 rodeos each year. Utah captured its first national rodeo championship in 1996, while sweeping six more National High School Finals Rodeo titles since 2000. Texas outscored Utah, 8,257 1/2 to 7,094 1/2 points, at last year's NHSFR in Gillette, Wyo. Beginning in 2012, the National High School Finals Rodeo will be staged in Rock Springs, Wyo., at the Sweetwater Events Complex for two years. At last month's Utah High School Rodeo Association State Finals in Heber City, McKale Hadley (girls barrel racing), Dax Hadlock (boys cutting) and twin sister Paige (girls cutting) of the Ogdenbased Spikers Rodeo Team, each won a state trophy saddle in their respective events. The other Top of Utah 2011 state champion was steer wrestler Baxtor Roche, of the Bear River Rodeo Team. They are joined on the Utah National Team by the Spikers' Chelsea Jones (girls breakaway roping), Jessie Hodson (girls goat tying), Tyler Bingham (bull riding) and Jace Burk (boys cutting), and Double D's Taylor King (girls cutting) and Sage Thacker (girls cutting). Dax Hadlock is a four-time NHSFR qualifier, with Paige Hadlock and King each being a three-time qualifier. Hadley is a two-time National High School Finals Rodeo qualifier. The other six Top of Utah contestants are each making their inaugural NHSFR appearance. Hadley was ninth in girls barrel racing (52.883 seconds on three runs) and took second in the short round (17.214) at the 2010 National High School Finals Rodeo. Paige Hadlock was the reserve girls cutting champion (647 points on three runs). She split eighth and ninth place in last year's NHSFR short round (212 points). To see more of the Standard-Examiner, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.standard.net. Copyright (c) 2011, Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]