PAGE A4 Monday, July 17, 2017 S GILLETTE NEWS RECORD S GILLETTE, WYOMING

AT THE RODEO

Last call, close call

Montana contestant is
the final check-in allowed
By PATRICK FILBIN
NEWS RECORD WRITER
pfilbin@gillettenewsrecord.net
At 6:35 Sunday morning, there
were 11 folders waiting for National
High School Finals Rodeo contes-
tants at the check-in station at Cam-
plex in Gillette.
One was for a New Jersey contes-
tant, one was for Oregon, two were
from Tennessee, one from Arizona
and six others scattered from around
the country.
The deadline to check in was 25
minutes away.
A pair of joggers ran toward the
sunrise. The group of volunteers start-
ed taking down decorations from the
booths.
In the first 24 hours the check-in
booth was open, 232 contestants
signed in. The next 24 hours, another
700 signed in. By 6:30p.m. Saturday,
1,400 of the possible 1,591 had signed
in.
We just could not have done it
without the volunteers, said Shelley
Ailts, Cam-plexs facility coordinator.
Theyre awesome.
At 6:44a.m., a truck and horse
trailer pulled slowly down Windmill
Drive.
From the back seat, Allen Morse
and Jake Brewer of team Tennessee
slumped out of their seats and onto
the pavement with 16 minutes to
spare.
He missed his flight out of St.
Louis, Melanie Morse said of her
husband. And we had to deal with
the tires on the horse trailer for
two hours in I have no idea where.
Somewhere in Nebraska.
Morse is from Kentucky and
Brewer from Mississippi, but both
rodeo together for Tennessee in team
roping.
Allen took the driving shift from
1-4a.m. Brewer slept most of the ride.
Brewers mother, Angie Hill, arrived
in Gillette on Saturday night with
the horse and trailer. She was texting
and calling her son constantly, fearing
they werent going to make it.
How did it feel to finally roll into
Gillette just on time after a 1,000-mile
trip from Shawnee, Oklahoma?
Just another rodeo, Allen said.
On to the next.
One minute later, Andric Johnson
of Round Rock, Arizona, seemed
to have appeared out of thin air. He
didnt pull up in truck or trailer, but
walked up to the booth nonchalantly.
We came in last night around
10:30, Johnson said. We thought it
was closed overnight.
Eight folders were left with 11 min-
utes remaining.
With 6 minutes to go, National
High School Rodeo Association offi-
cials swarmed the check-in booths
and started packing up the plastic
boxes. NHSRA Executive Director
James Higginbotham thanked each
volunteer individually.
At 7a.m. sharp, the booths were
closed.
Then at 7:06, another truck rolled
down Windmill Drive. Ava Rankin
was behind the wheel. Her younger
sister, Ila, a breakaway competitor
from Forsyth, Montana, sat shotgun.
They both looked tired and a little
defeated. News Record Photos/Kelly Wenzel
Ila opened her car door and Ailts
immediately got her cellphone out to Jacob Brewer, 17, left, and Allen Morse, 18, of team Tennessee get out of their truck at 6:44a.m. Sunday to be
make a call. what rodeo officials first thought would be the last two contestants to check in at the National High School
Ill escort you to the office, Ailts Finals Rodeo.
told Ava.
At 7:07, the truck pulled away minutes later, Higginbotham asked
from the empty check-in booths and her to come into his office for more
headed for Energy Hall. In the office, questions. She was excused.
an association official fiddled around Five minutes went by, then 10.
with a printer. Another sneezed three A mother of a rodeo contestant
times and excused himself. came through the doors and asked
Ava and Ila sat on green plastic when the laminating machine would
chairs facing all this mundane action. be available.
Like they were waiting to hear from Ninea.m., a woman in a crisp,
the principal of their high school, white NHSRA shirt answered.
they shifted in their chairs nervously, At 7:32, NHSRA Controller
looking exhausted. Melissa Wolf walked out of
Higginbotham emerged from his Higginbothams office with a bib
office and asked Ila to join him in the number and a folder.
hallway. Ila got up and joined Wolf at a fold-
Why are you late? he asked. ing table.
It was always their plan to get to Mandatory meeting is at 11a.m.,
Gillette on Sunday morning. They Wolf said.
were making the drive from Miles Ila was in.
City, only 170 or so miles away. What Officials around the printer and
they hadnt counted on was the flat the cubicles stopped what they were
tire that set them back and ultimately doing and looked Ilas way.
made them miss the deadline by six That girl is so lucky, one of them
minutes. said. After some debate and questioning by NHSRA officials, Ila Rankin,
Weve got the flat in the truck if he Seven folders were left, and the 18, was allowed to check in for the National High School Finals Ro-
wants to see it, Ava said. Rankin sisters were spared an early deo on Sunday even though she arrived six minutes past the 7a.m.
Ila took a seat in her chair. Four drive back home. deadline due to a flat tire.

Montanas Premier
Short goes
The lost and the Already found and returned More than $10,000 in cash

(hopefully) found
Credit cards, wallets, spe-
cially decorated rope cans and
even a puppy were added to
the list at the lost and found
at the National High School
Finals Rodeo by 10a.m.
Sunday, well before the first
rodeo performance.
This year, the lost and found
area in the Wyoming Center is
better organized after handling
1,300 items and reports a year
ago. Director Kathy Kintz
said the lost and found items
will now be organized in five
notebooks to keep better track
of whats retrieved and whats
reported lost.
The items will be divided
was a rope box decorated with
Black Hills gold. There also
was a special leather head stall
and bit, two wallets and a pit
bull puppy with a rainbow
collar (if it hadnt slipped off
its neck).
You may think that an
extreme amount of organiza-
tion, but a year ago the lost
and found had nine wheel-
chairs go missing, 33 wallets
or credit cards, 39 cellphones,
seven dogs, six kids, a goat, 12
whips, nine reports of cash, 31
pairs of sunglasses or glasses,
29 shirts and jackets, Kintz
said.
Also, there were 20 pieces of
jewelry, 14 shopping bags, 10
hats, five pocket knives and 20
Cowboy Shop
was lost and found last year,
she said.
Wyoming governor
set to visit NHSFR
Wyoming Gov. Matt
Mead will be in Gillette on
Home of the B/B Custom Saddles,
Wednesday evening to take
in the National High School
Sterling Silver Bits & Spurs
Finals Rodeo.
Mead also attended a year Stop in and see our fantastic selection of the
ago when Wyoming hosted
the 68th annual edition of the
highest quality gear for you and your horse!
rodeo.
Hell attend the NHSFR
governors reception from
Upper Level Wyoming Center
6-7p.m. Wednesday at Cam-
plex Morningside Park and
then attend the seventh rodeo
performance the first of

into an M (for money) note-
book with wallets, credit cards
and cash; T for tack, saddles
and ropes; J for jewelry and
sunglasses; D for phones
iPads and digital items; C
for clothing/hats; and miscel-
laneous for any other items,
including shopping bags in the
Trade Show.
sets of keys also reported miss-
ing, along with eight golf carts,
six cars and a prize saddle.
You cant forget the yel-
low surfboard that was part
of Californias silent auction
offering. It was never found,
although there was one report-
ed sighting in Gillette.
Kintz said it adds up.
UCKAROO
the second go-rounds from
7-7:45, according to his public
schedule.
By the next morning he will
be back in Cheyenne, welcom- USSINESSES
ing the queens at the Cheyenne
Frontier Days queens luncheon
Keeping the Traditions
with the first lady of the state.
1-888-955-ROPE www.buckaroobusinesses.com
NEWS RECORD STAFF

Good Luck at the

2017 National High School
Finals Rodeo
Its you and together.

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