CORTEZ – Barely a month after the Ute Mountain Rodeo sent a trio of their nine athletes to the National High School and Junior High Finals Rodeos, the team was back at it again to kick off another season – this time on their home dirt.
The Montezuma County Fairgrounds were abuzz with activity in the Bob Banks Memorial Arena, as well as in the indoor arena, to dole out early season points in the Colorado State High School Rodeo Association standings.
On Saturday afternoon of the three-day event, national high school qualifiers Brileigh Gordanier and Kodi Rima – both members of the Ute Mountain Rodeo team – claimed the top two spots in pole bending. Gordanier would follow the effort with a fourth place run in barrel racing, while younger sister and fellow national qualifier Jayleigh Gordanier took 11th and Rima finished 12th.
For an encore, the trio put on a masterclass Sunday, as Rima added two titles of her own, taking down the field in breakaway roping and pole bending, while Brileigh and Jayleigh Gordanier took second and third to complete the pole bending podium sweep.
For the Ute Mountain Rodeo team, the opportunity to host the event in their home venue came with a lot of pride, team coach Erin Gordanier said.
“It’s special for the kids to do well in their hometown,” Gordanier said. “And the horses really performed well – they know this dirt better than anyone.”
Montezuma-Cortez High School senior Tanna Young took 10th in Saturday’s pole bending and 8th in Sunday’s breakaway to highlight a busy weekend, while Ute Mountain Rodeo’s Makena Cressler and Haygen Carlson from Blanding, Utah, finished 35th Saturdayand 21st Sunday , respectively, in the cloverleaf.
“It’s an every day commitment,” Gordanier said of the athletes. “Riding every day, plus all of the travel, it’s a lot.”
Many of the team members will make the trip to the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs in less than a week to get ready for another competition.
Cortez’ Kelby Oliver from the Basin Rodeo team threw down a strong time with his nationals qualifying partner in team roping, taking runner-up Saturday, before following up the effort individually by finishing just outside the top 10 in tie down roping.
Durango’s Shylene Drumm followed up her national championship in breakaway roping by claiming the breakaway title Saturday. Drumm then showcased her range, taking third in goat tying and fifth in pole bending – finishing third in Saturday’s all-around standings and runner-up Sunday.
In the junior high rodeo, Cortez’ Hadlee Rogers took sixth in Sunday’s pole bending, and Benny Gordanier took sixth in rifle shoot to stand out among the Four Corners competitors.
It’s a full-time job to get the Fairgrounds in prime condition for the hundreds of competitors, and Gordanier credits Fairgrounds Manager Justin McGuire for making it all happen.
“He keeps everything organized – and really takes care of the big picture of holding an event of this size,” she said.
In Saturday’s other high school events, Florence’s Trevor Wright captured the bull riding; Ghett Hughes of Olney Springs won steer wrestling; Hayden Chambers of Roggen won bareback; Burns, Wyoming, native Riggins Cathcart and Ordway’s Stockton Sharon matched scores in saddle bronc; Rivers Hill of Saguache won the reined cow horse event; and Avery and Chisum Draper of Wetmore won the girls and boys cutting events, respectively.
After the Eastern Plains rodeo over Labor Day weekend, the fall schedule wraps up with a rodeo at the Mesa County Fairgrounds in Grand Junction in mid-September, before action heats up again in April for the resumption of the high school and junior high rodeo seasons.
