Texas High School Finals are in the Books

Hello from Region VII! Our 2023 Texas Junior High Finals as well our Texas High School Finals are in the books, with that being said we have some victories, heartbreaks as well as some life lessons acquired throughout both finals. We ended up sending four contestants with five state titles to Perry, Georgia with two returning national contestants who have made it the past years to NJHRA Finals. Layden Wynn won the Chute Dogging and Ribbon Roping Champion Title, Maci Cook is the Champion Ribbon Runner, Gunner Rutherford is the Chute Dogging hampion, Presley Harkness is the Pole Bending Champion. We also have two high school contestants from Region VII that will be heading to Gillette, Wyoming to help Texas bring home the national title at NHSRA finals. Colin Fox is the Reserve Champion Steer Wrestler, and Jackson Poole is the Reserve Champion Reined Cow Horse.

Closing out the 2022-2023 High School Rodeo season, we welcome the new chapter of the 2023-2024 season with the newest officers of our season. Region VII Junior High Student President is Maci Cook, Vice President Gunner Hightower, and Secretary Carson Wensel. Our high school student officers conclude as President Hailey Harkness, Vice President Sammi Hubert, Secretary Chloe Schoenberg, Reporter Lia Eller, and Region VII Queen Lia Eller. We would like to congratulate Ryan Ehlinger for representing Region VII in the best way and earning the duty of TJHRA President.

Let’s get a rewind of the week in Gonzales, Texas where it is your true traditional Texas summer weather. We kicked off the week at the JB Wells Arena, where contestants start arriving to get checked in and prepared for the week they have ahead of them. We start the week off with a mandatory meeting then we roll through our first and second round of the finals, and head to short go Saturday where 20 members of Region VII had a chance to be crowned the newest champions of Texas. Can you believe every national qualifier of Region VII in junior high division ended up being crowned the event champion, “Region VII came ready to roll.” Then we all regrouped and headed to Abilene, Texas where we kick off our High School Finals. We started off the week with the Reining Cow Horse Event and had a great outcome as Jackson Poole ended up as the Reserve Champion Reined Cow Horse. Then we move to the mandatory meeting and coronation where Lia Eller won Runner Up in the Miss

THSRA Queens Contest along with the categories of appearance, modeling and photogenic. As we move through the first and second round the heat rises at the Texas High School Finals as we make our way to the short go with four Region VII members that qualified. Region VII sent two members to Nationals which conclude Colin Fox your Reserve Champion Steer Wrestler and Jackson Poole your Reserve Champion Reined Cow Horse.

That’s a wrap on the 2022-2023 season! Best of luck to the National Team and a very special thank you to everyone that volunteers and contributes to our Region.