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NHSRA 2022 Champion

TOP OF HER GAME

Canadian cow horse competitor Ryley Rae Wilson topped the 117-horse field to earn the 2022 National High School Finals Rodeo World Champion title.

By Jennifer Bishop and Kate Bradley Byars Photography by Accentric Rodeo

When the Cinch National High School Finals Rodeo moves into town, it is more like an invasion. High school rodeo athletes from across the United States and Canada bring their families, multiple horses, friends and anything they could need for the multi-day event, and plunk down at their soon-to-be home away from home, adding more than 1,500 people to a town’s population. That is how it went in Gillette, Wyoming, July 17-23 for the 2022 Finals. In addition to the rodeo competitors, there were 117 entries in the cow horse competition— the largest field to ever be drawn for the NHSFR event.

After more than a dozen performances where competitors were drawn into groups of approximately 20 to 25 to compete, the short-go wrapped up with Canadian Ryley Rae Wilson, of Chilliwack, British Columbia, as the 2022 NHSRA World Champion. The daughter of National Reined Cow Horse Association Board of Directors member and professional Cayley Wilson, Ryley rode LHR Rey C Time (One Time Pepto x Rey Jay Play x Dual Rey), owned by Fred Wien, to the title.

“This week has been so much fun! The high school rodeo atmosphere is the most fun part about it,” said the

Ryley Wilson piloted to the NHSRA Reined Cow Horse World Champion win after qualifying for the short round after two successful go-rounds.

18-year-old champion. “There is a lot of pressure, and pressure to do good, but it kind of lifts because everyone else is there having fun and trying hard, too. That’s the best part about it. But I was focused on getting my horse shown.”

For cow horse competitors, the Finals kicked off with a free clinic from NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Kelby Phillips and DT Horses Open Derby Champion Brendon Clark. The clinic, presented by CINCH and the National Reined Cow Horse Youth Association, gave one-on-one coaching Saturday, July 16. Then, the first cow horse performance kicked off on Sunday, July 17, with a question-and-answer session with the reined cow horse judges before the first performance was held that evening.

With two horses to show in two events—she also competed on SQH Hot Rod Lincoln(Spots Hot X No Time For You x A Chic In Time) in the girls cutting—Wilson had her work cut out for her. She placed third in the first

Aboard CallMe Mister Mister, Emily Kent took the Reserve World Champion title.

Building Youth Ranks

In 2014, the National Reined Cow Horse Association and the National High School Rodeo Association partnered to bring reined cow horse as an optional event at NHSRA rodeos. The fast pace of cow horse fit right in with rodeo competitors that sought speed but also wanted to utilize their horsemanship skills and cow savvy.

The NHSRA draws approximately 12,500 students from the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia to compete. In addition, the National Junior High School Finals Rodeo—open to students in sixth through eighth grades—includes reined cow horse, setting cow horse up to reach more youth than ever. For more information on how NRCHA helps high school rodeo produce reined cow horse events, visit nrcha.com/ nhsra-reined-cow-horse/.

go of the cow horse, earning $513.41, then tied for fourth in the second go to earn $310.74, before topping the shortgo and winning the title and $783.62. In the girls cutting, Wilson rode to second in the first go aboard SQH Hot Rod Lincoln to earn $954.76 and in the second go, she tied for fifth and earned $126.10. With the points earned in both events, Wilson earned the Reserve AllAround Cowgirl title.

But for Wilson, the memory she’ll carry with her is the cow horse short-go fence work.

“I’ve had other reining runs that were good in his and my career, but this is the best fence work I’ve ever done. It was really great; I was really happy,” she said. “Rayce’ is not easy to get along with, and if he decides he doesn’t like you, you’ll know. He is funny like that. The people that he likes, he will try his heart out. He likes me and we get along really well; we have an understanding. I don’t nitpick at him because he gets worried if you push too much, but if you ride like it’s all fine and nothing is wrong, then he knows it. Riding him is a lot like warming up a cutting horse rather than a reining horse. He knows his job.”

Wilson first rode a cow horse at 10 years old, but the draw for her to compete in the event at high school rodeo lies in the all-around component.

“High school rodeo has a great atmosphere about it,” explained Wilson. “It also lets me do the other rodeo events, too, where you can’t do all that at other cow horse shows. I do cutting, team roping, breakaway, barrels, poles, but I do not tie goats.”

Wilson said that throughout the year, her Nana and Papa never missed a high school rodeo. She had a “whack load” of people to thank, including her mom and dad, stepparents and the Wiens, who own Rayce.

With a strong support system and two good horses under her, the recently graduated, newly crowned champion advises any rodeo competitor interested in cow horse to find a trained horse to take a spin down the fence.

“Try the cow horse first on a good horse. If you can get on a good horse, feel what it is supposed to feel like, then you’ll be set up to know what it should feel like when you’re on any horse.”

Finishing second in the average was the NRCHA World’s Greatest Youth Horseman Champion Emily Kent riding CallMe Mister Mister (Mister Dual Pep x Travelin With Sass x Travalena).

In third was Will Jones aboard Chex Out Tuff (Woody Be Tuff x Chex Out My Hiney x High Brow Cat), the horse that also finished reserve in the American Quarter Horse Association Horse of the Year standings.

For complete results and information on the NHSFR, visit nhsra.com.

Western The Evening Session for Qualification for the Evening Session (Yearlings, Broodmares & Breeding Stallions) Qualified Yearlings, Broodmares & Breeding Stallions Yearling Requirements  Must be out of a mare with one of the following: • Won $100,000 • Open/Non-Pro World Champion • Won a Triple Crown Event Open/Non-Pro • Producer of -

- $200,000 in offspring earnings - Triple Crown Open / Non-Pro Event Champion - Open / Non-Pro World Champion

 HERDA test results required Breeding Stallion  Must be nominated to the NCHA Super Stakes Requirements Stallion Foal Program  Contact Jeremy Barwick

for breeding stallion qualification

 Radiographs required 254-485-2542 (cell)

(all yearlings / all sessions)

Limited to the First 60 Qualified Completed Entry Contracts Broodmare Requirements

 Must be 15 years of age or younger  Must be in foal or selling with an embryo  If oldest foal crop is less than 4 years old

must have won $100,000

 If oldest foal crop is at least 4 years old

must have produced earners of $100,000

 5 Panel Test Results required

(all broodmares / all sessions) Contact for breeding stallion qualification

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