In the Arena

IN THE ARENA

by Sage Faulkner

Not One, But Three World Champions Hail From New Mexico!

New Mexico sent its best Junior High School Rodeo contestants to Perry, Georgia in June. The top four contestants from state finals qualify to compete at the national gathering along with contestants from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia.

Reno Scribner, World Champion Tie-Down Roper

Reno has lived in Edgewood, NM his entire life, with his parents Bob and Lisa, and an older sister, LeighAnn. Reno has been competing at rodeos for about five years. He competed in Tie-Down Calf Roping, Ribbon Roping, Team Roping, Goat Tying, and Chute Dogging last year. “This year I was fortunate to be the NM State Champion Tie-down Roper, Ribbon Roper (with partner Wacey Trujillo who ran the ribbon), Chute Dogger, Reserve Champion in Goat Tying, and Boys All Around Champion.”

Reno says the trip to Perry, Georgia, was a long twenty-four hour drive from home. He had plans to go to a baseball tournament the week after Junior High finals, so another family who was going to the finals also, the Nunns, helped by hauling his horse, Dillon.

Reno says that during the first round at national finals in his favorite event, TieDown, he wasn’t happy because his time was longer than he was hoping it would be. He had a 14 second run and says, “I was pretty sure I had messed up my chance to win that event. I had roped it fast, but the calf fell at the end of the rope and I had trouble getting it stood back up to daylight it. On my second round run, I knew this would maybe be my last chance to get a go-round buckle in the TieDown so I decided to try to make a fast run. I had an 11.04 and won 3rd and a belt buckle.”

Reno says that was main goal for the finals, to win a Calf Roping buckle. After the first two rounds, the top twenty ropers come back to go to the short go. Reno managed to make it fifth callback. His plan going into the short go was to try to make the fastest run he possibly could. “I knew I had to have the best run of my life! It worked out and we won the short go with my personal best time ever of 9.1 so Dillon and I ended up winning it!”

Reno says he had the best rodeo of his life that week. He made the short go in all four of his events, won the Tie-Down Average, and also won the Reserve All Around Champion Cowboy.

Hardy Fibbs Osborn, World Champion Steer Saddle Bronc

Hardy is the fifteen year old son of Brian and Sunni Osborn, and brother to older

Hardy Osborn with 2022 World Champion saddle and buckles

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sister Sammi. Hardy attends New Mexico Connection Academy home school, and is a freshmen.

His event during his junior high school years has been Steer Saddle Bronc Riding. The 2021 and 2022 New Mexico High School Champion, Hardy placed seventeenth during the 2021 national finals and with this being his last year in steers before the age break shifts him to horses, he says he was ready for finals.

Hardy was raised on a working cattle ranch with his parents and sister. They currently live in Fort Sumner, NM and have worked for the 4 MC Cattle Company. Hardy helps his dad with the cow/ calf operation. When he is not working cattle, he checks waters and builds plenty of fence. “When I am not working I enjoy working with my colts, roping and working in the leather shop.”

In the first round of competition, Hardy says he really didn’t draw a tough bucking steer. He went out there got his mark out, covered the steer with a 63 point ride. That score placed him in seventh place going in to the second round.

Hardy says, “In the second round, I drew the winning steer. When I saw the draw, I knew this was my ticket to win. He came out with a big buck out of the shoot. I got my mark out, he kept bucking good for me to keep spurring. I scored a 75 which shot me to the top with the highest leading score for round two.”

Hardy was in the number one seat going in to the short go, and says, “Going into the short go in the number one spot out of sixty-eight contestants was unbelievable. I knew I had a job to do.” His steer came out good, giving Hardy a couple of good jumps, but slowed some towards the end of the ride. Hardy said he wasn’t sure if the ride would give him enough points to win. “Then the judge announced that I received a 71 and said I just won the world it was the most incredible thing ever. I ended up winning a world title and 4th in the short go.”

Hardy says his goals going forward will be to cover all his saddle bronc horses. This will be his first year riding horses as he moves from junior high school events to high school events.

Fourteen year old Wacey lives in Abiquiu, NM and attends Los Alamos Topper Virtual Academy. Her parents are Tanner and Lenni Trujillo and she has a little sister, Teagan. Wacey has been competing in rodeo since she was four and currently competes in Goat Tying, Breakaway, Ribbon Roping and Team Roping.

A state champion in goat tying the last two years, along with a state championship in breakaway this year, and reserve last year, Wacey has also been the reserve all-around state girls champion and was the Vegas Tuffest 2021 Twelve and under goat tying champion.

Going in to the first round, Wacey said she knew she had to set herself up good for the rest of the week by making a good solid run. More importantly, she says, she knew she had to keep her goat down. “So, I concentrated on reading my goat and tying tight. It all worked out with a round win.”

Not much changed for the cowgirl going into the second round. She says she followed the same game plan, focusing on making a smooth run that would set her up for a good position in the short round. “Luckily, I had a great goat that set me up to make a fast run. I was fortunate enough to make another solid run, which put me in a good position going into the short round.”

Going into the short round, she says she just told herself to not change anything. She says she knew she had to be smooth and not miss a step. She explained that she did get a little nervous about an hour before, and then as she started getting closer to the performance, and fell into the normal routine of getting ready, her nerves went away. I asked Wacey her favorite memory from finals, and she told me “The moment I got off my goat in the short round and saw the clock. When I saw that, it was a moment that I cannot explain,

Wacey Trujillo and world champion saddle and prizes because I knew I had won all three rounds and the average, which was one of my stretch goals.” Wacey is quick to thank her family for their support, saying that getting her and her sister to rodeos is a team effort. “I am so lucky to have a great support system, as everyone in my family supports what me and my sister do. My mom and dad are with us every step of the way, from practicing, driving us to rodeos, and taking care of all of the things that it takes to get there. “Every person in my family, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, support us each in their own way. Everyone one has helped me so much, and I want them to know that I truly appreciate it.” Wacey and Reno also finished eighth in the world standings in Ribbon Roping. The three world champion titles certainly helped to lead the New Mexico team to a second place finish in total points. Congratulations to our World Champions, we are proud of you! ▫