Special to The Leader

Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School will have more than football and volleyball athletes competing this week. The Region 5 division of the Texas High School Rodeo Association (THSRA) will hold its first competition in Orange County in many years at Tin Top Arena 2, 4110 Old Peveto Road, on Saturday, August 27, beginning at 10 a.m. The junior high division will have their competition on Sunday, beginning at the same time, although no LCM CISD students that we are aware of will be competing in that division.

Kelsey Jordan will compete in cutting, Sydney Savoie in pole bending, Callie Sattler and Jourdyne Jaume in barrel racing and Cade Cogbill in tie down calf roping. Contestants pay a yearly membership fee to join THSRA and then each event (for high school) is $30, plus a stock fee for those that involve stock.

Saturday’s event schedule includes Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Goat Tying, Steer Wrestling, Barrel Racing, Calf Roping, Girls Breakaway Roping, Team Roping, and Pole Bending.

Junior Callie Sattler was five years old when she started riding. She competed one year in junior high rodeo and this is her third year competing in high school. According to Callie, “I enjoy seeing my friends that don’t live around me and getting the opportunity to compete with them. I spend two to three hours practicing every day that I can and this weekend will be competing on my barrel horse Smarty and my pole horse Chance.” Callie says the competition gets tougher each year. She has placed in the top ten several times during her rodeo career.

Jourdyn Jaume is a freshman who started riding at 4, but this is her first year to do THRSA. She says she is a big animal person, who loves pretty much everything about it. Jourdyn spends several hours practicing every other day or so, but over the summer, rode almost every day for a week and then gave the horses a one or two day break. Her horses for barrels and poles are Bonita and Stormy.

She says the hardest thing about riding horses is getting them to cooperate sometimes. “They have a mind of their own and can be very stubborn.”

Cade Cogbill, started riding at 2 and competing at about age 4. He competed all three years of junior high and is looking forward to his first high school competition. “I try to practice every day, if it isn’t too wet, and sometimes have to travel to practice if the weather isn’t right.”  The freshman says he will compete on Sniper in calf-roping, Grey in team roping, and his steer wrestling team includes Yella and Batman. According to Cogbill, “I love the thrill of competing and the feeling I have. I’ve made friends from all over Texas, the USA, and even some Australians at Nationals this summer.” Cogbill’s junior high wins include a long list from several events, placing at State competitions and representing Team Texas as a National chute dogging qualifier.

Another freshman, Sydney Savoie, began riding at age 3. She competed all three years in junior high and practices two to three hours a day. Sydney will compete in barrels and poles on her horse, Bella on Saturday. Her accomplishments include going to State in the seventh grade as a champion reserve calf roper and breakaway roper. Sydney is enjoying getting ready for competition this year since an arm injury that slowed her down last year has healed, so it’s more fun.

Freshman Kelsey Jordan, who started riding at age 4, will be competing in THSRA for the first time this year. “I love all of it.” Says Jordan. “I enjoy doing the work with the horses. I also enjoy the exhilaration of competing.” She spends as much time riding as possible. “I ride every day during the summer and every weekend during school.” She will be competing on two horses on Saturday, Addie and Belle.

According to Jordan, “The hardest thing is getting connected to your horse and keeping the bond, even while you are showing.” Jordan competed with 4H State and won two championships in junior high in cutting and stock horsemanship.

 

Orange County has a long history with THSRA, with the Orange County group forming in 1946. State Champions from Orange County include:

1956 – Gladys Brown – girls cutting

1957 – Wayne Peveto – steer wrestling

1958 – Jiggy Adams – steer wrestling

1959 – Pete Dorman – steer wrestling

1959 – Billy John Carter – boys cutting

1959 – Molly Brown – girls cutting

1977 – Kirk Dillard – calf roping, also 1977 National Champion Calf Roper

1978 – Kirk Dillard – calf roping

1986 – Terri Hawthorn (Conner) – pole bending

1991 – Shae Lynn Hooks (Franklin) – state queen

1992 – Shae Lynn Hooks (Franklin) – barrel racing

2005 – Chelsea Beggs (Hagguest) – state queen