The Ute Mountain youth rodeo teams began their spring season last weekend in Cortez.
Bob Banks Memorial Arena hosted the Colorado Junior High and High School Rodeo Association season opener at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.
There were a total of 91 entries for the junior high division and the high school division entries totaled 177.
Ute Mountain team members brought home five first-place wins with Cade Van Soelen, Riley Van Soelen, Kacey Schurr, Tanner Lockhart and Wyatt Mattausch.
Junior high results on the first day were strong. Cade Van Soelen/Cheylin Corman, team roping, first-place; 14.38 seconds. Jace Norell/Cayce Lockhart, ribbon roping, eighth; 37.97. Cayce Lockhart, barrel racing, sixth; 16.666. Cassie Finley, goat tying, fourth; 11.72.
On the second day, Cayce Lockhart, barrel racing, fifth; 16.722. Finley, goat tying, fifth; 13.83.
For high school on day one, Emma Reim, barrel racing, 18th, 18.428; and, pole bending, 19th; 28.461. Schurr, barrel racing, fifth, 15.725; and, goat tying, sixth; 9.40.
The team of Jake Cruzan/Harlie Williams, dally team roping, eighth; 19.480. Riley Van Solen/Jordan Williams, dally team roping, first; 10.57. Tanner Lockhart, saddle bronc, third; score 64.
High school scores on day two were even better for Ute Mountain rodeo. Tanner Lockhart, saddle bronc, first; score 71. Schurr, barrel racing, first, 15.363; and, goat tying, second; 8.44.
Cruzan/Harlie Williams, dally team roping, fourth; 32.82. Mattausch, bull riding, first; 65. Whitney Finley, girls breakaway roping, eighth; 14.510. Reim, barrel racing, 19th, 17.652; and, pole bending, 15th, 24.767.
Other Ute Mountain rodeo team members that competed in the two-day event were, Kyle Likes and Justin White, bareback riding. Keenan Elliott and Dennison Yazzie, saddle broncs. Wiley Kirks, Trevor Holaday and Dax Kosie competed in bull riding.
April will find the Ute Mountain rodeo team riding around the Centennial State in Golden, Pueblo and Henderson.
