Kassidy Williamson, a Grade 12 student at Mankota School, has earned a position on the Saskatchewan National High School rodeo team and will be travelling with fellow teammates to Gillette, Wyoming on July 16-22. Williamson will be competing in the 69th annual National High School Finals Rodeo in five different events including barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping, goat tying and girl鈥檚 cutting.
Williamson graduated from the Mankota School in May. She is a familiar figure on the High School rodeo and other rodeo circuits in Saskatchewan and Canada. Williamson is the 2017 champion for the Saskatchewan Rodeo Association in the breakaway roping, goat tying and pole bending. She placed second in Girl鈥檚 Cutting and third in barrel racing in the Girl鈥檚 All-Around Championship. Other local rodeo athletes who placed in the Saskatchewan High School Rodeo Association rankings are Karli Cowie of Mankota who is fourth in barrel racing, and Chance Switzer of Hazenmore who is ranked second in bull riding and fifth in team roping.
NHSFR is a huge event and the world鈥檚 largest rodeo that features over 1,750 contestants from 43 states, five Canadian provinces, including Saskatchewan, and Australia. Entrants are competing for more than $200,000 in prizes as well as more than $350,000 in college scholarships. To be named an NHSFR World Champion in their event, competitors have to finish in the top 20, based on their combined times and scores in the first two rounds to advance to the final round. World champions are then determined based on the three-round combined times and scores.
Along with having a chance to participate in world class rodeo competition, Williamson will be able to meet other contestants from around the world and join in the other activities connected to the event. These include sports, contestant dances, family-oriented activities, church services sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys and shopping at the trade show.
