Wyoming Contingent Turns in Solid Effort in Junior World Rodeo

If there wasn't enough rodeo in Las Vegas this week with the National Finals, the Vegas Tuffest World Junior Championships also were held over the past few days. Over 800 contestants from around the country, 19 years of age and under competed in the event and the Wyoming contingent did quite well.

Haiden Thompson of Yoder won the 19U goat tying with a time of 6.34 winning $10,000 which isn't too shabby for a high school kid. Plus another $3700 for winning the day 5 average and $1200 for winning the short-go. Thompson is the reigning national high school champion in the goat tying and leads the Wyoming fall standings in that event. She is also the leader in the state in the breakaway roping and is 4th in barrel racing. In addition to competing in the goat tying in Vegas, Thompson also finished 8th in the breakaway roping and picked up $2000.00 for that.

Hadley Furnival who attends Natrona County High School in Casper took 2nd in the 19U breakaway roping with a clocking of 3.08 and that earned her a cool $13,000. She took 3rd in the day 5 average and picked up $1300. Furnival is the defending state champion in that event and earned a trip to the National High School Finals over the summer. After the fall season, Furnival is 7th in the state in the breakaway and 9th in the barrel racing.

Tavy Leno of Sheridan was also in Las Vegas for the Tuffest Rodeo and she took 9th in the short round of the breakaway roping and won $1050. She is a 3-time qualifier for the National High School Finals. Leno also picked up $5000 by winning the average in Las Vegas in the goat tying.

Hadley Thompson of Yoder placed 8th in the 15U goat tying event and won $1200 plus an extra $4000 for finishing 2nd in the day 5 average and $300 for 3rd in the day 5 short go.