Mesalands Rodeo Team kicks off the spring semester in Arizona

March 9, 2015

The Mesalands Community College Rodeo Team competed at Cochise College last weekend in Ft. Huachuca, AZ. For their first rodeo of the spring semester, the Men’s Team finished second with 530 points and won the bull riding championship title.

“I was very pleased about our performance at the first rodeo of the semester, especially considering our practice conditions have not been ideal this winter. We have had a lot of moisture and we missed a lot of days to practice,” Tim Abbott, Interim Intercollegiate Rodeo Coach at Mesalands Community College. “Our Team started out really strong at the rodeo, but we didn’t close the door on some things in the short-go that definitely cost us some points.”

Freshman Kasy Baker of Cottonwood, CA brought home the bull riding championship title last weekend. Baker took first in the long round and in the average and earned 69 points. Sophomore Adriano Long of Dilkon, AZ took first in the short round in the bull riding event.

In bareback riding, sophomore Edmiles Harvey of Tsalini Springs, AZ took third in the long round and third in the average with a score of 63 points.

Freshman Chace Valdez of Estancia, NM was third in the long round in tie-down roping and took seventh in the average.

In steer wrestling, sophomore Jacob Rounds of Brooklyn, NY, was first in the long round and finished second in the average with a score of 14.4.

Team ropers freshmen Chance Hunter of Chinle, AZ (header) and Tyler Sam of Chinle, AZ (heeler) were second in the long round, second in the short round, and finished second in the average with a score of 15.5. Freshman Koly Ray Spears of Lovington, NM and Chace Valdez ended the long round in seventh place.

Representing the Women’s Team sophomore Skye Valdez from Estancia, NM, was third in the long round in breakaway roping and second in the average with a score of 5.1. Valdez was right behind the winner of the breakaway roping event, with a score of 5.0 in the average.

“I’m so encouraged by our Team’s ability to compete despite our youth. We have twice as many freshmen as any other college in our region and we compete right there with them, neck and neck,” Coach Abbott said. “That’s amazingly encouraging not only for this year, but for the future of our program. I’m really excited about where we are headed.”

Mesalands Rodeo Team will have two rodeo competitions next weekend at Central Arizona College in Florence, AZ.