Story by Simone Del Rosario

The New Mexico State University Rodeo Team is hosting the final regional college rodeo of the season Friday and Saturday at the Southern New Mexico Fairgrounds in Las Cruces.

The results from this rodeo determine which athletes will win regional championships and who will go on to the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., in June. NMSU is currently winning the men’s and women’s team standings in the region, and are on pace to send at least 11 athletes to the CNFR.

“Because there is so much more at stake at this rodeo, with regional champion titles and qualifications to the CNFR on the line, it makes it the best rodeo of the year,” said Staci Stanbrough, Grand Canyon region’s student director.

Award-winning rodeo

This rodeo has been voted the Grand Canyon Region Rodeo of the Year every year since the award was started in 2006.

NMSU hired 11-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Stock Contractor of the Year Harry Vold, of the Harry Vold Rodeo Co., as the stock contractor for this rodeo. The team also hired “Radical Ryan Rodriguez” as the clown act.

“The stock is always good at this rodeo,” Stanbrough said. “Jim, our coach, works really hard and puts so much time and money to make it a great rodeo.”

 

Jim Dewey Brown, NMSU rodeo head coach, was voted the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association National Coach of the Year in 2007. Brown has coached multiple national champion college rodeo athletes, including 2008 CNFR champion tie down roper Johnny Salvo, who currently sits second in the region in tie down roping and sixth in the men’s all-around.

Alongside Brown is Megan Corey Albrecht, the assistant rodeo coach, who was the 2008 CNFR champion in goat tying while rodeoing for NMSU and serving as the region’s student director.

“This rodeo is a do or die for me in order to be a regional champion,” Jordan Bassett said. “There’s a lot more pressure, but that also makes it a better rodeo.”

Bassett, who competed at the CNFR last year in barrel racing and goat tying, is currently sitting second in the region in the women’s all-around. Last year, she finished sixth in barrel racing at the national finals rodeo and 13^th in goat tying.

“The success of this rodeo and the NMSU college rodeo team as a whole is due to the support from the school and the community through sponsors,” Stanbrough said.

The NMSU college rodeo starts at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night and is open to the public. Admission is free with an NMSU student ID or military ID, or $5 for adults and $3 for children.