The National High School Finals Rodeo finds its way back to Nebraska this year. After hosting the finals in Lincoln in 2021, the event has found its way back to Nebraska’s capital city five years later and will take place at the Sandhills Global Event Center.
The top young cowboys and cowgirls from around the country and beyond will compete to see who is the best of the best. The very first national finals was organized and held in Hallettsville, Texas in August of 1949. A national finals that featured 121 entries has now grown into a National High School Finals Rodeo that features over 1,500 students on a regular basis and has become known as the “World’s Largest Rodeo.”
The opening rodeo performance is scheduled for Sunday evening with two performances each day following through Saturday (7/25) culminating with the rodeo short go performance that evening.
Team Nebraska will include some high school cowboys and cowgirls from the KCNI/KBBN coverage area. Broken Bow’s Kelstyn Lindner and Mullen’s Cooper Walker will be among the competitors in the bareback competition. Walker is scheduled to make his first appearance at the finals in the opening performance on Sunday night, and Lindner is scheduled to compete in the Monday morning performance. Lindner also qualified for nationals in bull riding and will have his opening ride in that event Sunday night when the finals begin.
Kallan Cox of Purdum will compete at nationals in the barrels and Brynne McCully will be in the breakaway roping field. Both are scheduled to be a part of the Monday morning performance in the first go round.
Tate Johnston of Thedford and Cody Marshall of Burwell will both be among the group competing in the tie down roping event. Marshall is scheduled to make his first run during the Tuesday morning performance and Johnston is scheduled to make his first appearance in the event on Tuesday evening.
Cotter Johnston of Stapleton finished the season as the Nebraska state champion in steer wrestling. Johnston is scheduled to make his first run during the second performance of the first go round on Monday morning.
Central Nebraska’s Sports Source will be updating results through the week with reports during the Noon and 5 pm sports on KCNI 1280 AM / 96.3 FM.
