Pahrump teens to compete at National High School Rodeo

When it comes to rodeo, Pahrump teens Jace and Garrett Jepson are two of the valley’s shining stars and for yet another year, they have qualified to compete in the National High School Rodeo Association’s national finals.

“I think they were born with ropes in their hands!” the boys’ mother, Beth, enthused, remarking that they have both been in rodeo since they were just three years of age.

She is made continually proud by the success the two have experienced and they now have another opportunity to earn themselves more acclaim. Beth said she is looking forward to escorting Jace and Garrett to Gillette, Wyoming this July but with seven days of competition plus travel time and expenses, such a trip does not come cheap.

That’s why the Pahrump Valley High School Junior High and High School Rodeo Club is pulling together to put on a fundraiser that could go a long way toward defraying the cost.

“Jace and Garrett will be representing the Pahrump Rodeo Club in Wyoming and the club will be hosting a Spaghetti Dinner event to help raise funds for these boys,” rodeo club director Buddy Krebs detailed. “The dinner will be donation based and we will have a wingspan raffle, which is where you spread your arms out as wide as you can, and that’s the number of raffle tickets you get for $20. We’ll also have auctioneer Ski Censke there for our live auction. We’d welcome any donations of additional raffle prizes or auction items and we’re hoping the community really turns out to show support for these kids.”

To qualify for the National High School Rodeo Finals, Jace and Garret were required to compete in at least 10 rodeos in Nevada, with their top seven performances used to determine their eligibility for state finals. Finishing in the top four at state then qualified them for nationals in the team roping and calf roping categories.

It may not be the first time these two have qualified for nationals but, with three years separating their ages, it is the first time they get to compete together in the same division, that for high schoolers. It is also the first time they get to compete as a team in a specific nationals event. Jace and Garrett will be taking on the team roping event, for which they won the state title, as a duo, something Beth said was quite special for the family.

“Garrett is a senior in high school and Jace is a freshman, so this is the only year that they will be roping together. So we are very glad that we made that choice,” Beth said.

Beth took a moment to touch on the life lessons that her sons have developed through their experience with rodeo, stating that it takes a lot of dedication, responsibility and hard work.

“The animals are not like a soccer ball, where they can just put it in the closet. You have to feed and water them, clean their pens, and that’s every day. And they also have to maintain a good grade-point average, above a 2.0, in order to be eligible for the rodeos. So they have to balance a lot, practicing every day, caring for another living being and keeping their grades up, all at the same time,” Beth said. “And they have been very successful. They are amazing kids, very respectful, just morally sound. Of course I am very proud.”

Krebs expressed his heartfelt gratitude for all those who have supported the rodeo club over the years, especially the volunteers, and said he is looking forward to an evening of camaraderie with the entire community this Saturday.

The Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser is set for Saturday, July 1 at VFW Post #10054, 4651 Homestead Road. The event kicks off at 4 p.m. and runs until 8 p.m.

For more information contact Krebs at 775-277-0064.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com