The Pahrump Valley High School rodeo club’s successful revival this season will be capped by junior Tye Hardy’s trip to the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and senior Raelean Sutton’s participation in the Silver State International Rodeo in Winnemucca.
The rodeo club has depended on sponsors and fundraising to help pay for trips to rodeos throughout the year, as the Nevada State High School Rodeo Association held events in Battle Mountain, Ely, Elko, Spanish Springs, Alamo, Las Vegas, Boulder City, Fernley, Moapa, Fallon, Reno, Carson City, Lincoln, Panaca and Wells in addition to Pahrump and the state finals in Winnemucca.
The fundraising will continue Sunday, June 17, with a car wash in the parking lot of the Pour House at 1101 S. Nevada Highway 160 in Pahrump.
“This fundraiser is for Tye and Raelean, and anything will help,” rodeo club director Buddy Krebs said. “I just know it’s going to be expensive. Tye is going to be in Wyoming for 10 days plus two travel days, so it’s going to be expensive.
“The club’s giving them some money, but it’s not enough.”
Hardy qualified for the nationals in bull riding and saddle bronc riding. Hardy finished the season in second place in bull riding, compiling 88 points, behind only Cody Alexander of Fernley. The top two easily outdistanced the rest of the field, as reflected in the third-place score of 40 for Alamo’s T.J. Griener. Hardy qualified for nationals in saddle bronc riding by finishing fourth in the state.
The National High School Rodeo Association has a membership of approximately 12,500 students from 41 states, five Canadian provinces and Australia. The 70th annual National High School Finals Rodeo, billed as the “World’s Largest Rodeo,” will take place July 15-21 at the Sweetwater Event Center in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
In addition to competing for more than $200,000 in prizes, contestants at the national finals will be competing for more than $350,000 in college scholarships. The top 20 contestants will advance to the final round, which will determine the NHSFR world champions.
“Our goal is to at least take $2,500 with us,” said Krebs, who said they will be leaving for Wyoming on July 13.
The final round of the rodeo will be broadcast on RFD-TV as part of the “Cinch High School Rodeo Tour” and will be available online at www.RidePass.com
By then, Sutton already will have competed in the Silver State International Rodeo, scheduled for July 2-7 in Winnemucca. The location gives Krebs an idea of the cost, as the state finals were held there.
“When we went to state, and it was only three or four days, we spent about $1,100 in Winnemucca,” Krebs explained. “So it’s going to cost at least that for the Suttons.
“The club’s giving them some money, but it’s not enough.”
The car wash will begin at 8 a.m. and run until 2 p.m. Sunday.
Contact Sports Editor Tom Rysinski at trysinski@pvtimes.com On Twitter:@pvtimes