Saturday, July 17, 2004

Teens head to National High School Rodeo Finals

Powell, Blanchard have years of rodeo experience

Megan Weadock News-Bulletin Intern; mweadock@news-bulletin.com

Two cowgirls from the Young Guns Rodeo Team who qualified for this year's National High School Rodeo Finals have almost 30 years of rodeo experience between them.

Leanna Powell has been goat tying since she was about 5 years old, and Sydni Blanchard has been barrel racing for 12 years. Both cowgirls will compete at the national contest in Gillete, Wyo., July 18 to 25 after having placed within the top four spots in New Mexico rodeo events throughout the 2003-04 season.

With 28 years of experience between them, they seem ready for just about anything.

This is Powell's second trip to the national finals. Last year, she placed 10th in the first round of competitions. She said that, by going to nationals in 2003, she is more prepared for this year's finals.

"I'm ready. I'm more excited this year," Powell, a 2004 home school graduate, said. "I've practiced a bunch, and I'm ready to go."

Powell said that, in addition to goat tying, she also does barrel racing, a sport that runs in her family. Her mom, Debbie, went to nationals for barrel racing when she was in high school.

Blanchard, a junior from Albuquerque, will be going to nationals for the first time this year, and will compete in the barrel racing contest.

Blanchard also got her start in rodeos thanks to her mom, Kandace, who does barrel racing and breakaway roping.

There will be thousands of people watching from the stands at nationals, a fact that Blanchard said just makes her look forward to her event even more.

"I'm not nervous," she said. "I think it's fun when people watch."

Sydni Blanchard is the daughter of Kandace and Paul Blanchard of Albuquerque.

BHS senior does steer wrestling

Only two weeks before he was planning to leave for the National High School Rodeo Finals, J.W. Nicholsen realized his horse was injured.

Now the steer wrestler must take a back-up horse to nationals, a change that would throw most cowboys off.

However, Nicholsen, a Belen High School senior, is unfazed.

"It'll be a little tougher than it should have to be, but that's OK," he said. "I've just got to cowboy up."

Nicholsen has been involved in rodeos since he was 15 years old. He said he started bull riding because he thought it looked like fun, then he eventually got into steer wrestling.

To qualify for nationals, a cowboy or cowgirl had to have placed within the top four spots in rodeos throughout the 2003-04 season.

Nicholsen placed third at this year's New Mexico Rodeo Association State Finals. He said the large crowds at the state finals have helped him prepare for the thousands of fans that will be at nationals.

"I handled the pressure at state pretty well. I think it's fun going to compete in the largest rodeo in the world," he said. "I'm excited. I've been waiting a good year for this."

Nicholsen is the son of Kim and Steve Nicholsen of Belen.

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