NEWELL—Local athlete and recent Newell High School graduate Kimberly Johnson is off to the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Proud members of the community held a sendoff & potluck for Johnson at the Newell Park on July 9 to show their support and wish her luck at the Finals.
The biggest event of the year for high school rodeo competitors, the NHSFR will take place July 14-20 at the Sweetwater Events Complex. Johnson qualified in the Girls’ Cutting event, and will compete on Monday night, July 15, and Friday morning, July 19.
This is Johnson’s second year competing at Nationals in cutting. She made it to the finals in her freshman year, but unfortunately didn’t place. And last year, her horse got hurt at the State Finals rodeo, which “kind of knocked me out of any chance,” she explained. “It felt really good to be able to go all the way through and make Nationals,” she said. “Redemption is this year.”
The rodeo kicks off with the first performance on Sunday night, with morning and evening performances for the rest of the week and a Short-Go on Saturday. Johnson plans to do several activities throughout the week. She will be carrying flags with South Dakota High School Rodeo Queen Teva Sexton, who appoints someone to carry flags with her for two of the performances. Other plans include a volleyball tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday (“Very excited for that!” she said), dances every night, Cowboy Prom, Cinchtown, and vendor shows.
But Johnson said the thing she is looking forward to the most is competing. “There’s no other atmosphere like when you go to a big show and you’re competing for a world title,” she said.
“You have all this adrenaline, like, ‘I’m actually here, I worked hard and I made it.’ It’s a surreal feeling.”
