BELLE FOURCHE—The team of Rance Bowden and Sern Weishaar of Belle Fourche, SD made an impressive showing in the team roping at the 2024 National High School Finals Rodeo, held in Rock Springs, WY, July 14 through July 20. They ended up 5th in the nation with 25 total seconds over three rounds of roping. Bowden and Weishaar ended the 1st go around in 14th place, with a 7.4 second catch. They were 22nd in the 2nd go around with a 9.82 run, and turned in a 7.78 second run in the short go to end up 6th place in the round.
The two have been rodeoing together since they were just kids around ages 5 and 7. “We did junior rodeo together,” said Bowden. They know each other pretty well, and in preparing for the national finals rodeo, “We didn’t have to rope together leading up to the finals,” said Bowden. “We both rope at home everyday, so we didn’t have to change much,” added Weishaar.
A lot of activities are held durning the National Finals Rodeo week, but the duo didn’t spend much time partaking in them. They travelled the area and competed in jackpot ropings. “We went to Cheyenne, WY one day,” said Bowden. Weishaar added, “We came to rodeo.” So that is what they did, every chance they could. All the traveling and roping together paid off as they won $2,634.67 by earning 5th place in the NHSFR jackpot in addition to the 5th place overall win in team roping.
High School aged cowboys and cowgirls came from all over the world to compete at the National High School Finals Rodeo, but that didn’t intimidate this pair of ropers. This was Rance Bowden’s fourth time qualifying for Nationals and Sern Weishaar’s second, so they both are accustomed to tough competition. “It’s fun to rope, and you know that everyone has worked hard to get there,” said Weishaar. “Everyone comes to win,” said Bowden. “It’s tough competition, but it just makes us strive to get better,” he added.
This is their last year competing together in high school rodeo, Bowden graduated from high school and is on his way to Ranger Community College in Ranger, TX. He will continue to compete in calf roping and team roping. Weishaar will be a junior in high school, so he has a few years left to compete in high school rodeo. Next year he will partner up with his brother Sloan Weishaar, a sophomore, to compete in team roping.
Bowden ended up tenth in the nation in the All Around Cowboy race. He competed in both the tie down calf roping and team roping at the NHSFR.
Representing Belle Fourche High School, Toarin Humble earned 14th place in the second go around with a 70 point saddle bronc ride.
South Dakota boys team ended up 6th and the girls team ended the year in 13th place.