WC rodeo in good position halfway through season 

Life as a rodeo competitor is tough. 

And in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association there is no tougher place than the Southwest Region, in which Weatherford College competes - and quite well. WC has sent competitors to every College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) since 2005. 

"There are only 3,500 college rodeo students in the country, and 900 of them are in the Southwest Region," said Johnny Emmons, WC head rodeo coach. "Our region has some of the best rodeo programs, coaches, scholarships available, practice facilities, and the opportunity to compete on a regular basis outside of college rodeo, the friendly climate, all add up to amazing opportunities to compete, grow, and advance into the pro rodeo world." 

The region is renowned for producing national champions. Among those, the Weatherford College women's team captured the school's first team sports national title in 2022. The program has also produced several individual national champions. 

"I believe the Southwest Region has won the most points at the CNFR like 20 of the last 22 years. The Southwest Region has produced national champions more times than any other region." 

There is no off-season, per se, in college rodeo. While their college teams may not be "in-season," student-athletes sharpen their skills by participating in amateur, junior, semi-pro or even professional events on a weekly basis. 

"Athletes tell me they compete in this region so that they can improve," Emmons said. "I have told students before, if you stayed home in your region, you would probably make the CNFR, but here, I don't know, and they still say 'Well, I want to be here so that I can learn and get better.'" 

That level of competition also helps prepare athletes for a career at the professional level, should that be their goal, Emmons said. 

"This region is the next step to pro rodeo, he said. "When you watch the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) in Vegas, in every event, there are several of them that just recently competed in the Southwest Region." 

The region's top two teams and top three individuals in each event advance to the CNFR each year. At the season's halfway point, Weatherford is second among the women's teams and the men are eighth in their division. Several WC individual competitors are also in solid position to reach the CNFR. 

"In our region, every school has standout competitors, but Tarleton State is always on or near the top," Emmons said. "Of course, Sul Ross and Texas Tech have storied pasts, but Western Texas College, Clarendon and Odessa have traditionally turned out competitive rough stock students, just as WC has turned out a lot of timed event professionals. 

"You could go on and on: Cisco, Ranger, Vernon, Howard, New Mexico, Angelo State, Eastern New Mexico, Frank Phillips… you know every school in this region has had CNFR and NFR qualifiers in their past. It's hard to say who are perennial contenders. We all are!" 

Weatherford College Rodeo Midseason Report 

Women's team 

National 

Goat tying: 8th– Jace Graf, 480 points (633.3 leads). 

Southwest Region 

Team: 2nd– 747.50 (Tarleton leads with 1,380, Cisco is third with 718.33). 

Breakaway roping: 11th – Payton Andrus, 100 (200 points leads, 195 tied for second); 12th– Courtney Carbajal, 97.5; 14th– Kaydence Tindall, 90. 

Goat tying: 1st– Graf, 480 (475 second, 283.3 third). 

Men's team 

Southwest Region 

Team: 8th– 698.33 (Tarleton leads with 2,440, Western Texas is second with 1,470). 

Saddle bronc riding: 10th– Mitch Story, 150 (495 leads, 325 second, 320 third); 14th– Jase Stout, 60. 

Tie-down roping: 4th– Pax Vogel, 208.3 (240 leads, 235 second, 225 third). 

Team roping-header: 3rd– Clayton Huston, 185 (260 leads, 205 second); 6th– (tie) Hunter Helton, 150; 11th– Jett Stewart, 130. 

Team roping-heeler: 2nd– Cashton Weidenbener, 205 (260 leads); 3rd– Brock Rouse, 185; 6th– (tie) Belden Cox, 150; 6th– (tie) Ryan Gorham, 150.