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Category: National Junior High Rodeo

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National Junior High Finals Rodeo – By The Numbers

Written by Peter Beare on . Posted in National Junior High Rodeo, Wilson County CVB.

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Lebanon, TN – In a few days, a huge crowd of people and animals will be converging at the Ward Agricultural Center for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo from June 19 – 25, 2016. Besides the expected 50,000 competitors and visitors, you might be surprised to find out that hundreds of livestock are required for the competition. Here’s the breakdown from the organizers of the rodeo, the National High School Rodeo Association:

  • 80 Bulls
  • 100 Chute Dogging Cattle
  • 90 Tie-Down Calves
  • 180 Break-a-way Calves
  • 200 Goats
  • 80-100 Team Roping Cattle
  • 100 Bareback and Saddle Bronc Steers

Reigning THSRA Queen Summer Weldon, an 18-year-old from Martin, Tenn., will be reporting from the competition, showing you the action, excitement, and fun. Summer has been competing in barrel racing, pole bending, and ribbon roping since she was ten, so she will be uniquely qualified to give you the inside look as your behind-the-scenes reporter at the National Junior High Rodeo Finals. You’ll see updates from Summer as the excitement builds before the finals and during the competition, at www.visitwilsoncounty.com.

The National Junior High Finals Rodeo consists of seven days of rodeo competition with more than 1,000 young people from sixth, seventh, and eighth grades vying for college scholarships. The event is expected to provide a large economic boost to Wilson County and surrounding areas, with about 50,000 attendees and nearly $10 million dollars in economic impact.

About the NHSRA’s National Junior High Division

Created in 2004, the NHSRA Junior High Division was established to bring the excitement of the sport to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders and to serve as a feeder system into the high school ranks of the Association. Today, all 48 states and provinces that belong to the NHSRA also produce a Junior High Division as well, with over 2,500 members in total now competing. Junior High Division students compete in a variety of events, including barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, tie-down roping, chute dogging, team roping, ribbon roping, and junior bull riding, bareback steer riding and saddle bronc steer riding.

Each summer, the “best of the best” from each state and province qualify for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo. Approximately 1,000 competitors show off their talents in the event and compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes. For more information, visit http://www.nhsra.com.

Media Contacts:
Wilson County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
615-453-9655

James Higginbotham, Executive Director
National High School Rodeo Association
1-800-466-4772

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Business buy Bulls to boost Rodeo in Wilson County

Written by Peter Beare on . Posted in National Junior High Rodeo, Wilson County CVB.

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Lebanon, TN – There’s a bunch of bull in Wilson County, and it’s all in good fun, and to help promote the National Junior High Rodeo Finals at Ward Agricultural Center June 19-25, 2016. The Wilson County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau wants to remind everyone that local businesses may purchase the decorative bulls from the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce for $250 for one year or $400 for two years. Businesses may then decorate the bulls, and many have chosen colors and accessories that reflect their services and/or products. So far, county officials said 67 decorative bulls have been bought. But time is running out fast! Since the rodeo is coming up within a few days, this bull market won’t last long. This unusual promotion has gotten the attention of several local media, with WKRN-TV Channel 2 coming to Wilson County on Tuesday, June 7, to do a story about the decorative bulls to air on the news station this week.

Even if you don’t want to buy a bull yourself, you can still join the fun! Take a selfie with a decorative bull and share it with us! The Wilson County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is encouraging local residents and visitors to take selfies with the bulls and share those pictures on social media. You can connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VisitWilsonCounty/. Follow us on Twitter @VisitWilson. We’re on Instagram: @wilsoncountycvb, and Snapchat: wilsoncvb. 

This social media push is part of a larger effort by the CVB which is planning first-time comprehensive social media coverage of one of the largest youth rodeos in the world. The rodeo is expected to bring more than 50,000 attendees and more than $10 million in economic impact for Wilson County. 

Social media coverage will include live video streams from YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Periscope, as well as videos, photos, television news stories, and information posted throughout the competition. Contestants and attendees can interact, share videos and images about their experiences on the CVB’s official Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter feeds. To interact with your social media channel of your choice, all you have to do is go to the WCCVB website, www.visitwilsoncounty.com, and you’ll find icons to help you follow us!

To assist with check-in on June 16, contestants will be able to view a live web stream from the check-in area at James Ward Agricultural Center. The stream will be broadcast on the CVB’s YouTube channel, and www.visitwilsoncounty.com.

Reigning Tennessee High School Rodeo Association Queen Summer Weldon, an 18-year-old from Martin, Tenn., will be reporting live and blogging from the competition, in the “Summer at the Rodeo” series. Weldon has been barrel racing, pole bending, and ribbon roping for nearly a decade, and has the knowledge and experience to show what it takes to be successful at a rodeo that includes more than 1,000 young people from around the globe. You’ll see updates from Summer as the excitement builds before the finals and during the competition, at www.visitwilsoncounty.com.

The National Junior High Finals Rodeo consists of seven days of rodeo competition with more than 1,000 young people from sixth, seventh, and eighth grades vying for college scholarships.  

About the NHSRA’s National Junior High Division

Created in 2004, the NHSRA Junior High Division was established to bring the excitement of the sport to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders and to serve as a feeder system into the high school ranks of the Association. Today, all 48 states and provinces that belong to the NHSRA also produce a Junior High Division as well, with over 2,500 members in total now competing. Junior High Division students compete in a variety of events, including barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, tie-down roping, chute dogging, team roping, ribbon roping, and junior bull riding, bareback steer riding and saddle bronc steer riding.

Each year, the “best of the best” from each state and province qualify for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo. Approximately 1,000 competitors show off their talents in the event and compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes. For more information, visit http://www.nhsra.com.

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Rodeo by the Numbers!

Written by Peter Beare on . Posted in National Junior High Rodeo, Wilson County CVB.

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Huge crowds of people and animals will be converging at the Ward Agricultural Center for the National Junior High Rodeo Finals from June 19 – 25, 2016. Besides the expected 50,000 competitors and visitors, you might be surprised to find out that hundreds of livestock are required for the competition. Here’s the breakdown from the organizers of the rodeo, the National High School Rodeo Association:

  • 80 Bulls
  • 100 Chute Dogging Cattle
  • 90 Tie-Down Calves
  • 180 Break-a-way Calves
  • 200 Goats
  • 80-100 Team Roping Cattle
  • 100 Bareback and Saddle Bronc Steers

Reigning THSRA Queen Summer Weldon, an 18-year-old from Martin, TN, will be reporting from the competition, showing you the action, excitement, and fun. Summer has been competing in barrel racing, pole bending, and ribbon roping since she was ten, so she will be uniquely qualified to give you the inside look as your behind-the-scenes reporter at the National Junior High Rodeo Finals. You’ll see updates from Summer as the excitement builds before the finals and during the competition, at www.visitwilsoncounty.com.

The National Junior High Finals Rodeo consists of seven days of rodeo competition with more than 1,000 young people from sixth, seventh, and eighth grades vying for college scholarships. The event is expected to provide a large economic boost to Wilson County and surrounding areas, with about 50,000 attendees and nearly $10 million dollars in economic impact.

About the NHSRA’s National Junior High Division

Created in 2004, the NHSRA Junior High Division was established to bring the excitement of the sport to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders and to serve as a feeder system into the high school ranks of the Association. Today, all 48 states and provinces that belong to the NHSRA also produce a Junior High Division as well, with over 2,500 members in total now competing. Junior High Division students compete in a variety of events, including barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, tie-down roping, chute dogging, team roping, ribbon roping, and junior bull riding, bareback steer riding and saddle bronc steer riding.

Each summer, the “best of the best” from each state and province qualify for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo. Approximately 1,000 competitors show off their talents in the event and compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes. For more information, visithttp://www.nhsra.com.

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STAMPEDE!

Written by Peter Beare on . Posted in National Junior High Rodeo, Wilson County CVB.

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A great, young rodeo is coming to town.

The National Junior High Rodeo Association Finals (NJHRA) will be stampeding into the Ward Ag Center in Lebanon, June 19-25. More than 1,500 young cowboys and cowgirls from across the US and Canada will compete for college scholarships in 13-events with two grueling performances each day.  The top four cowboys or cowgirls in each event will vie for the national championship.

It is a big deal.

Just what is rodeo? Rodeo comes from the Spanish word ro-de-ar, meaning to encompass or round-up. Cowboys working round-ups held competitions among ranches to see who was the best rider or roper in the land. From these humble beginnings, rodeo has grown into a multi-billion dollar sport. As events were added and rules were written, nationally known sponsors got on board and the prize money increased. Top riders can earn well over a million dollars a year.

These days, riding in the rodeo is a great way to make a living. Check out the NJHRA Finals and you’ll see how these future rodeo stars get their start. The contestants coming to Lebanon in June are exceptional on many levels and the horses these young people ride are prized athletes.

Contestants at the finals are wholesome, clean-cut, junior high school students. Yes ma’am and No sir has been part of their language since they learned to speak. They travel across the country with their horse, their tack, their RV, Mom and Dad and their extended family. This is their hobby, which could possibly turn in to their future career. This is their passion.

With nervous families watching in the stands, these kids give it their all and they are fearless.  Obviously, every precaution is made to insure their safety but it’s hard to safeguard against getting bucked off! They make it look so easy on TV.

So why compete? Passion for the sport is the top reason, but many of these teens are riding for an education. From the Jr. High level, contestants move on to the high school competition. Full-ride scholarships are up for grabs from 137 colleges and universities participating in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. 

Many of these youngsters you’ll see at the NJHRA Finals in Lebanon will go on to become professional rodeo stars.  Making the big bucks and never having to sit in a board room is an achievable goal. Imagine making your first “mil” riding in one rodeo.

But easy money – it isn’t. Believe me.

How’s this for a tough day at the office?  Bareback bronc riding, barrel racing, breakaway roping, bull riding, tie down roping, cutting horse competition, goat tying, pole bending, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, team roping, reined cow-horse competition and that’s not counting the shooting sports – obviously not held in the rodeo arena. These are the 13 events awaiting the contestants at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The best of the best in conquering these challenges will be crowned national champion.  In a later blog, I’ll explain some of these events in greater detail.

WELCOME VISITORS!

The economic impact will be tremendous. This is the first time the NJHRA Finals have been held east of the Mississippi, and that makes Wilson County a novelty in a sense. Lush greenery, trees, babbling brooks – there’s not much of that scenery where some of these families call home. Quite literally, they’ll be like kids in a candy store.

As many as 45,000 visitors are expected to take in the sights here, spending more than $9.2 million dollars. Almost every business will benefit. Hotels and restaurants will be packed. These tourists will shop for souvenirs, they’ll sample new foods, re-stock the supplies needed for the competition, and they’ll enjoy touring the beautiful Tennessee landscape. Cash registers will be ringing across the county.

NO BULL? GET ONE!

Ask any rancher, there aren’t many places where you can buy a bull for the small sum of $250.  But in Wilson County, you can have one delivered to your business to put on display, you can decorate it any way you like, name it, encourage your customers to make selfies, and then call to have the bull picked up and stored until next year’s rodeo. Plus, these wooden bulls don’t eat much. Call the Lebanon Wilson Chamber of Commerce at 615-444-5503 for more info on how you can become a proud owner of a rodeo bull to show your support for the NJHRA coming to town. (We’re told that the rodeo folk look for these bulls and patronize the businesses that proudly display them).        

Make plans now to attend some rodeo performances at the Ward Agricultural Center, June 19-25.  Tickets go on sale here soon!

Guest blog provided by our good friend John L Sloan…