Cole Trexler and Paige Palin will be representing the state of Montana and the Bitterroot Valley at the Junior High National Finals Rodeo in Lebanon, Tennessee, next week. The duo almost needed another horse trailer to bring home all of their awards from Townsend last week at the Montana State finals.
Trexler is the 14 year old son of Reed and Kari Trexler of Corvallis. He won the All-Around cowboy award at the event. Points are accumulated throughout the season which begins in August and runs through the first week of October, and then it resumes again in March and runs through the last week of May. During that time, Trexler went to nine rodeos and ‘maxed out,’ or made 70 points in each event. Those points are carried on to state where additional points are earned in each event. Trexler had the most points and earned the all-around buckle. He competed in seven events and won three of those events. He won the chute dogging and the saddle bronc steer riding. He and Palin combined to win the ribbon roping and finished third in the team roping. Trexler finished second in the junior bBoys goat tying, sixth in the junior calf roping, and fifth in the Jr.oys goat tying, sixth in the junior calf roping, and fifth in the Jr. Boys break-away roping.
Palin, who is 13, says her mom and step-dad, Christi and Randy Sacks, provide her with the support and horses to succeed. She earned the reserve all around cowgirl award. Along with winning the ribbon roping and placing third in the team roping, she also placed third in the barrel racing. In addition, she competes in pole bending, goat tying and break-away roping.
As you can see from the events, these are not quite the traditional rodeo events but have definite ties to the events. The saddle bronc steer riding uses a steer instead of a horse but the same mechanics of riding are judged. Chute dogging is done on the ground, not jumping from a horse, but the steer must be thrown in the same manner, except it is out of a chute. Ribbon roping involves a roper on horseback who catches a calf. The roper must dismount and grab the calf before the runner touches the calf. The runner then grabs the ribbon off the tail and hightails it back to the roping box where time ends.
Both teens say they couldn’t compete without the support of not only their parents but also friends and family who help by coaching or providing steers to rope and places to rope. A couple of rodeo competitors, James Irish and Calvin Peterson, have helped Trexler with the steer riding, much to his mother’s dismay, and he plans to continue to compete in saddle bronc riding next year in high school rodeo.
Palin said that Kayla Schmiedeke, a junior at Stevensville, has helped her a lot in break-away roping, as has Kelly Stackhouse of Corvallis in barrel racing. Palin was the rookie of the year last year. She also competed in the Northern Rodeo Association last summer and finished ninth overall and seventh at the finals in Butte.
Next week, the moms and kids will take off to drive 2,000 miles to Tennessee where they will join another 1,000 contestants for the World’s Largest Junior High Rodeo. Contestants will be there from 43 states, five Canadian provinces, and Australia. The rodeo begins on June 18 and runs through the 24th. But with a trailer full of horses, stops must be made to keep the horses as rested as possible. The dads will fly in right before the rodeo and then fly back after. In addition to the regular rodeo, there are shooting sports, volleyball games, dances and a trade show.
Palin has figured out that she needs to get lots of sleep, eat lots of protein and stay hydrated in order to be on the top of her game. “This all helps to have a good attitude,” she concluded.
Trexler said that you ‘do what you have to do to win,’ whether it’s at a local rodeo or the national rodeo. He and Palin will spend their evenings in the arena practicing their events and then hit the road next week.