Last year, Mariah Morgan came on strong at the end of the 2006 high school rodeo season. This year was no different. The quiet Stevensville sophomore planned her rodeo season with care and by the end of the regular season, she was in position to capture the championship. All she had to do was have clean, fast runs at the state finals.

"I just tried to run my best," said Morgan. "Tried to run it like a normal rodeo and keep them (the barrels) up."

Morgan could have played it safe and made sure she didn’t tip a barrel but she didn’t. Instead, she came out strong in every go round. Morgan tied for second and third in her first run on Thursday at the State Finals in Missoula. She and her Paint horse Yogi had a solid run of 17.90, only six one hundredths of a second behind Josie Davidson of Miles City.

Friday night, under the lights at the Western Montana Fairgrounds, Yogi and Morgan smoked the competition, running the clover leaf pattern in 17.46 seconds. It was, as her mother Tess Morgan said, ‘the smoothest run Mariah had ever run.’ In an event won by mere one hundredths of a second, Morgan’s run was almost four tenths of a second faster than Murphy Hirschey’s second place run.

Now, all Morgan had to do was stay in the middle of Yogi, run a clean run, and not tip a barrel in the championship go round. The run was perfect with Morgan and Yogi working completely together. Morgan and Yogi ran the pattern in 17.93, garnering another first place finish and sealing the year end championship. Morgan collected a trophy belt buckle for winning the state rodeo and a saddle and a trophy buckle for winning the year end standings. She will travel to Springfield, Illinois, for the National High School Finals July 22 -28.

Many hours in the saddle have made this team of Yogi and Morgan a team to be reckoned with. It takes years for horse and rider to become attuned to one another. Such is the case with the 16 year old Paint and Morgan. "We’re just coming together more because I’ve been with him more."

Now the two will have to figure out how to battle the best in the nation along with the heat and humidity that is prevalent in Illinois.

Corvallis’ Duston Stephens will also be making the trip to Illinois. Stephens, a freshman, finished second in boys cutting in the championship round at the state finals and finished second in the year end standings. He had a solid runs of 72, 71 and 73 points at the rodeo in Missoula. Scores can range from 60 to 80 (which is almost unattainable). A score of 70 or better indicates a good effort.

Cutting pits a cowboy and horse against a cow. The purpose is to separate or ‘cut’ one cow from a herd and keep that cow from moving back to the herd. Contestants have two and a half minutes and usually work two or three cows in that time. Stephens will be using his sister’s horse.

Allison Darrow of Hamilton also will be heading to Springfield. She finished fourth in the year end standings for girls cutting. She finished the state finals in third place.

The top four finishers in each event are eligible to move on to the National Finals in Illinois. Contestants who finish from fifth to tenth place may compete at the Silver State Invitational Rodeo in Fallon, Nevada. This rodeo is held July 2-8.

Ben Ralls of Stevensville finished fourth in the championship go on Sunday with a mark of 66 points in the saddle bronc riding. He went into the finals in good shape in a three way tie for first with 70 points. Although he didn’t place in the top four in the first two go rounds, his championship go round score kept him in the top ten for year end standings. Ralls finished in seventh place with 94 points.

Bridger Chambers also is eligible for the Silver State Invitational. The Stevensville cowboy who will rodeo for the University of Montana Rodeo Team next year, finished fifth. Although he caught all three calves, Chambers had to use two loops on his calf in the second go around. The added time pushed up his average time and ultimately cost him a trip to Springfield.

But all was not bad for Chambers. He was one of 12 scholarship recipients from the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. The senior contestants were interviewed throughout the finals with the winners each receiving a $3,000 scholarship to the school of their choice.

Katelynn Rennaker of Darby finished fourth in the short go round of girls cutting. The Darby sophomore finished seventh overall and can compete at Fallon in July. Another cutter, Jeffrey Markette of Corvallis finished the year in sixth place. He finished ninth in the short go.

Grey Chadwick of Corvallis and his team roping partner, Kate Sharon finished 10 in the standings in team roping. They had a fifth place finish in the first go round with a run of 8.5.

Here are the cowboys and cowgirls from the Bitterroot who finished in the top ten in either go round or the championship go.

First Go

Goat Tying - 8. Sierra Gandy, Hamilton, 9.24.

Barrel racing - 2/3. Mariah Morgan, Stevensville 17.90.

Break Away roping - 5. Emma Edwards, Florence, 5. 14; 10. Katelynn Rennaker, Darby, 5.93.

Tie down roping - 7. Cory Gilbert Conner 13.24; 8. Bridger Chambers, Stevensville 13.42.

Steer Wrestling - 7. Chambers, Stevensville 14.58

Team roping - 5 Kate Sharon, Dillon/Grey Chadwick, Corvallis 8.58.

Second go

Calf roping - 10. Ben Ralls, Stevensville 14.13.

Break away roping - 5/6. Kristin Nelsen, Stevensville 3.93; 7. Nicole Owen, Florence 4.25.

Team roping - 5. Chambers, Stevensville/Jessica Picchietti, Arlee, 12.71.

Barrel racing - 1 Morgan, Stevensville 17.46; æ. Kelsey Lemmon, Corvallis/ Bailey Novotny 17.89

Championship go

Girls cutting - 3. Allison Darrow, Hamilton 73.5 4 Katelynn Rennaker, Hamilton 72.

Boys cutting - 2/3. Duston Stephens, Corvallis 73; 9. Jeffrey Markette, Hamilton.

Tie Down Roping - 5. Chambers Stevensville, 12.53.

Pole Bending - 10. Sarah Ralls, Stevensville 26.50.

Saddle bronc -4. Ralls, Stevensville 66.

Barrel race - 1 Morgan, Stevensville 17.93.

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