East Idaho will be well represented at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Lincoln, Nebraska, next month.

Numerous local cowboys and cowgirls punched their tickets at last week’s Idaho State High School Rodeo Finals in Pocatello to compete against the best of the best July 19 to July 25 at Lincoln’s Sandhills Global Event Center.

East Idaho has always been known as a rodeo powerhouse and last week’s high school rodeo finals at the Bannock County Event Center reinforced the region’s reputation.

For starters, Tate Stoddard of Grace was crowned the boys all around state champion as well as Idaho boys rookie of the year while Montpelier’s Kenlee Kunz was named the Idaho girls rookie of the year.

In each category at the state competition, the top four finishers get to go to nationals — and East Idaho led the way.

In bareback riding, Firth’s Ryder Wallace took home first place with Grace rookie Tate Stoddard finishing second.

Barrel racing saw Albion’s Samantha Mai win first place with Rupert rookie Saige Hartman finishing second and Malad rookie Payton Johnson coming in fourth.

In boys cutting, Grace rookie brothers Tate and Boston Stoddard finished second and fourth, respectively.

Breakaway roping saw Preston’s Hannah Bingham come in first with Malad’s Bella Smith in second and Malta’s Jettah Chatburn in fourth.

In girls cutting, Oakley’s Kinslee Matthews achieved a third place finish, while in goat tying Montpelier rookie Kenlee Kunz tied for first, Pocatello’s Dallee Jenkins finished third and Soda Springs’ Josey Rasmussen fourth.

Jenkins, who competed in front of her hometown crowd at last week’s finals, wanted to follow in her mom Meghan’s footsteps and get to nationals. She did just that in the same event.

“It would mean so much to get to nationals,” Jenkins said before competing, noting she was wearing her mom’s 2001 nationals jacket. “To be able to walk in her footsteps and make it there would be a really cool goal for me.”

East Idaho will send four competitors to nationals in pole bending after Arbon’s Katelyn Evans finished in first place at state with Burley’s Charley Lloyd tied for second, Lemhi’s Hayden Shiner tied for third and St. Anthony’s Makale Webster finishing fourth.

Evans came into last week’s finals already having been to nationals and she achieved her goal of earning a return ticket.

“It’s a lot of mindset, more than anything,” Evans said. “You got to be determined, consistent and make a sharp run. At nationals, the pressure’s a lot higher, and you got to figure out how to block the balancers out, so you can just focus on yourself.”

East Idaho pretty much owned the reined cow horse event at the high school finals as well with Dingle’s Cooper Skinner coming in first, Thatcher’s Bodee Smith second, Arbon rookie Makaydee Williams tying for third and Weston’s Hadley Bayles coming in fourth.

In rifle shooting, Grace’s Hayley Partain came in second while in trap shooting American Falls’ Ashton Morris and Howe’s Garrett Waymire tied for second and Swan Valley’s Wil Poole finished third.

Saddle bronc saw St. Anthony’s Kash Angell finish first and Malad rookie Bronson Smith take home third place.

Holbrook’s Ruger Smith and Dingle’s Bodrie Merritt took first and second place, respectively, in steer wrestling while team roping saw Malta’s Bo Udy come in third with Dan Reynolds and Taylor Sessions, both of Ashton, placing fourth.

Lastly, East Idaho nearly swept the tie down roping competition with Malad’s Colter Bennett in first, Blackfoot’s Austin Arave second and Georgetown’s Duke Smith finishing third.

Arave, who comes from a family with a strong tradition of rodeo success, said rodeo has always been a big part of his life and he’s looking forward to nationals.

“I’ve always grown up with an arena outside of our house, so I’ve been around it since I was little. It’s been a part of my life forever,” Arave said.

Georgetown’s Duke Smith is equally dedicated to the sport.

He said his days start on his family’s dairy farm and end with him lying in bed dreaming of competing at nationals.

Next month that dream will come true.

“It’s literally what I dream about,” Duke Smith said. “I’ve always wanted to be a national champion.”