High school rodeo ready to roll

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
After missing last year’s highly anticipated annual Newcastle High School Rodeo due to the ongoing pandemic, this year’s rodeo is slated for next weekend, April 30–May 2. 
Stacey Jones and Marissa Sweet, advisers for the rodeo club, said that they expect around 300 participants, seven of whom are members of the school’s rodeo club. Three Newcastle kids are in the junior high division. High school club members are Kacy Jones, Rachel Sweet, Tell Tavegie, Pate Tavegie, Tiernan Stanton, Ana Sofia Baeza and Callie Hiser. Middle schoolers are Josie Smith, Teddy Troftgruben and Coen Tavegie. 
Junior high will compete on Friday, April 30, and they are looking to start at 9 a.m., with two rodeos occurring that day. The high schoolers will have a go at it on May 1 and 2, starting at 9 a.m.
Events include bareback, goat tying, saddle bronc, bull riding, barrels, poles, shoot dogging, breakaway and more.
Members of the FBLA chapter in Newcastle will offer concessions during the festivities. 
Sweet said that anticipation is high and they are excited for the kids to get back to it. 
“(I hope) that our kids do well and that everyone is safe,” Sweet said.