Wiley Kirks, Trevor Holaday and Tanner Lockhart spent their Thanksgiving holiday break in Mesquite, Texas, riding saddle broncs and bulls.
The three Ute Mountain High School Rodeo team members attended the eighth annual Thanksgiving Rodeo School. This school supports the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, which helps financially support professional rodeo athletes and their families in the event of severe injuries resulting from rodeo activities.
The Thanksgiving Rodeo School is focused on safety, chute procedure, equipment set-up, and the opportunity to get on as many horses and bulls as cowboys can handle. Events included bareback, saddle bronc, bull riding and bull fighting.
The schools instructors are all National Finals Rodeo qualifiers and world champion cowboys.
Kirks and Holaday were coached by bull riders J.W. Harris, Chandler Bounds and Chance Smart. Lockharts saddle bronc coaches included, Taos Muncy, Bradley Harder, Heith and Cody DeMoss, and Wade Sundell.
The local cowboys felt this was a tremendous opportunity to be coached by some of pro rodeos best champions.
Kirks and Holaday are students at Montezuma-Cortez High School and Lockhart attends Dolores High School.
The regular season Colorado State High School Rodeo competition will start this spring. The first spring rodeo is at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds Indoor Arena on the weekend of March 31, and April 1, 2012.
