CNCC hosted the annual Spartan Showdown rodeo the first weekend in April. 10 colleges participated. | COURTESY PHOTO
RANGELY I It is in the books. The Spring 2022 CNCC “Spartan Showdown” college rodeo was held April 1-2, here in Rangely, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather… it was literally perfect for us. We hosted 10 colleges, consisting of 120-plus student athletes, along with 200 of their equine partners. This was the first spring college rodeo in our region to be held outdoors, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed getting back outside. The arena ground was in excellent condition, even after the rain, which was a huge accomplishment. The competition between the student athletes was strong and such fun to watch.
With barrel racing horses, moving from those small indoor arenas into the large outdoor arenas affects timing, and thus was the case for both of CNCC’s barrel racers. Sadie Shake and “Ricky” had some timing issues with their first barrel and went past it a bit. Our Hadley Gross cued her horse “Hubbs” a bit too soon for their first barrel, and they knocked it over. And Hadley tied her last goat of the year in her hometown arena. Due to injuries, she has decided to sit out the rest of the season in the goat tying.
We want to thank everyone who helped make our rodeo happen; those who helped before, during and after the rodeo. So many people helped make the rodeo a success, and we are very grateful to all of you. Our next rodeo is at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.
By TAMMY OLSON
CNCC Rodeo Coach
Special to the Herald Times
