A major component of the 72nd College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) June 6 -12, 2021 was awarding 1000’s of bucks in scholarships to members of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Affiliation (NIRA).
Winners throughout the competitiveness receive scholarships, and special scholarships are awarded to NIRA users. The complete supplied by the seven days of competitiveness is more than $150,000.
The Walt Garrison Major Hand Award is a $2,500 scholarship awarded for loyalty, determination, integrity and leadership. Just about every of the NIRA’s 11 geographic regions nominate one particular rodeo athlete for this award then one winner is chosen from people nominees. Garrison, a previous qualified steer wrestler and qualified soccer participant with the Dallas Cowboys, begun quite a few scholarship programs.
This year’s Top Hand is Mayce Marek of Arp, Texas, who just finished her sophomore yr at Wharton County Local community College or university in Texas and programs to proceed her instruction this drop at Texas A & M Commerce where by she will big in agricultural business enterprise. Marek was the Southern Region’s nominee and competed in goat tying at her to start with CNFR very last 7 days.
The Harry Vold “Duke of the Chutes” Scholarship is introduced in honor of the distinguished and highly regarded inventory contractor’s longtime affiliation with higher education rodeo. Madison Deck, a West Virginia indigenous and pre-vet university student at Murray Point out University, been given this $2,500 scholarship. Deck, who competes in barrel racing, maintains a 4. quality issue ordinary.
The $2,500 Shane Drury “Nothin’ But Try” Scholarship is supplied just about every calendar year to an NIRA member who reveals Drury’s hardly ever-give-up attitude in the encounter of adversity. Drury, a bull rider who competed at the CNFR and was portion of a men’s championship workforce, died after a struggle with cancer.
This year’s winner Brandy Schaack of Hyannis, Nebraska, competed at her 2nd CNFR for the College of Wyoming. In 2019 when she was a junior, Schaack went as a result of significant wellbeing difficulties. She experienced a debilitating bout with ulcerative colitis in the drop of 2018, then in the spring endured from leg agony. The cause was a blood an infection usually witnessed in horses and named “strangles”. Whilst undergoing medical procedures for that, medical professionals found she experienced phase 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that experienced distribute to her liver, bones and all over her overall body. As soon as she recovered from leg surgical procedure, she started chemotherapy and two yrs later she was back again at the CNFR in the breakaway roping.
A few other “Nothin’ But Try” $500 scholarships have been recognized considering the fact that Shane Drury awarded the to start with in 2006. The Lee Akin scholarship went to Cheyenne Bartling of Oklahoma State University. Tyree Cochran of Cal Poly Point out University – San Luis Obispo gained the Betty Gayle Cooper Ratliff scholarship, and the Levi Wisness scholarship went to Tayle Brink of Black Hills State College.
The John J. Smith Scholarship in honor of longtime NIRA commissioner John Smith is for NIRA associates pursuing a graduate diploma at an accredited establishment. This year’s winner of the $2,000 scholarship is McKenzie Frizzell of Cochise, Arizona. She competed at the 2021 CNFR in breakaway roping and is a spring graduate of New Mexico State College with a bachelor’s diploma in agricultural business and economics.
The winners of the Patty Skogan Memorial Scholarships have been preferred from nominees from just about every NIRA area who show determination, grit and kindness whilst conquering hurdles and demonstrating a welcoming mindset. Tyree Cochran, a 2021 animal science graduate of Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo who certified for her 1st CNFR in staff roping, and Kamryn Duncan, a sophomore early childhood education and learning major at McNeese State College who competed at her initially CNFR in breakaway roping and goat tying, received these awards.
The $1,000 George Howard Memorial Scholarships honor the lifestyle of Howard who put in 35 many years as a university rodeo mentor – initial as an assistant at Dodge City Neighborhood Faculty and Southwestern Oklahoma Point out College and later on as head mentor at the College of Wyoming. Howard’s groups experienced for the CNFR every single 12 months and he coached seven countrywide championship teams and 27 individual champions.
Two scholarships have been supplied in 2021. Owen Gustafson, from Browning, Montana, a senior ranch management significant at Dickinson Point out College, and Colton Crawford, from Walsh, Colorado, a senior public relations and mass interaction important at Missouri Valley Higher education, have been the recipients.
As a timed-party athlete, Gutafson also acquired the $1,000 NIRA Alumni Stan Harter Memorial Scholarship. Harter competed for Arizona Condition College and was the 1966 NIRA winner in both of those calf roping and ribbon roping. He went on to a prosperous qualified rodeo profession and was a prolonged-time supporter of school rodeo who served as the alumni president.
No one has a background in university rodeo that is as extensive as Sonny Sikes. He competed and received national titles in the team roping and tie-down roping for Sam Houston Point out University. He went on to mentor there and from 1962 via 1979, he and his wife, Joanne, served as the NIRA Executive Secretary.
Due to the fact of his perseverance and enthusiasm for higher education rodeo, the NIRA commenced the Sonny Sikes Pioneer Award. This year’s winner is Jade Boote of Binford, North Dakota. Boote, a senior secondary schooling important at Dickinson Point out University, competed at her next CNFR in breakaway roping. She has served as the Terrific Plains Region University student Director and taken on numerous management roles.
Fundraising initiatives for these awards are ongoing by the Nationwide Intercollegiate Rodeo Affiliation Foundation and the Nationwide Intercollegiate Rodeo Affiliation Alumni Affiliation.
–CNFR