Saturday, October 7, 2006

Five racers advance to state rodeo

Five from Lemitar entered in barrel event at Las Vegas

Jason W. Brooks El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

To have five riders from one community qualify for a season-ending barrel racing event makes the area look strong. To have all those riders advance to the state finals makes an area like Lemitar look even stronger.

That's the situation this weekend as Laura Haines, Tawsha Jacobs, Makayla Jacobs, Debbie Hogland and Audra Hogland take on competitors from around the state in the New Mexico Rodeo Association Year-End Finals in Las Vegas, N.M. The five all live in the Lemitar area and have all qualified for at least one event at the season-ending Las Vegas event. The top 15 competitors in each rodeo event are automatically qualified for the finals.

"It's just something that's a passion for us; it's what we do," said Tawsha Jacobs, who was able to sign up as the 18th-place incentive barrel racer when three of the top 15 decided not to enter the finals. "I was pretty lucky to make it. My horse has been hurt; we only made it to about half of this year's rodeos."

Tawsha's daughter, Makayla, has been competing against riders with far more experience than her. Makayla Jacobs, 11, had two nice runs at last weekend's Governor's Tour Finals in Clayton, finishing out of the money at that rodeo. However, Makayla was 13th overall going into Friday's after-performance run in incentive barrel racing (results of Friday's initial go of the Year-End Finals were not available at Chieftain press time).

The top 15 rankings in each event are based entirely on how much money the cowboy or cowgirl has won over the entire season.

Haines took second in the second incentive go at Clayton and was seeded ninth for the state finals, and Audra Hogland took third in the first go to win $208 and secure the No. 10 incentive spot at Las Vegas. Tawsha Jacobs had the fourth-highest overall score at Clayton to pocket $150, meaning she basically got her entry fee back. She also qualified for Las Vegas in breakaway roping.

Audra Hogland's mother, Debbie, is the incentive barrel racing director for the New Mexico Rodeo Association, but the reins of her horse apparently forgot she was in charge. At Clayton, Debbie Hogland lost the grip on her reins as she tried to change hands while near the second barrel and wound up with a "no score." She was awarded the "Hard Luck Cowgirl" award for her efforts, however.

Debbie Hogland was already qualified for the state finals, and was listed second on the day sheet before Friday's action. Hogland said she would like to thank all the Socorro-area sponsors who are helping make all this long out-of-town travel possible.

Tawsha Jacobs said 2005 was a year when lots of junior and regular rodeos conflicted, but 2006 was a year when she could take her award-winning 8-year-old son Garrett to junior rodeos and take herself and Makayla to adult competitions.

"We went to what we could," said Tawsha Jacobs.

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