Laatya James from Oliver earned a spot on the BC High School Rodeo Team for her many talents on horseback. (Photo contributed)
A young wrangler from Oliver has roped herself a spot on the BC High School Rodeo Team.
Laatya James, who’s in Grade 11 at Southern Okanagan Secondary School, has joined the team in its voyage to the holy grail of cowboy competitions – the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in Gillette, Wyoming.
Laatya and the team will be competing against their most skilled teenage counterparts from around the world (but mostly from across the continent), where they’ll compete in breakaway roping, trap shooting and small rifle shoot competitions. Included in the tournament will be 1,650 contestants, spanning from 43 states, five provinces and Australia, with an anticipated 6,000 spectators – which makes NHSFR the largest rodeo in the world.
Over the past season, Laatya participated in many competitions, including breakaway roping, team roping, goat tying, barrel racing, pole bending, trap shooting, small rifle shoot and Queens event. During that same time, Laatya won the titles of Horsemanship of the year, Miss Congeniality, South Division Ambassador, and the crown for the BC High School Rodeo Princes at the BC High School Finals awards.
Between July 27 and 31, she participated in the Canadian High School Rodeo, and her younger brother Cash James is also in the competition.
Cash also qualified for the National Junior High School Rodeo in breakaway roping for Grades 6 to 8, although he is not able to attend. In 2014, Laatya’s sister Keianna James qualified and attended the National JR High School finals in Desmoines, Iowa.
Both junior and high school rodeo participants wouldn’t be fulfilling their dreams had it not been for the sponsors.
The BC High School Rodeo Association would like to thank local sponsors Sabyans Ventures, Wild Wood Ranches, Dr. Shelley Bedard Inc, Dr. Gleen F Perrin Inc., Osoyoos Indian Band, Chevaliers Arena, and Kenny McLean Memorial – Meyer family.
DAN WALTON
Oliver Chronicle
