National Western Celebrates African American Heritage West with Rodeo
By: Susan Kanode
Kinley Adair of Pointblank, Texas was the star of the Martin Luther King Jr. African American Heritage Rodeo of Champions at the the National Western Stock Show on Monday. Adain won the junior barrel racing with a time of 18.252 seconds. NWSS photo by Ric Andersen.
DENVER, Colo. – The National Western Stock Show presented by Centura Health has hosted the Martin Luther King Jr. African American Heritage Rodeo of Champions for 17 years and the event in 2023 has to be the best ever.
With a record-setting crowd in the stands, it was definitely the youth events that stole the show. The evening’s competition started with steer wrestling where Reginald McCullough from Houston, Texas got the win with a 4.3 second run.
Then it was the ladies turn to compete in rodeo’s fastest growing event, the breakaway roping. Haley Mason from Anderson, Texas had the fast time of 3.2 seconds for the championship. The ladies stayed at the timed event end of the arena for the steer undecorating where a woman is horseback on the left side of a running steer and reaches down and grabs a ribbon that has been attached to it’s back. The event also has a hazer to help keep the steer running straight. Denver’s winner was veteran competitor Stephanie Haynes from Hempstead, Texas was a 2.82 second run.
Action stayed on the east end of the arena for the men’s calf roping where Wrangler National Finals Rodeo competitor Cory Solomon from Prairie View, Texas was at the top with a 7.0-second run. Solomon will be competing at the Pro Rodeo in the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday and is hoping for more success.
After the men had their turn it was time for the Junior Breakaway roping. Only one of the young men was able to connect and it was eight-year-old C.J. Walton from Cleveland, Texas, who got the win. The barrel racing title went to Colorado’s own Sadie Jackson who makes her home in Centennial. Jackson had a time of 15.585 for the win.
In the Junior Barrel Racing, Kinley Adair from Pointblank, Texas, was two seconds faster than the rest of the field to get the win with a time of 18.252. Then it was time for the peewee barrel racing where four-year-old Kendall Henderson from Bristow, Oklahoma had fans on their feet stopping the clock in 19.501.
The rodeo finished in the traditional way with bull riding. None of the four competitors made it to the eight second mark to get a score, so the title was awarded to Beaumont, Texas, resident Jacolby Richard for riding the longest time.