Red Bluff cowboy ropes national title

A Red Bluff cowboy won the national championship in the bareback competition at the high school Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyo., last week.

Casey Meroshnekoff led the competition from start to finish, taking the early lead in the first go-round and finishing strong in the championship round on Saturday, winning the average with a score of 245 — 18 points ahead of his next competitor.

Meroshnekoff's performance helped the team to place fourth overall and the boys team to finish second. The girls took seventh.

The all-around cowgirl was Dakota Freeman of Klammath Falls, Ore., while the top cowboy was Dalton Richards of Hawkinsville, Ga.

Wheatland's Chant DeForest, who was seventh in tie-down roping and 64th in steer wrestling, was fourth overall, while J.W. Spears of Redding — the California all-around champion — was seventh. Spears finished 24th in bareback riding.

The best rookies at the event were Garrett Smith of Rexburg, Idaho, and NaLynn Cline of Bernalillo, N.M.

Williams cowboy Austin Alvarnez was 19th in boys cutting, while Bailey Bidwell of Hat Creek was 18th in goat tying, and Brandi Anthony of Red Bluff was 94th in breakaway roping.

Other North State performers included Reiney Hatch of Ukiah (29th, barrel racing), Daniel Ferreira of Cedarville (14th, steer wrestling) and Jared Hare of Sacramento (15th, steer wrestling).

CHAMPIONS

Casey Meroshnekoff, Red Bluff, bareback riding;
Rachel Primm (Washoe Valley, Nev.), barrel racing;
Kassidy Dennison, (Tohatchi, N.M.) breakaway roping;
Hayden Segelke (Snyder, Colo.) goat tying;
Joe Frost (Randlett, Utah), bull riding;
Stephen Culling (Fort St. John, British Columbia), steer wrestling;
Meagan Ghormley (Bedias, Texas), pole bending;
Dalton Richards (Hawkinsville, Ga.), tie-down roping;
Dustin Hodge and Tyler Worley (Berryville, Ark.), team roping;
Joe Harper (Paradise Valley, Nev.), saddle bronc;
Dalton Davis (Holcomb, Kan.), boys cutting;  
Whitney  Hall (Comanche, Okla.), girls cutting