Spring has arrived, and with it comes the first event on the New Mexico High School Rodeo Association Calendar.
The Cody Reed Memorial Rodeo will be held at McGee Park this Saturday and Sunday while the San Juan Wildlife Federation gun range will host the shooting events Friday.
"It is pretty important because everyone is trying to move up the standings. If you are down right now, you have to really start climbing back up," said Baillie Wiseman, a sophomore from Piedra Vista High School who competes in barrel racing, pole bending, goat-tying and breakaway roping. "Only the top four in each event make it to nationals so we are all hoping to move up in the standing kind of earlier."
This weekend's high school rodeo is the first of the spring after five rodeos were held in the fall as contestants began earning points.
Wiseman is currently in second in the standings for barrel racing and she aims to maintain her position to reach the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyo., this July.
"The finals are so much fun. You work all year to get there and do whatever you can to get there," Wiseman said.
Last year, New Mexico had three national champions crowned at the NHSFR, including two from San Juan County with Joseph McConnel winning the bull riding competition and Jesse Rogers winning the trap shooting portion.
McConnel graduated in 2012, but Rogers is back to defend his crown and he will compete Friday at 12 p.m. in the shooting
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portion of this weekend's rodeo.
"The shooting is a qualifying event for the NHSFR. Several years ago, the NRA came on board as a sponsor. They realized there is a wealth of outdoorsmen well-versed in firearms but weren't participating in competitions," said Jenny Kramme-Rogers, a member of the Four Corners Rodeo Association and mother of Jesse Rogers. "It has been a natural fit. We have 20 trap shooters on our team and 12 light rifle shooters. New Mexico really has been at the forefront of the shooting program for the National High School Rodeo Association."
Also in this weekend's field is defending pole bending champion Leia Pluemer of Belen.
Leading the bull riding standings so far is Jacob Spencer of Blanco and Bloomfield High. He will also be in action this weekend at McGee Park among many more San Juan County high school kids.
This is one of the busiest weekends of the rodeo season for San Juan County's young rodeo stars because it also comes with the responsibility of hosting the event.
"This weekend is crazy because our Four Corners team puts this rodeo on and, when we aren't competing, we are in the arena helping with other events, maintaining the chutes and getting cattle ready," Wiseman said. "It is our home arena, so it is always nice competing in your own gym. You want to make a statement."
The excitement for this weekend's rodeo can be felt across the entire rodeo community.
"The kids are ready to get back and get started. It is a pressure situation every weekend to get points and try to qualify for nationals and it gets tighter and tighter as the year goes on," said Beaver Segotta, the national director for New Mexico's high school rodeo judges.
Segotta has been judging rodeos for 15 years and has a high level of respect for the high school athletes who compete in the rugged sport.
"They have to keep their school work up because we do check grades and several times a year they bring us report cards," Segotta said. "This isn't like football or basketball where the kids have practice, either. They have to practice on their own, care for their horse and get into rodeos at their own expense. It is a high school event, but it is kind of different. I hope the community comes to watch the kids this weekend. There are a lot of kids from that area, not as many as there used to be, but there are kids from all over Bloomfield, Aztec, Farmington and all over the county."
Of the roughly 145 members of the Four Corners Rodeo Association, Rogers estimated 42 to 48 of those will qualify for nationals.
High school students from Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico participate in the Four Corners Rodeo Association.
After this weekend's rodeo, the contestants will head to Ft. Sumner April 6-7 for the second stage of the spring schedule.
Then it is off to Truth or Consequences April 20-21 where the always popular Cowboy Prom is held for the rodeo athletes who regularly miss out on their own high school proms.
The season continues in Las Vegas the first weekend in May before going to Gallup May 11-12.
This year's state finals will be held June 5-9 in Lovington.
"After this weekend, you pretty much start going every weekend or every other weekend," Wiseman said. "This rodeo is more of a mental rodeo because everyone comes back fresh and a little off — not quite in the swing of things yet. You can get your mind right and do what you can."
John Livingston may be reached at jlivingston@daily-times.com or 505-564-4648. Follow him on Twitter @jlivi2.