Bosque Farms
The first-ever Indian Junior Rodeo Association (IJRA)-sanctioned rodeo to be held in Valencia County comes to the Bosque Farms Rodeo Arena on Aug. 24 and 25.
The Triple R Indian Junior Rodeo will also be open to non-Native Americans, ages 3-18, and promoter Nelda Lucero of Isleta encourages county residents to participate.
“I would like to stress that this rodeo is open to all children,” Lucero said.
Lucero’s two children, Nikki, 11, and Joshua, 8, will be riding their horse, Spinner, in the rodeo. Nikki loves to barrel race and won a horse trailer with a championship ride of 17.401 at the Leav’em Standing 4-D Barrel Race at the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque last year.
Nikki has won 20 belt buckles in just four years of junior rodeo competition. She also won the Professional Rodeo Competition (PRC) in the 7- to 11-year-old Peewee Division on July 4 this year in Window Rock, Ariz.
Her brother, Joshua, has won two saddles for competing in all-around events in Bosque Farms and Farmington. Joshua has won 30 belt buckles in four years.
The Luceros will be just two of more than 100 contestants expected to compete for $10,000 in prizes, including one two-horse trailer to the competitor who notches the highest point total in two events. Eight all-around-rider saddles will be awarded in divisions ranging from midget to senior boys and girls, in addition to 27 event awards.
Most of the contestants in the IJRA-sanctioned events usually hail from the Navajo Nation, but Lucero expects many young cowgirls and cowboys from Bosque Farms and throughout the county to compete for the prizes. A handful of contestants from Isleta and the Apache tribe are also expected to enter the rodeo.
David Lucero, Nelda’s husband and vice-president of the IJRA, owns the Chical Haystack feed store off NM 47 and helps sponsor the Triple R Rodeo. Feed stores in New Mexico and Arizona “have helped us tremendously,” Nelda said in regards to sponsorship.
With lots of help from Wendy and Ronald Abeita, Lucero has been promoting the Triple R Rodeo by herself. Area support for the rodeo has been good, but Nelda, an IJRA committee member, hopes the Isleta Tribal Council makes a decision on Aug. 6 to help sponsor the IJRA.
“I feel like it’s part of their heritage,” Lucero said. “It teaches the youth responsibility, horsemanship and respect. In order to be good, those kids have to practice every day. They’re not in the malls running around.”
Bullriding usually draws the biggest crowd reaction, and the Triple R Rodeo will feature two bullriding classes, one for juniors 12- to 15-years-old and a senior division for those 16 to 18. The stocking company for the rodeo has yet to be determined.
A special event for all ages called “shute dogging” will find out who gets the quickest time for bulldogging a steer to the ground while on foot, with the winner earning a belt buckle.
Entries for the Triple R Rodeo are $12 for members and $25 for non-members and can be obtained at the Chical Haystack feed store. Walk-in entries will be taken from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, at the Bosque Farms Rodeo Arena. General admission tickets will be $3. For further information, call 869-1634.
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April 19, 2024
