It was announced today by the NHSRA that the the 2020 National Junior High Finals Rodeo has officially been canceled.
The event began back in 2004 as a way to bring the best 6th, 7th and 8th grade rodeo athletes together for a national competition. There are now more than 2,500 athletes competing in the NHSRA Junior High Division and events include Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Goat Tying, Breakaway Roping, Tie-Down Roping, Chute Dogging, Team Roping, Ribbon Roping, and Junior Bull Riding, Bareback Steer Riding and Saddle Bronc Steer Riding.
The National High School Finals scheduled for July 18-25 in Lincoln, Nebraska is still on as of now.
In their official statement on the NJHFR cancellation, the NHSRA said:
The National High School Rodeo Association is canceling the 2020 National Junior High Finals, which were scheduled for June 21-27 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.
The NHSRA Executive Committee made this decision on account of the uncertainty of the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Multiple components played a role in the decision process, and the top concern was to protect the health and safety of our members, their families, our sponsors and corporate partners and NHSRA staff. The NHSRA spoke with sponsors and corporate partners to obtain additional input, which was taken into consideration when making this difficult decision. The association also took in to account the local, state and federal government guidelines and mandates and the shelter-in-place orders that have prevented contestants from competing at rodeos before this much anticipated event.
With the cancellation of this event, NHSRA is focused on planning a healthy and safe 2020 National High School Finals Rodeo, slated for July 19-25, 2020 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The association is working diligently to compile the best possible plan to host the event, pending local, state and federal mandates.
“It is with heavy hearts we had to cancel this event, the youth are our future, and they deserve the opportunity to showcase their skills in the arena,” said James Higginbotham, NHSRA executive director, “Their health is our top concern and one of the main factors we are discussing when planning a safe event for these competitors at the 2020 National High School Finals Rodeo. If any modifications are made to the event, we will share that information on our website and social media platforms.”