When something rubs one the wrong way, it’s said to ‘get your goat.’
Not getting a goat, however, probably irks Quincy Morgan-Montoya more than most irritants.
After establishing herself as a prime contender in the 2023 National High School Finals Rodeo’s goat-tying event, the Hesperus cowgirl and Mancos High School student-athlete closed out her week in Gillette, Wyoming, a top-five finisher.
Through one go-round, she found herself in sixth place (out of 160 entrants) after clocking a 7.45 – only 0.28 behind leader Hannah Fullmer of Logandale, Nevada – on her first of two guaranteed attempts. Slightly slower in the second go by just 0.13 of a tick, Morgan-Montoya still placed 12th (Tyra Tsosie of Crownpoint, New Mexico, posted a leading 6.85) and clinched a spot in the deciding ‘short’ go Saturday, July 22.
Regaining almost all the time she’d misplaced during her second try, coming the morning of the 20th, Morgan-Montoya left the CAM-PLEX Event Center sharing third place in the session – she and Hailey Burger of Helena, Montana, successfully snared their respective goats in 7.46 seconds – but was third alone in the average.
Thanks to a go-winning 7.13, Canadian Faith Lundberg of Nanton, Alberta, also won the average with a three-try total time of 22.21 seconds. Fifth in the short go with a 7.54, Tarzan, Texas’ Jessi Everett ended up with 22.33/3 figures, and Morgan-Montoya followed at 22.49/3. Burger (22.67) finished fourth, while a 13th-place 8.43 in the short go dropped Hereford, Texas’ Lucy Richards (23.16) down to fifth.
Tied for 70th in the first go with a 9.29, Codi Reed of Aztec, New Mexico, then tied Alyssa Clark of Wray for 45th in the second with an improved 8.39, but neither advanced to the short go counting at most the top-20 hopefuls.
Also an NHSFR qualifier in breakaway roping, Morgan-Montoya experienced more difficulty by comparison, and did not make the specialty’s short go. She initially posted a 4.93, ranking 90th out of 115 successful first-go attempts – including the leading 1.97 registered by Kieley Walz of Ainsworth, Nebraska. Walz then won the second go with a 1.95 while Morgan-Montoya, despite recording a quicker 4.53, ended up 85th (out of 105) and out of the running to see Saturday night.
All told, Colorado piled up 2,215 points and placed sixth in the girls’ team standings – led by Texas (4,680), Utah (4,040) and Oklahoma (3,491.66) – with New Mexico (1,255) finishing 18th.
Aztec’s Mitchell Story was unable to record a score in the first go-round of saddle bronc action (Traven Sharon of Ordway, Colorado, and Fowler High School. posted a leading 80), but managed to get on the scoreboard during the second with a 67 – tying him with Jasper Frost of Browns Valley, California, for 14th place behind Morgan, Utah’s Hayz Madsen (77).
Ultimately, Jase Stout of Decatur, Texas, won the short go with a 77-point ride, but finished third in the average (220/3) behind New Underwood, South Dakota’s Eastan West (221) and Prineville, Oregon’s Shane Scott (222.5). Falling between Sharon’s brother Waitley (70/1) and Quirt Carroll (65) of Galeton/Eaton High School, Story landed in 34th place. Traven Sharon (80/1) took 29th and Frost (135/2) 18th.
In team roping, often a coed event, Kayson Shahan of Chromo (Pagosa Springs High School) teamed with Tylee DeHerrera of La Jara to clock a 9.38 in the first go, good enough for 22nd overall behind the leading 6.34 achieved by Mississippi’s Brady Garner and Tyler Porter. New Mexico’s Laramie Martinez (Aztec) and Dylan Rector (Bloomfield), meanwhile, posted a 56th-place 22.43.
Going into the Friday night session, however, their fortunes had improved; a 13.22 had them sitting 25th in the second go. Shahan/DeHerrera, however, would post a 9.76 – good for 28th while helping bump Martinez/Rector’s effort down to 37th. In the end, Shahan/DeHerrera ranked 15th in the average (only 10 pairs advanced to the short go) with their total time of 19.14 seconds. Martinez/Rector (35.65) placed 27th, while Arizona’s Rawley Ben, Jr., and Porter Bryant (22.97 on three tries) earned first.
In the final boys’ team standings at the 75th NHSFR, Colorado totaled 3,405 points and placed fifth behind Iowa (3,545), Wyoming (3,565), Utah (5,545) and Texas (7,825). New Mexico tallied 3,226.66 and ranked seventh.
Amassing 12,505 points overall, Texas won the combined championship. Utah (9,585) and South Dakota (6,305) followed, pursued by Oklahoma (6,161.66), Colorado (5,620), Wyoming (5,420), Idaho (5,046) and New Mexico (4,421.66).
