Competing all season as an independent, Stephanie Vogel qualified to compete at the National High School Finals Rodeo, July 24-30 in Springfield, Ill.

The senior-to-be earned a position on the Colorado high school rodeo team and will be traveling to compete at the 52nd NHSFR. No information has been received to the Cortez Journal regarding the Ute Mountain Rodeo team.

Vogel qualified at the Colorado High School Finals Rodeo in Greeley recently. She will compete at nationals in girls cutting.

State was very interesting, she commented, after placing second in the short go and finishing second (average).

"It rained the day of the first and second go-round so the outdoor arena was sloppy," she said. "The first go went pretty good. The cattle were really wild. I did pretty well the first go. I placed first. The first one I cut was soft (they don’t want to move much). The next I cut was wild but it showed my horse off (Dynamite Mark Doc). I went back for a third one and that one was good.

"The second go was not very good. I didn’t score very well and I did not place. I also was the last one to go. Eight girls had gone before me and most of them did well. But I still qualified for the short go. I drew up last because I was sitting first. I scored a 72 which put me in second place."

Vogel, who attends Montezuma-Cortez High School, also barrel races. She did not qualify for nationals in that event.

She attended several rodeos throughout the fall and spring seasons. She participated in rodeos at Cortez and Montrose last fall. She took first one day and fourth the next in cutting at Montrose. She participated in rodeos at Cortez, Pueblo and Rifle. She placed first and second at Rifle and first one day at Pueblo. She also took first all three days at Lamar.

Stephanie has only been cutting since her freshman year and has been barrel racing longer.

Vogel said she likes barrel racing but not as much as cutting.

When not competing at prep rodeos, she has been going to some cuttings. Stephanie has traveled to Las Vegas, N.M., and several Colorado cities for competitive cutting events.

Before heading to Springfield on July 23, she will practice several hours.

"I will ride almost every day. I will practice at least once or twice a week with my coach in Ignacio. I will try to go to a couple small cuttings," she added.

She will join other Colorado cowboys and cowgirls who have qualified for nationals and more than 1,500 other contestants who hail from 38 states and four Canadian Provinces, and for the first time some from Australia at the world’s largest rodeo. They will be vying for the honor to be named National High School Rodeo Champion. To earn this title, contestants must finish in the top 20 after two go-rounds of competition before advancing to Sunday’s final performance. The finals will be televised national by the Outdoor Channel with 18 one-hour shows beginning Aug. 23 and lasting until Sept. 6.

Vogel plans on rodeoing next school year. She wants to attend Colorado State University and major in either marketing or journalism.