By: Justin Hargrove, NTCC Assistant Athletic Director
Back in early April, Coach Justin Hampton was contacted by Luke Branquinho and the PBR to help with testing for the upcoming Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo held in conjunction with the PBR Finals in Arlington, Texas. The Rock N Rodeo would use a unique format with a lighting system similar to drag racing to start the timed events. Also unique, was competitors would be on six teams and competition would be simultaneous with two competitors going against each other in the same arena at the same time. The Rodeo would be bracket style for the teams with the winning team winning $500,000 to be split amongst the 16 competitors and two coaches.
NTCC Rodeo coaches and athletes would head out to the Priefert Ranch where the PBR and Priefert’s had set up equipment to test in a Rodeo environment. For the Rodeo, they put together six teams, five which were selected draft style by the coaches and one team made up of competitors based on recent placement in Pro Rodeos. Little did we know one of our Eagle Rodeo Athletes would become a team member on the Free Riders Team coached by Bobby Mote and Linsay Rosser-Sumpter.
Makenzie Mayes, Eagle Barrel Racer and Breakaway Roper, has been on fire lately and she was added to the team for the Barrel Racing event. After an opening set of songs by Kid Rock and Jelly Roll, Makenzie was the first competitor out and won her round, then came back in the finals to pick up the Team Free Riders first Gold medal of the night. After all events were done, Team Free Riders competed against Team Misty Mountain Hop in the finals head to head. The first team to 4 wins out of the 7 events would win. Both teams went back and forth with the head to head competition and it came down to the final event, barrels. Makenzie was selected by her team to go for the gold and she once again stepped up to the plate and brought home the Gold for Team Free Riders. Kid Rock finished off the night with a concert after the Rodeo.
This was a great experience for all our NTCC Rodeo Athletes from getting the extra practice with the testing of the equipment, to cheering on a teammate at the Inaugural Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo. NTCC Rodeo is blessed to have local partners like Priefert to help enhance our student athletes experience while competing for the Eagles.
