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Rodeo success

By OBHS | Posted: Tuesday April 25, 2023

Congratulations to OBHS students Will Tisdall and Chris Ure on their selection to represent the South Island in the New Zealand NZRCA Inter Island Youth Challenge 2023.

The New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association ran a New Zealand high schools North vs South Rodeo competition at two rodeos in January in the North Island in Wairoa and Upper Mohaka, followed by two rodeos in the South Island in February at Waimate and Maniototo.

High School representatives from around the country were selected from the NZRCA National youth competitors to represent their Island in a NZ High School teams challenge, competing to take away the title of "Top Island".

Youth were selected by external selectors based on performance and contribution to the sport leading up to and throughout the Christmas period. It was a tightly fought challenge, with the South Island narrowly coming out on top. The South attained 600 points while the North attained 560 points. The aim of the challenge was to create lifelong friendships, learn new skills, and develop camaraderie and a positive team culture. It was an opportunity to showcase skills for further team selections with the added bonus of some healthy competition in trying to secure the best possible times and scores to help their teams progress on the points tally.

A number of our rangatahi were also lucky enough to have been given some excellent coaching from some of the country’s top sportsmen and women in our sport of Rodeo. They covered a number of disciplines such as bull riding, steer riding, barrel racing, break-away roping, horsemanship skills, and wellbeing and health coaching. Up in the North Island they attended a week long youth development camp between the Wairoa and Upper Mohaka Rodeos.

From this selection of youth, a New Zealand High School Trans-Tasman team will be selected to represent New Zealand in Australia later in the year. They will compete against the Australian High School representative team. Good luck to all the following rangatahi and congratulations on your selection for your Island representative team.

NZ High School participants selected for their Island representative teams were:

Barrel Racing:

South Island:

  • Pyper Sarginson - Columba College

  • Sky Sanders - Dunstan High School

  • Livi Sarginson - Columba College

  • Lexie Nisbitt - Waimea College

  • Chloe Lilley - (RESERVE) Darfield High School

North Island:

  • Riley Wood - Home Schooled

  • Maria Morgan Rangi

  • Danika Fuller - Hamilton Girls High School

  • Lylah Wood - Home Schooled

  • Naira Snowsill (RESERVE) - Huanui College

2nd Division Bulls

South Island:

  • Will Tisdall - Otago Boys' High School

  • Chris Ure - Otago Boys' High School

  • Beau Armstrong – Christ’s College - rode for the North Island team

  • Laine Lilley - Darfield High School

North Island:

  • Troy Valois

Novice Bull:

South Island:

  • Ricki Jones – Christ’s College

  • Dustin Nisbett - Waimea College

North Island:

  • Will Potts - New Plymouth Boys High School

  • Leroy Pertab

  • Ty Blake

  • Cash Parsons

  • Regan Star Ruru

Junior Steer

North Island:

  • Maia Oxenham - Te Awamutu College

Break Away

South Island:

  • Dustin Nisbett - Waimea College

  • Sky Sanders - Dunstan High School

  • Ricki Jones – Christ’s College

North Island:

  • Will Potts - New Plymouth Boys High School (Rope and Tie)

  • Olivia Retimana - Westlake Girls High School

  • Riley Woods - Home Schooled

  • Lylah Woods - Home Schooled

Top 4 points winners in each event, in order:

Barrel Racing: Pyper Sarginson, Sky Sanders, Riley Woods, Lylah Woods

2nd Div Bulls: Beau Armstrong, Chris Ure, Will Tisdall, Laine Lilley

Novice Bulls: Ricki Jones, Dustin Nesbit, Leroy Pertab, Will Potts, Regan Star Ruru

Break Away: Will Potts, Dustin Nesbit, Riley Woods, Olivia Retimana