On your mark, get set—and Darby Fox and Haillie Taylor are off in their quest for the all-around girls' championship of the 5th District High School rodeo circuit for spring 2011.
Glenns Ferry cowgirl Fox and Wood River High School junior Taylor were the leading female point-getters during last weekend's two-day rodeo at Glenns Ferry—first of five circuit stops prior to district finals May 27-28 at Shoshone.
Taylor won a breakaway roping go-around at Glenns Ferry with a quick 3.780-second ride. Fox (17.116 seconds) and Taylor (17.787) placed 1-2 in Friday's first go-round in barrel racing. They paired in team roping to take first place Friday with a 18.150-second ride.
When the dust settled, Fox finished with a weekend-best 68 points including 20 points for two wins in polebending, 18 in the barrels and 13 goat tying. Taylor (52 points) was in second with 18 in the barrels, 13 poles and 11 in breakaway.
In third place in the early standings is Jade Gorrell of Glenns Ferry (43). Last spring's girls' circuit winner Valene Lickley of Valley was the best of anyone in the goats (19 points), but remained in fifth place after one rodeo with 36.
Lickley, Fox and Taylor placed 1-2-3 in last year's district all-around girls' race.
Carey's Taylor Castle picked up a point with a 10th place in Friday's first go-round of polebending (23.939 seconds) and she missed scoring with an 11th place in Friday's barrel racing, with a 18.814-second time. Also competing in barrels and poles was Carey's Dani Hennefer.
Leading the men after one rodeo is last year's runner-up cowboy Garrett Webb of Wendell (29 points) over Cody Jones of Richfield (25).
Here is the district schedule, all Friday rodeos 7 p.m. and Saturday evenings 5 p.m.:
April 22-23 at Jerome; April 29-30 at Gooding; May 6-7 at Shoshone; May 13-14 at Blaine County Fairgrounds in Carey; and district finals Friday, May 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 28 at noon in Shoshone.
State high school rodeo is June 14-18 at Bannock County Fairgrounds in Pocatello.
Cutting dates, Tuesdays at 5 p.m., are April 19 and May 10 are Gooding's Shu Fly Arena, and May 17 at Annie Reynolds Arena in King Hill.
