Grant County sends 2 to National Rodeo
Dylan Beck, 14, of Moses Lake, participates in a rodeo event earlier this year. Beck will compete in the National Junior High Finals Rodeo next week in Gallup, N.M.
MOSES LAKE - Grant County will be well represented at next week's National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Gallup, N.M.
Moses Lake resident Dylan Beck, 14, will compete in chute dogging and breakaway roping during his first trip to nationals.
Austin Herrera, 13, also of Moses Lake, will compete in the event's goat tying competition, according to a recent Columbia Basin Herald article. It will be Herrera's second trip to the national competition.
Beck and his father Bennie start their journey to New Mexico Wednesday, said Beck's mother Chris Beck.
"They leave Wednesday morning because they have to drive and haul horses," she said. The competition starts June 23 and lasts about a week, she said.
"Dylan will compete four different times, and then if he makes it to the top 10 he'll go to the short round," said Beck.
About 900 competitors will be competing for thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes, according to the event's website.
Beck said in order to qualify for nationals, Dylan needed to rank in the top five of an event at the state level.
"He tied for fourth in chute dogging and placed second in breakaway roping," she said.
Beck said Dylan has been participating in junior rodeo events since he was 3. This is the first year he's participated in junior high rodeo, she said.
She said Dylan's interest in rodeo came as no surprise.
"Rodeo runs in the family," said Beck. "His dad did rodeo and his older brother Dakota did high school rodeo and even went to nationals a couple of times."
She said the family is excited to see how Dylan does in his first national competition.
"He gets to compete with people from all over the United States," she said. "It's a huge accomplishment."