By: Julia Dondero
Entering the 2023 CINCH World Championship Junior Rodeo (WCJR) presented by Montana Silversmith, Briar White had his eyes set on taking home only two WCJR titles. After months of consistent nominations, White was determined to take home the titles he had diligently worked towards.
Throughout the week, White stuck to his plan of making clean, consistent runs. Before the WCJR, White explained his mindset was to focus on each go at a time.
“I am going just to do my best to rope and tie my calf at hand and see how it all plays out,” explained the 15-year-old Oklahoma native.
With a commanding 8.00 seconds to take the Round 1 win, White continued to play his cards right and left the Lazy E Arena victoriously. In the following days, White continued to dominate the pack, and with a repeat victory in Round 2, he found himself atop the average leaderboard when the dust settled.
“The week went as I had hoped. I just took it one round at a time, and it feels great to have this win,” White explained as he reflected on maintaining his lead throughout the competitive pack of Tie Down Ropers.
This commanding performance in the youth tie-down roping also furthered his lead in the all-around race. With the conclusion of the 2023 WCJR, White writes his name in the history books, taking home both the All Around and Tie Down Roping titles.
“It feels great to take this win home. I’ve worked hard all year to nominate, and it feels great to accomplish my goals,” said White.
The calm, cool, and collected cowboy left the Lazy E Arena as a top money earner atop his trusted calf horse, “Bucky.” White and “Bucky” have spent much of their careers together and now work together like clockwork. The duo has been unstoppable for the past nine years and has only continued to grow. White explained, “He does the same thing every time and makes my job a lot easier; he’s a great, reliable horse.”
Looking forward to the upcoming Division Youth nomination period, White already has his eyes set on the next event. “I plan to continue to nominate, and I can’t wait for the next Divison Youth event. The WCJR week was great, and I look forward to competing here again.”
