TYRA state finals begins at J.B. Wells Arena today

GONZALES — The J.B. Wells Arena will be filled up once more with some rodeo action when the Texas Youth Rodeo Association’s (TYRA) finals come into town, with five cowhands representing Gonzales County this week.

Representing Gonzales is Kameron Glass who will be participating in bull riding on Thursday. Glass is currently fifth in the list of 10 cowboys of top bull riders all season.

A very busy cowgirl in Sadie Thibodeaux will be competing in the state finals in five events.

Thibodeaux will ride in junior girls’ figure eight, breakaway, goat tying, poles and ribbon roping.

She’s currently in third in the junior figure eight, with 1230 points, behind Bellville’s Jayci Byler with 1400 points and Lytle’s Kylie Mask with 1340 points. Right at fourth is Victoria’s Sage Spivey with 1095.

In breakaway, she sits at 18th with some room to maneuver with her 160 points.

At goat tying, Thibodeaux is eighth with her score of 590 points. She is also in eighth in junior poles with her score of 610 points.

As a runner in ribbon roping, Thibodeaux sits at 10th with 520 points.

In overall junior girls, she sits at fifth behind Byler, Mask, Madisonville’s Aly Ghormley and Utopia’s Madison Outhier.

Another cowgirl participating in the rodeo is Thibodeaux’s younger sister Audrey, who will be in the sub junior’s age group, riding in the figure eight competition, poles and cloverleaf.

She’s in 13th with 470 points in figure eight, 11th in poles with 580 points and 21st with 190 points in cloverleaf. Each event has room for her to move and finish the year strong. In the all around, she’s currently at ninth.

Nixon will be represented as well at the TYRA finals this week, with Brooke Hester competing in two events and Mile Svoboda in one.

Hester, in the senior girls’ age group, will be in breakaway and in team roping. In breakaway she’s sitting at 24th with 190 points. In team roping as a header she’s at 21st with 260 points.

Hester is currently 42nd overall in senior girls.

Svoboda will be taking on steer wrestling as his lone event. He’s currently in 10th in that event and 46th overall in junior boys.