Chadron State Rodeo preps for home opener

CSC to host 12 teams for the first competitive meet since the pandemic

Chadron State College will have its first competition this semester as the rodeo team prepares to host 12 teams for slack and performance events next weekend from Sept. 11–13, at the Dawes County Fairgrounds.

Along with track and field, wrestling, golf and softball, the rodeo team saw its season get cut short due to COVID-19, but members on the team are ready for competition this fall.

“It’s pretty great honestly,” Fifth-year Senior Tate Petrak, of Martin, South Dakota, said. “Rodeo, just even across the United States, is about the only event that’s even going on right now. I think it’s because it’s an event that you’re not in close quarters and you can keep your distance and stuff. It’s pretty great to be able to do what we love to do and compete with the best. Everyone is really looking forward to it just in the fact that all the summer events that would usually happen didn’t happen.”

Petrak is one of the few fifth-year seniors returning with added eligibility granted by the NCAA while the team welcomes in six freshmen.

“It was kind of a tough recruiting year, but I got some freshmen that are pretty good standouts that will step up to the plate and do pretty good,” Head Rodeo Coach Dustin Luper said. “My dad always told me, ‘If you don’t have the best horse, you got to work harder than the guy that’s got the best horse.’ So we’re just going to work hard at it and hope at the end of the day when the fat lady sings, we are on top.”

Because of the sport’s naturally distanced and outdoor environment, no special precautions or capacity limitations will be enforced at next weekend’s event, instead, attendants are encouraged to wear facemasks.

While no specific schedules are currently available, Friday, Sept. 11, slack events like barrel racing and roping are expected to begin at 1 p.m. and performance events will begin at 7 p.m. to conclude the first day. On Saturday, slack events will resume at 8 a.m. and performance at 7 p.m. On Sunday, a cowboy church service will be held at 8 a.m. and finals will begin at 10 a.m.

Next weekend’s rodeo will feature a CSC team made of plenty of newcomers, but also experienced collegiate athletes.

“There’s a handful of kids who made it to the high school finals and did pretty well there this summer, so there’s definitely some young talent coming up,” Petrak said. “Then there are the old guys on the team like myself and the fifth-year seniors, they still tried to rodeo this summer and never really missed a beat, so we are just coming in ready to go.”