It wasn’t a perfect day for McKenzie McBee, but in the end she did enough at the Missouri High School Rodeo state finals to qualify for the national finals in July, along with Laci Fuhlage and Campbell Cooper.

McBee, the MSHR student president from Higbee, was in third place going into the goat-tying finals and moved up to second place with a time of 8.39 second in the first round.

In the competition, the goat is tied to a stake with a ten-foot rope. The rider dismounts, catches the goat and ties three legs with string. Time stops when the participant throws up her hand and walks away, but the goat must remain sitting for another six seconds.

In the second round, McBee’s goat got up before the six-second limit. She had a time of 9.18 seconds in the short-go to finish fourth, which was the last place to advance.

“It was my senior year, so I was happy that at least I got to go,” McBee said. “I did not finish off where I wanted to, but the top four is better than being fifth.”

McBee finished ninth out of 43 in the MHSR overall standings.

Cooper, of Rocheport, finished third in the breakaway-roping standings and Fayette’s Fuhlage was fourth to qualify for nationals as well.

"I had a great finals in breakaway roping," Cooper said. "I went three for three on my break away calves, which landed me second in the average, securing my spot on the national team."

The second-place finish at the state finals put Cooper at third in the overall standings.  

"It's my honor and my privilege to get to represent Missouri at the national high school rodeo finals," she said.

Fuhlage had recently started using a new horse to get out a little quicker.

“It was good,” she said. “A little nerve-racking because she hadn’t been doing a lot of rodeos, but it’s OK, we got along.”

Fuhlage caught in one out of three attempts, with the second-fastest time in the first round for 13.5 points.

“You just try to get where you need to be, get good position and then get over (the calf),” Fuhlage said. “Really point your rope at it and let go.”

She ended up finishing 14 points ahead of the fifth-place contestant to advance to the national competition.

Fuhlage finished 15^th in the overall standings and Cooper was 19^th.

“It was a lot of hard work building up to that point, because you have to have good standing just to be able to go to finals and finish out,” she explained.

Her goal for nationals is to catch on both of her runs and make the short-go, but she appreciates how special it is to be in the small group of qualifers. Many participants spend long hours working with their animals, preparing to perform in the moments that count. 

“Great things like going to the national high school rodeo finals do not happen over night," Fuhlage said. "I have spent lots of hours practicing and mentally telling myself 'I am ready to win'.

"My fellow Missouri teammates will tell you the same thing. I am so honored to represent Missouri."

The National High School Rodeo  will take place July 17-23  at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma.