Contestants competed in saddle bronc riding, bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, calf roping, team roping and breakaway roping. Georgia cowboys and cowgirls rose to the top of the leader board over contestants from 10 other states earning championship titles in four of eight events. The Georgia champions were:
•Clint Thomas (Ranger, Ga.) and Chris Neil (Muldrow, Okla.) (Tied) – Tie Down Roping
•Lance Ethridge (Franklin, Ga.) – Bareback Champion
•(Header) Casey Hilley (Winder, Ga.) and (Heeler) Ben Gambrell (West Union, S.C.) – Team Roping Champions
•Amanda McGinnis (Jonesboro, Ga.) – Barrel Racing Champion
Proceeds from the Walt Walden Memorial Rodeo will benefit several Henry County organizations including A Friends House, Henry County 4-H Hindquarters Club and Henry County 4-H Hoofbeats Horse Club.
Also during the four-day event, hosted by the Henry County Rodeo Association and the International Professional Rodeo Association, Walt Walden Scholarships were presented to Curt Mosley, of Dalton, Ga., a freshman at Howard College in Big Springs, Texas, and Marli Davis, of Norman Park, Ga., a freshman at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga. Mosley and Davis were each awarded a $750 scholarship based on grades, sportsmanship, character and participation in the Georgia High School Rodeo Association.
Traci Walden-Monroe, the former wife of the late Walt Walden (a champion calf and team roper), heads up the scholarship committee for the rodeo. Walden-Monroe said this year’s scholarship recipients exemplify the academic virtues and dedication to the sport that Walt Walden sought to instill in the young rodeo competitors he mentored. “Curt and Marli, are wonderful students and talented athletes who will serve as excellent ambassadors for the sport of rodeo for many years to come.”
Willett Honda South of Morrow was the lead sponsor of the rodeo for the third consecutive year. “It has been an honor to be part of an event that brings families and friends together for a weekend of fun, while at the same time giving back to the community and recognizing the academic and athletic achievement of young people” said Scott Willett, co-owner of Willett Honda South.
About Willett Honda South
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