By 605 Sports Staff

FORT PIERRE — The 2024 South Dakota High School Rodeo Rodeo finals could not have gotten off to a better start for Pierre’s Ryen Sheppick.

With the busy part of her schedule beginning Thursday, Sheppick came up big Wednesday when she won state titles in the girls cutting and reined cow horse competitions.

Girls cutting: Sheppick had scores of 141.5 and 144 and came out of the state finals with 59 points, ahead of Tolstoy’s Ramey Schack (140, 136 - 47 points) and Aberdeen’s Faith Fliehs (137, 134 - 44.5 points). Burke’s Piper Hanson (135, 139 - 44.0 points) and Huron’s Kayeleigh Bowden (126, 140 - 44 points) rounded out the top-five finishers.

Reined Cow Horse: Sheppick was even better in the reined cow horse competition winning  both go-rounds with scores of 294.5 and 287. She finished with a combined score of 581.5 points and 60 total points. Pine Ridge’s Chase Brunsch (283.5, 283, 565.5 - 54.5 points), Enning’s Jakob Long (276.5, 283, 569 - 54.5 points) and Winner’s Garret Philips (279, 264, 543 - 47 points are South Dakota’s national qualifiers in the reined cow horse event.

On Thursday Sheppick will compete in barrel racing, breakaway roping and pole bending. 

Boys Cutting: Isabel’s Rope Roghair had rounds of 146 and 138.5 and topped the rest of the field with 56.5 points. Smithwick’s Gabe Glines (137, 141 - 50.5 points), Hermosa’s Cody Dirkes (131, 140 - 50.5 points and St. Lawrence’s Clay Stevens (142, 140 - 49 points) will represent South Dakota at the National High School Finals Rodeo. 

Action from the state finals resumed Thursday morning at 9 a.m. with first go-round action.