605 Sports Staff 

GILLETTE, Wyo. — Porcupine’s Jhett Knight needed a spectacular ride just to make the National High School Finals Rodeo. At the South Dakota High School Finals Rodeo in June, Knight won the short go with a ride of 76 points. His point total of 72.5 just edged Sturgis’s Kashton Ford for the fourth slot on the bareback riding group for Team South Dakota. 

Knight scored 67 points in the Thursday evening performance at the National High School Finals Rodeo. His current total of 134 points has the cowboy tied for 9th in the world with just a few performances remaining  in the second go round. 

The last 24 hours have seen some spectacular efforts from Team South Dakota.

Letcher’s Mason Moody won his performance in bull riding Thursday evening. The Letcher Cowboy is currently sitting No. 2 in the world headed to the short go. 

Jaysee Jones from Howes had a 9.1 effort in her second round of the goat tying competition.  Spearfish’s Brylee Grubb is in 7th place in the goat tying (16.53) with Jones in 8th place (16.54). 

Hayes’s Tommie Kay Martin finished 2nd in her performance of the pole bending but did not advance to the short go round. 

In the reined cow horse competition, Dallie Lawrence was 2nd in her performance. She is currently sitting 5th in the average (587.5)

Early Friday morning Hereford’s Thayne Elshere was third in his performance in the saddle bronc competition. Elshere is currently in second place, just three points behind Morgan Utah’s Hayz Madsen. 

The South Dakota girls are currently in 9th place. The South Dakota boys are up to 6th place and Team South Dakota is 7th in the team competition. 

South Dakota Performance Results: 

Barrel Racing: 

33. Mackenzie Wheelehouse, Pierre, 25.174

Bareback Riding: 

4. Jhett Knight, Porcupine, 67

Boys Cutting:

10. Paden Belkham, Blunt, 136

Bull Riding: 

1. Mason Moody, Letcher, 63

Girls Cutting:

14. Layni Stevens, St. Lawrence, 127

8. Macy Schiley, Meadow, 139

Goat Tying: 

7. Jaysee Jones, Howes, 9.1

Pole Bending: 

21. Kylie Wittnebel, Castlewood, 25.792

2. Tommie Kay Martin, Hayes, 20.082

Reined Cow Horse:

5. Landry Haugen, Sturgis, 290

12. Ryen Sheppick, Pierre, 281

2. Dallie Lawrence, Alzada, Mont., 296

Saddle Bronc

3. Thayne Elshere, Hereford, 72

Tie-down Roping:

8. Conner Herren, Crooks, 12.54

12. Grey Gilbert, Buffalo, 18.62