Four locals to compete as TJHRA Finals return to Gonzales this Saturday

The Texas Junior High Rodeo Association Finals come back home to Gonzales with opening ceremonies to be held this Saturday, May 24.

More than 1,500 people are expected (contestants and their families) are expected to take part in the TJHRA Finals, bringing with them more than 800 horses and 450 RVs. When they come for the eight-day event, which spans from May 24 through May 31, they will encounter more than 25 working directors and personnel and more than 30 on-site vendors.

The event brings a huge economic boost to the Gonzales community as these visitors shop in local businesses, eat at local restaurants and some even stay in the local hotels and motels during this period.

Four Gonzales residents will represent their hometown in the finals this year: Rhett Richter, Emme Albert, Mark Martinez and Cash Rathmann.

Richter is a two-time qualifier and will be competing in the team roping, breakaway roping and ribbon roping. Rhett will be on the head side in the team roping and his partner, Rylan Brooks, will rope the heel side. In the ribbon roping, Rhett will rope the calf and his partner will grab the ribbon off the calf and time will stop when she runs across the line.

Rhett attends school at Emmanuel Christian Academy. When he is not arena, some of his hobbies are hunting, golfing and working cows.

Albert is a three-time qualifier and will be competing in the breakaway roping and goat tying. In the goat tying, Emme will ride her horse at a fast speed down to the end of the arena where the goat is held, she will dismount from her horse while it is still running.

She then grabs the two back legs and one front leg and uses her goat string to tie them. Her fastest time so far has been 8.2 seconds. When she is not rodeoing, her hobbies are making tack for her horses and roping the dummy to improve her skills. Emme attends Acellus Homeschooling Program.

Martinez competed in his first year of junior high rodeo and qualified in chute dogging, breakaway, goat tying and team roping. In the breakaway, Mark will rope the calf as fast as he can, once the calf is roped the rope will pop off of his saddle horn and that is when the time will stop.

Mark attends Gonzales Junior High School. His hobbies include football, baseball, track, tennis, and he also enjoys fishing. Most of all though, he loves to swing a rope.

Rathmann also competed in junior high rodeo and qualified in chute dogging and team roping. Mark and Cash are partners for team roping, Mark is on the head side and Cash is one the heel side. In the chute dogging, there is a steer in the chute, Cash will wrap his arms around the steers horns. He will nod for the gate, and it will swing open. Cash will then try to get steer on his side.

It is very hard to as the steer is very strong and trying to get away from him. Time will stop once Cash gets the steer to the ground and all four feet are in the air. Cash enjoys showing steers, basketball, baseball, football, golf tennis and hanging out with his family.

The event will be livestreamed on TJHRA’s YouTube page and will be broadcast on the Cowboy Channel.

For more information about the junior high finals please visit: https://www.tjhra.net.

For volunteer opportunities, contact the JB Wells Office at 830-672-6558.