NIRA Rodeo Team News
View Northark's current standings at: http://www.collegerodeo.com
News: In the past four years the Northark men’s college rodeo team has been ranked in the top twenty in the national standings, twice and has had students ranked in the top ten in the regional standings in all three roughstock events (bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding) and in all three timed events (tie down calf-roping, steer wrestling, and team roping). The first was the 2006-2007 men’s team, which consisted of Payden Emmett, who was the first pioneer cowboy to not only qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) but was the 2nd go-round champion tie-down calf roper, with the fastest time in the tie-down roping at the 2007 CNFR (8.2 seconds).
Photo by Dan Hubbell
In our 2008-2009 season, North Arkansas College graduate, Luke Dotson of Hindsville, AR was the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Ozark Region Reserve Champion Bull rider, which qualified him to represent North Arkansas College at the 2009 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyoming. In 2008 Luke won the Mississippi State University’s college rodeo, our North Arkansas College Richard R. Hudson college rodeo, Southern Arkansas University, and Troy State University, in 2009 Luke won the University of Arkansas’ college rodeo and sealed his opportunity to go to the CNFR. Luke finished his Associate of Science in Agriculture, Food and Life Science with an emphasis in Agriculture Education and has transferred to the University of Arkansas, where he will continue his pursuit of a bachelor degree in Agriculture Education.
Photo by Dan Hubbell