There’s more than one way to reach the top of the WCJR—Setzer and Hall proved it, winning world titles by two entirely different roads. At the World Championship Junior Rodeo, athletes make the show either through Virtual Rodeo Qualifier leaderboard seeding or by roping their way in through the Last Chance Qualifiers on site. Setzer took the seeded route. Hall took the last chance route.
Youth Division: Setzer’s Seeded Path
Saige Setzer, the 15-year-old phenom from Quitman, Arkansas, made her way to the WCJR via leaderboard standings after nominating virtual rodeos. This approach seeded her straight into the youth division semifinals on Friday afternoon.
“It’s indescribable,” she said. “It’s incredible how fast it was and how fun it was.”
Setzer took the win in the semifinals by laying down a 2.19-second run and followed that up with a 2.05 in the finals to win the round and the two-head aggregate at 4.24—good for $2,922 and the division title.
A win like this is no surprise when you break down how Setzer prepares for events like this.
“I practice in the practice pen and rope the dummy 200 times a day,” she said.
Her partner in the arena is a family horse, Four, who has finally gotten to join her string.
“He is 19 years old,” said Setzer. “We have had him since he was six and I finally got the chance to ride him—he was my mom’s, then my dad’s, now mine.”
Junior Division: Hall’s Last Chance Run
In the junior division, 18-year-old Bleu Hall took a different approach to securing her win. The Okmulgee, Oklahoma, native came up through the Last Chance Qualifiers that started Wednesday morning inside the Lazy E Arena.
After roping her way into the semifinals, Hall went a smoking 1.85 and followed with a 2.02 in the finals, winning the two-head aggregate at 3.87 and banking $5,046.
Hall credits her success to her equine partner, “Indiana Jones,” who she has had for three years.
“He is my heart horse,” she said. “He has brought me incredible lengths. He has gotten me to the next step to where I could win stuff like this.”
When it comes to winning events like the WCJR, Hall keeps it simple.
“I try not to change anything,” she said of her practice. “I think the way you practice is the way you rope. It’s important to always practice the same way you would compete and be consistent about it.”
Hall relies on a routine of having her mom in the box during high-pressure moments, which helps her stay focused on the task at hand: doing her job.
“It’s kind of second nature at this point,” Hall said. “I kind of black out.”
“I went back down there and I was like, ‘Mom, what did I see? How did I get out?’”
