Martin’s Weldon ready to ride onto national junior rodeo stage

Posted: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 12:00 pm

By RANDY CAVIN
Press Sports
One of Martin’s finest young rodeo stars will soon be embarking on journey to compete with the best in junior high school rodeo.
Summer Weldon will be performing in the Junior High School National Finals Rodeo to be held in Gallup, N.M., June 24-30.
She earned the  right to compete in the prestigious nationals after placing first in barrel racing, second in pole bending and fourth in ribbon roping in the Tennessee Junior High Division State Rodeo finals.
The top four competitors from each state qualify to complete in the 2012 NJHFR. There are 47 states and provinces that belong to the NJHFR.
Summer recently completed the eighth grade at Martin Middle School and is the daughter of Beth and Cameron Weldon. Her mother said Summer has been riding horses most of her life and has competed in numerous horse shows in the area.
“Her aunt and uncle have been involved in rodeo for many years and encouraged her to start competing competitively in rodeo,” Weldon said. “Summer’s favorite event is barrel racing. She and her horse, Jesse, have won many awards (and a lot of cash) barrel racing over the years.”
This is the third year for Summer to be competing in rodeos and regularly competes in the Tennessee Junior Rodeo, which has two rodeos per month that runs from March through December.
This is not the first time she has qualified for the NJHFR. She qualified last year in barrel racing but did not make the trip.
“It was a very long trip to make for one event,” Weldon said. “She worked hard this year and qualified in multiple events, so we decided that we definitely would go to compete.”
Created in 2004, the junior high division was established to bring the excitement of the sport to sixth, seventh and eighth graders and to serve as a feeder system into the high school ranks of the association.
Approximately 900 competitors show off their talents in the event and compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes. Since the first junior high finals were held in 2005, Gallup, New Mexico has served as the host site.
Summer has also been named as a member of the Cinch National Team. Her membership was based on her overall performance in the rodeos throughout the year.
“Summer was very excited to be named to the Cinch National Team,” Weldon said. “I am extremely proud of Summer’s year. In the regular junior division, she completed the year first in barrel racing, pole bending, and received the award for Reserve Champion All-Around Cowgirl. As Tennessee Junior Rodeo Queen, she feels that her accomplishments in the arena have shown that rodeo queens also are competitive cowgirls.
The national finals will air on RFD-TV. Published in The WCP 6.12.12