This time last year, Moffat County’s Jolene Rhyne was walking around with a knee brace, a little tentative about her future in the rodeo arena.

But a good weekend at home capped off a season that proved she’s got plenty left to offer in the sport.

Rhyne finished the Colorado State High School Rodeo Association state finals as the reserve champion in goat tying, locking down a qualification for the national event later this summer.

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The finals, held at Moffat County Fairgrounds across Memorial Day weekend, were the last opportunity for Rhyne and other competitors to rise up through the ranks. She was right on the cusp of the top four in the event (those who will move on to nationals) heading into the short go round, but she made a point of staying unaware of that fact.

“I don’t check the points throughout the season, just at the beginning and end,” Rhyne said. “I didn’t know how I was sitting coming into it, but the short round is run shortest to fastest, so obviously I saw that part of it. I don’t want to worry about points, I just want to make my runs as best as I can and hope that they’re solid.”

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She had her best time Sunday at 7.38 seconds and stayed on par with that in the Monday go, edging out Durango’s Shylene Drumm for the day at 7.46 seconds to Drumm’s 7.47. Drumm finished as state champ in overall points, with Rhyne finishing second both days — as well as runner-up in the average.

“I didn’t change anything up,” Rhyne said. “I had two really good first rounds and was talking with my mom like, ‘I could fix this, I could fix that, but I’ll just go out there and make the same run.'”

Rhyne added that she was feeling confident about the animals being used because as CSHSRA’s student board president, she had a hand in making sure they were quality goats.

She had more trouble in the state rounds for breakaway roping, though she wasn’t expecting those results to be as positive.

“Goats has always been my main event I enjoy breakaway, and I’ve been working at it a lot more lately,” Rhyne said. “I had a goal of catching 80 percent of my calves this season, and I did that. State might not have gone perfectly for me, but I was happy with my season in that. My fall season was pretty rough in that, and I knew I wouldn’t have a perfect spring, but I wanted to improve a little bit.”

While she’s gone to the big time for middle school events, this is the first occasion Rhyne has qualified for the high school nationals, as the past two seasons were a bit frustrating.

“My freshman year, I was one point out in goats and last year I tore my ACL, so this is the first year I’ve had a good chance at it.”

Injuring her knee in winter 2022, Rhyne was unable to do much last spring — and heading into the following fall, there was some uncertainty.

“It wasn’t the ACL that really hurt, it was the spot they took the tendon from to replace it,” Rhyne said. “I wore the brace for fall season and quit after that because I didn’t need it anymore. It didn’t hurt me, but I was still thinking about it since it wasn’t an easy recovery. I was just excited to be able to tie, and I took that mentality and thought, ‘whatever happens, I can tie, and I’m thankful for that.’ Because goats is such a mental event, my parents helped me with more than I could know in practice and outside. They helped me tremendously.”

Rhyne was the only Moffat County rodeo athlete to get to nationals, but others were painfully close.

Sophomore Myka Grajeda finished the year fifth in barrel racing. The first round at state saw her gain a cut on her leg after connecting with the first barrel of the run.

“I was very bummed, but I continued to push my horse and finished strong even though I knew I was not going place,” Grajeda said. “Once my adrenaline calmed down, I realized my leg was hurting pretty bad. I didn’t think much of it just because I’ve hit barrels before and it feels the same, but as I looked, I noticed it was a nasty cut and that I needed stitches.”

Grajeda wound up getting a staple for the wound, and fought through breakaway and team roping events that day.

“I took my mind off it when it was time to perform,” she said.

After gaining no points despite a good run in the second round — which she described as “devastating” — Grajeda placed seventh in the short go and ninth in the average, ultimately only two points out of fourth in the final tally.

The outcome wasn’t what she wanted — though it’s motivated her for the next shot, with next season seeing her brother Jesse move up to high school alongside her.

“I am really looking forward to this fall because I am going to push super-hard to get high in the standings, so when I come into spring I’m sitting really good and have a huge chance to go to nationals,” Grajeda said.

Maybell’s Cactus Barnes was likewise very close in the team roping as he and partner Maci York, of Meeker, took sixth overall, despite a boost in the final go that saw them place fourth.

Senior Katie Jo Knez also put up a fight in the last weekend of the season, ending up seventh in goats and having the best luck among her teammates in the breakaway, placing third in the short go — Grajeda took fourth in that round — and placing 11th overall.

With her MCHS graduation ceremony being a part of the weekend, Knez said that while she wished her senior season had finished differently, she’s on to the next level — including competing at Texas’s South Plains College.

“It didn’t go as planned, goats got up to win some rounds and calves were missed that could’ve taken me to nationals,” Knez said. “However, I can’t change what is not meant be, so I just have to move on and become strong in the pro rodeo season this summer and get ready for college rodeo.”

Rhyne said she and Knez’s close relationship took on a new meaning when they were both recovering from ACL injuries alongside each other, and seeing her move on is tough.

“I’ve never had a high school season without Katie Jo, and two of my other closest friends graduated this year,” Rhyne said. “I can still watch them in college, and I know they’ll support me from where they are.”

Besides nationals — set for mid-July in Rock Springs, Wyoming — Rhyne said she will be attending some CPRA events with older brother Pepper, as well as prepping for senior year.

“After nationals, there’s still another season, and I’ll be ready for it.”