Roper earns title
BRAWLEY — A little more than one week ago, Brawley teen Cailee Roper competed at the California High School State Finals Rodeo in Bishop.
Roper competed against eight other district champions beginning on June 9 and was evaluated in a variety of categories including testing, personal interview, speech, impromptu question, horsemanship and appearance.
The Brawley Union High student won six of the eight categories and was crowned the 2017 Miss California High School Rodeo Queen on June 16.
Roper has participated in the California High School Rodeo Association Circuit for the past four years, including the Jr. High Division. She competes in barrels, pole bending and was crowned the CHSRA District 8 Queen for the second year in a row in May.
Roper is no stranger to the winner’s circle, having also earned the title of Cattle Rodeo Teen Queen in 2013. As the new state title holder, Roper has earned herself a position on the California National High School Rodeo Team and will be traveling with fellow teammates to Gillette, Wyoming in just three weeks to compete in the 69th Annual National High School Finals Rodeo in the NHSRA Queen competition.
Roper will be competing against 48 other contestants from throughout the United States and other countries. The NHSFR is the world’s largest rodeo and will welcome more than 1,750 contestants from 43 states, five Canadian Provinces and Australia. The contestants will be competing for more than $200,000 in prizes and more than $350,000 in college scholarships and the chance to be named a NHSFR World Champion.
This year, the Championship performance, July 22, will be televised nationally as part of the Cinch High School Rodeo Tour telecast series on RFDTV.Live broadcasts of each NHSFR performance will also air online at NHSRATV.com. While the local athlete is excited to represent her hometown, district and state, the trip to Wyoming will be a costly one. As a result, a group of local supporters have organized a fundraiser for Roper to take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Stockmen’s Club in Brawley.
The public is encouraged to attend to meet the Queen, hear her award winning speech and participate in the Silent Auction. In addition to her time spent on her horse and the arena, Roper is President of the BUHS Rodeo Club, a member of Jr. Fairboard and a part-time dance instructor and receptionist at Ooh La La Dance Studio. For more information on Roper or the upcoming fundraiser, contact Alexis Chalupnik at 760-550-4022 or alexis.lynn. brown@gmail.com