Huntington Mutton Buster Sets Record at the Nacogdoches Rodeo

It was a packed house at the Nacogdoches Expo and Civic Center for the first night of the Nacogdoches Pro Rodeo on Thursday night. It was SFA night at the rodeo, and plenty of purple-clad cowboys and cowgirls filled the stands to watch events such as bull riding, barrel racing, bronc riding, steer wrestling, and many others.

The mutton busting championships take place at 7 each night, and this event is always one of the crowd favorites. 15 kids, ages 3 to 7, try their hand at staying on the back of a sheep. Thursday night, Cane Phillips, a 4-year-old, chaps-wearing cowboy from Huntington, made history. He rode a sheep called 'Dream Weaver' from the chute gate all the way to the fence boundary on the other end of the arena. His ride was good for 98 points, the highest-scoring mutton busting ride in the Expo Center's history.

Thursday night's riders included:

1. Brigham Barton, 7 - Tenaha
2. Bryce Barton, 5 - Tenaha
3. Mateo Castañeda, 3 - Nacogdoches
4. Mitchell Martines, 7
5. Rhett Long, 5 - Nacogdoches
6. Avery Whitton, 4 - Etoile
7. Cayson Cooper, 7 - Garrison
8. Hunter Balsz, 6 - Nacogdoches
9. Joel Guardado, 4 - Lufkin
10. Solomon Mooney, 5 - Nacogdoches
11. Cane Phillips, 4 - Huntington
12. Stetson Weems, 6 - Garrison
13. Rialy Holtzclaw, 6 - Nacogdoches
14. Grayson Lewis, 4 - Gary
15. Jack Badders, 6 - Nacogdoches

Friday, March 27th Riders

1. Paislylynn Acree, 5
2. Jace Garrett, 4
3. Noah Montes, 7
4. Slate Ward, 5 - Nacogdoches
5. Stone Carthel, 6 - Nacogdoches
6. Bear Carthel, 7 - Nacogdoches
7. Dixie Fletcher, 4 - Chireno
8. Kohen Kendrick, 5 - Nacogdoches
9. Colton Connolly, 7 - Center
10. Alaysia Whitaker, 4 - Nacogdoches
11. Lane Hughes, 4
12. Weston Stubblefield, 5 - Nacogdoches
13. Rip Johnson, 7, Garrison
14. Axton Caldwell, 6 - Center
15. Ivy Haley, 4 - Nacogdoches

Saturday, March 28th Riders

1. Salena Gardner, 7 - Lufkin
2. Elijah Trim, 5 - Nacogdoches
3. Emily Prater, 4 - Nacogdoches
4. Tilden Stokes, 6 - Garrison
5. Cooper Higginbotham, 6 - Chireno
6. Ezra Liles, 5 - Nacogdoches
7. Greyson Langston, 6 - Nacogdoches
8. Kase Hairgrove, 7 - Garrison
9. Chandler House, 5
10. Natanael Hernandez, 5 - Nacogdoches
11. Gentry Gaylord, 5 - Timpson
12. Braxton Foster, 7 - Nacogdoches
13. Sebastian Acevedo, 7 - Lufkin
14. Branch Miller, 6 - Nacogdoches
15. Molly Menefee, 4 - Etoile