The contestants gripped the wool, took a deep breath and then waited for the clattering of the chute gate as it opened.

The annual Clark County Fair and Rodeo Mutton Bustin’ rounded off another successful National Finals Mutton Bustin’, April 9-13. There were spills and thrills, grit and grace and tears and mud, but in the end, the lil’ cowboys and cowgirls had smiles on their faces, standing in the spotlight of one of the biggest shows of the event.
“That is what it is all about,” chute foreman and arena master Doug Brady said as he looked at the young competitors smiling and waving.

Each day of the competition was a separate contest with two qualifying sessions at 1 and 3 p.m. and a championship round at 5 p.m.

The rodeo clowns provided by youth in the valley offered laughs and acrobatic mishaps while the cheers got louder each day.

The event started on Wednesday with Hudson Poort Colon and local Stockton Logue each scoring a 90 in qualifying sessions. Logue went on to claim the championship belt buckle.

Thursday had another great showing from the young groups with local Bryce Arb getting a 93-point score and Emmitt Banuelos a 90 score in the first session. The second session saw the top three with scores in the 90s. The top score in the 3 p.m. qualifier was Alden Cruz with a 92, but close behind was Olen Eberling with a 91 and Kolt Fetherston with a 90. Alden Cruz dominated the championship, finishing with a 91 and a total score of 183.

Friday had another strong showing as the first qualifier saw Rhen Waldroup of Logandale with a 91 and Ophelia Guyette from Henderson with an 89. The 3 p.m. contest featured the week’s top scores: Wade Sheldon with a 94 and Kenzie Duke of Las Vegas with a 93.5. The championship round went to Sheldon.

The busiest day of the fair saw several tumbles. The biggest crowds of the week were highly supportive, with yells of encouragement to help Happytiger Morgan of Churchrock, New Mexico, tie the best score of the week with a 94 score. In the same first qualifier, rider Steel Hardy held onto the sheep even when it rammed into the steel of the gate. His tenacity earned him a 93.5. In the second qualifier, Stoney Folkerts ran up a score of 90 after dedicating his ride to his recently passed grandfather, Ray Cortez of Mesquite. In the championship, Folkerts held up the buckle.

The last day brought in a lot of competitors from Las Vegas and St. George, with even one rider from Hawaii. The first session belonged to Jaxson Harms of Las Vegas with a 90 score. Adria Lopez and Derek Ebrahhimian, both of Las Vegas, tied for second with 87. The second qualifier for Sunday was Darren James of North Las Vegas with 92.

There was also a 90-point ride by Amos Campbell of Henderson. In the championship round at 5 p.m., Campbell recorded a 92. This gave him an aggregate score of 182 to be crowned the last Mutton Bustin’ Champ of the Clark County Fair and Rodeo in 2025.

The mutton bustin’ management group, including coordinator Randall Dalley, gave thanks to all of those who made the event possible, including the clowns, gate staff, judges, emcees, timers and scorers and, of course, the Miss Rodeo Wilderness Circuit Jenessa Sullivan and Miss Rodeo Nevada Cyd Curle. Thanks also went to sponsors BEX, Lin’s Marketplace and Olson Precast.

A huge thank you to professional rodeo clown Justin Rumford as the announcer and part of the entertainment for the week.

As the sun set on the fair, the mutton bustin’ arena was broken down and loaded up. Youth walked out with their eyes full of excitement, ready to be back and mount up again for another ride of their lives. Until next year, happy trails.