Editor's Note: The Rodeo Notebook will appear in Wednesday's Press throughout June and July.
All one has to do is look at the last name and it's easily apparent that Jori Gjermundson and Sadie Gjermundson can do pretty much anything they set their minds on accomplishing in a rodeo arena.
As the cousins from Richardton-Taylor High School -- and one heck of a rodeo-centric family -- head into the final stretch of the North Dakota High School Rodeo Association season, they once again find themselves in a friendly battle to find out who is the best all-around cowgirl.
And it's not just for family bragging rights. This time, the competition looks like it's shaping up to be a two-way battle for the state all-around title.
"We've always been competitive throughout all of our lives," said Jori, who graduated from RTHS on May 23. "It'll be good to see who wins."
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Buoyed by a win in the goat tying at Monday's Dickinson High Memorial Day rodeo, Sadie took a big leap in the all-around standings. The junior leads her cousin by 19 points with 201.5 with only two performances left in the regular season.
The NDHSRA finals begin June 19 in Bowman and consist of two long rounds on Friday and Saturday and a short round on Sunday.
It's a solid bet the Gjermundsons will be competing all three days.
"I say we can win anything," Jori said. "It's wide open, the all-around."
In the breakaway roping, Sadie is third and Jori is 16th. In the goat tying, Sadie is fifth and Jori is sixth. In the pole bending, Jori is eighth and Sadie is 11th.
In the team roping, Jori and her partner, Tate Harris, should easily make the season-ending top 20 and quailifty for the state finals. Sadie and Hannah Rodne, meanwhile, still have a little work to do over the next couple rodeos.
Jori also has a shot at the finals in the barrel racing.
The duo are both in contention in the cow cutting as well. Sadie trails leader Morgan Hauge of New Town by half a point and Jori is in third place.
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Sadie said the duo's goal for the rest of the month is simply to win.
"Push down harder on the pedal," Sadie said, "just make sure you don't do anything wrong."
Last season, Sadie finished as the state's runner-up in the all-around to Bobbi Grann while Jori was in the thick of the race until late in the season.
The competition between the two won't end with the high school rodeo season either. There are always North Dakota Rodeo Association and Roughrider Rodeo Association events this summer. Plus, they're already thinking about what college competition will be like.
While Sadie has one more year of high school left, Jori is following in her father's footsteps. She plans to attend Dickinson State in the fall, the same place her dad, former saddle bronc riding world champion Brad Gjermundson, honed his skills.
Etc.
- Dickinson's Shaun Stroh is sitting fourth in the world saddle bronc riding standings with $43,175 earned so far this year. While Stroh is only $2,200 out of second place, Alberta's Rod Hay leads the pack with $70,620 in earnings. Dickinson's Dusty Hausauer is 21st in the standings with $15,494 earned.
- The Roughrider Rodeo Association has updated its website, www.roughriderrodeo.com . Its season gets going on Saturday with the two-day Harvey Rodeo. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
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- The entries for the first North Dakota Rodeo Association event of the season, the Elgin Saddle Club Rodeo, are being taken Friday through Saturday. The season-opening rodeo for the NDRA is scheduled for June 12-13.
Monke is the Sports Editor of The Dickinson Press. Read his blog at www.areavoices.com/monke . If you have any rodeo news or story tips, contact him at 701-456-1213 or through his e-mail listed at the top of this story.
