Fresno State rodeo riders competing in national finals

The Fresno State Bulldoggers Rodeo Team earned seven spots in the College National Finals Rodeo from June 7-15.
(Photo courtesy of Fresno state bulldoggers Rodeo team)

After a successful season, seven members of the Fresno State Bulldoggers Rodeo Team have earned spots in the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming from June 7 to 15.

The national competition features the top three students in each event and the top two men’s and women’s teams from each of the 11 regions in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

Riders from Fresno State include Rial Engelhart, Colton Campbell, Bodi Dodds, Cole Dodds, Reed Neely, Mitchell Parham and Chris Rosedale.

The week-long competition features two afternoon rounds on June 9; two slack rounds on the mornings of June 10 and 11; four performance rounds on the evenings of June 11, 12, 13 and 14; with the final rounds on June 15. The events from June 12-15 will be aired on ESPN 3 at 6 p.m. v

Campbell, who is ranked eighth in the national men’s all-around standings, will compete in the calf roping and team roping events, in which he is nationally ranked 11th and 24th, respectively.

Engelhart will also compete in calf roping, in which he holds the fifth national spot and first regional spot, and team roping. Engelhart holds the 18th spot in the men’s all-around national standings.

Reed Neely will compete in the saddle bronc riding, an event in which he is ranked eighth in the nation and second in the region.

Mitchell Parham will compete in the bareback riding event, in which he holds the sixth place national rank and first in the region.

Rosedale, will compete in the bull riding event, in which he holds the third regional ranking.

Both Bodi and Cole Dodds will compete in the team roping events.

The men’s team is ranked first in the West Coast region and third overall in the national standings.

The team’s coach, Uhuru Adem, praised the team’s effort and opportunity to compete on the national stage.

“All of these students have worked hard to qualify at the CNFR,” Adem said. “I’m looking forward to watching all their talents at a national level.

Seth Casey is an aspiring journalist, an avid sports fan and a Fresno/Clovis native. He currently attends Fresno State, where he is pursuing a degree in Media, Communication and Journalism with an emphasis in print journalism. He is excited for the opportunity to work at the Clovis Roundup and looks forward to serving the Clovis community and its residents by showcasing all the city has to offer.