DENVER – Jet Toberer, an eighth grade Mt. Ulla home-school student, and Grace Toberer a sixth grade Mt. Ulla home-school student, have earned positions on the North Carolina State National Junior High rodeo team and will be traveling with fellow teammates to Lebanon, Tennessee, June 18-24 to compete at the 13 annual National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR).  Jet Toberer recently won the North Carolina Champion All-Around Cowboy Title for the third consecutive year and will be representing North Carolina in the Chute Dogging, Breakaway Roping, Ribbon Roping, Team Roping, Goat Tying and Bull Riding Competitions. Grace Toberer just finished her first year of Junior High rodeo and will be representing North Carolina in the Ribbon Roping competition with her brother Jet Toberer.

Featuring roughly 1,000 contestants from 43 states, five Canadian provinces and Australia, the NJHFR is the world’s largest junior high rodeo. In addition to competing for more than $80,000 in prizes, NJHFR contestants will also be vying for more than $200,000 in college scholarships and the chance to be named a National Junior High Finals Rodeo World Champion. To earn this title, contestants must finish in the top 20 – based on their combined times/scores in the first two rounds – to advance to Saturday evening’s final round. World champions will then be determined based on their three-round combined times and scores.

Again this year, the Saturday championship performance will be televised nationally as a part of the Cinch High School Rodeo Tour telecast series on RFD-TV. Live broadcasts of each NJHFR performance will also air online at NHSRATV.com Performance times are 7 p.m. on June 18 and 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day thereafter.

Along with great rodeo competition and the chance to meet new friends from around the world, NJHFR contestants have the opportunity to enjoy shooting sports, volleyball, contestant dances, family-oriented activities, church services sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys and shopping at the NJHFR tradeshow, as well as visiting area attractions as Lebanon hosts the NJHFR for the second year in a row.

To follow your local favorites at the NJHFR, visit NHSRA.org daily for complete results. For ticket information and reservations, visit wilsoncountyexpo.com