Rodeo: Glocknitzer headed to nationals

Participants in high school rodeo often have a tough enough road finding the support to make their way through the rugged Nevada circuit.

For an independent competitor, separate from an organized club, the road can be even a little bit tougher.

Douglas High junior Jonathon Glocknitzer recently completed a successful independent campaign, qualifying for his second National High School Rodeo Finals in as many years in boys' cutting.

After battling back and forth with another competitor from in-state, Glocknitzer ended up taking runner-up honors at the Nevada State High School Rodeo in Winnemucca two weeks ago to qualify for nationals.

"The eventual grand champion and I stayed pretty close all and he ended up getting me at state by five points," Glocknitzer said. "We went back and forth all year but he had the better weekend at state."

In cutting, participants are given two and a half minutes with a herd of cattle in an enclosed arena. While on a horse, the participant must work three cows away from the herd one at a time.

"You pick whatever cow you want out of the herd and you work with it until you get it under control away from the herd," Glocknitzer said. "You need it to not go back to the herd once its away.

"They grade you on how well you do within the time limit and whoever comes away with the best score wins."

The highest possible score is an 80 and every competitor starts out with a 70. Glocknitzer said scores generally range between 60 and mid-70.

His all-time best was a 74.

"Last year at nationals I did pretty well and I was in 25th place after the first go-round," Glocknitzer said. "They take the top 20 to the short go, or the finals, and I just missed that by about two points.

"I'm hoping this year to improve on that and make that short go."

Glocknitzer, who lives on a ranch and has a daily slate of chores that range from feeding the horses to cleaning the stalls, competes on his 22-year-old horse Doc. He practices several times a week with Paul Barnes on Highway 395 between Minden and Carson and competed in eight rodeos this year.

"It's a little tricky keeping up with school work while being on the road, but it's O.K.," Glocknitzer said.

He has been in high school rodeo for just two years but competed in junior rodeo before in goat tying and figure 8.

"Cutting has always been my best event, and I like it a lot too," he said.

He said that many of his friends at school are aware of what he does, but since so many of the rodeos are so far away from Carson Valley, few of them ever get to see him compete.

"They all think it's pretty cool," he said. "They can't really ever come and watch because it's always somewhere else and when it's around here, it's still on Friday, so they're in school when it's going on."

Being an independent, Glocknitzer and his family are trying to come up with the nearly $5,000 required to make the trip with horse in tow.

Anyone interested in helping Glocknitzer out can contact Cindy Glocknitzer at 265-7785 or mail to P.O. Box 2562, Gardnerville, NV, 89410.

-- Joey Crandall can be reached at jcrandall@recordcourier.com or at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.