It was the 15th year of the World Championship Dummy Roping and for the first time there was an actual arena for the event. Country Christmas, home of the World Championship Dummy Roping at the Sands Expo Center, Ariat and Priefert teamed up to provide the new structure for the junior ropers.

This year’s “something extra giveaway” was an ATV donated by the Behrens Family and Friends in memory of Tyler Behrens and four-year-old Chaz Wright of St. George, Utah, won it.

The champion boy in the 5-and-under class was Ote Allsup, from Duncan, Arizona. Allsup won the two-horse trailer at last year’s roping. Last year winning the trailer was luck of the draw, but this year his win was all skill. In the girls’ division, four-year-old Kamish

Wagner of Red Bluff, Calif., was number one.

Four the fourth year in a row, 7-year-old Britt Smith, from Broken Bow, Okla., won his age division, this time the 6- to 8-year-old class. Caxton Martin, a 7-year-old from Alma, Kan., won the girl’s division-and was second in the boys’.

For the 9- to 11-year-old class, 22 contestants made the final round. Of the entire group, only one girl, Charity Hawkins, a 10-year-old from DeLeon, Texas, made the cut. Upon finding out, she called Speed Williams, who’d been helping her out with her roping.

First on the male side was Cody Burnside of Mesquite, Nev.

As usual, the professional cowboys who showed up to help out the kids and judge the event were the main attraction. Tee Woolman, Colter Todd, Riley and Brady Minor, Derrick Begay, Brandon Beers, Fred Whitfield, Matt Sherwood, Britt Bockius and Houston Hutto all came to support and encourage the young ropers. Cinch, Cruel Girl and Misty McAuliff also pitched in to support the event as did Clay and Jake Smith, Reno Gonzales and Tyler Forsberg.