Popko wins average, both go-rounds to start CHSRA season

Kerry Popko not only won the average at the first 2006-07 California High School Rodeo Association District 8 competition, but she also won both go-rounds during the rodeo September 24 at Hesperia.

The Fallbrook High School junior had times of 20.42 seconds for the first go-round and 20.24 seconds on her second run for an average of 40.66 seconds on two runs. Popko was one of 33 pole benders at Hesperia.

“I took the average, which is a really good way to start the year off,” Popko said.

Popko is also serving as the CHSRA District 8 queen for 2006-07, a title she earned in May. During the September 24 rodeo the student participants voted for the student directors of each event, and Popko was elected as the Pole Bending student director.

“That’s going to be kind of a challenge,” she said. “Now I have to watch everybody’s pole run.”

Popko explained that she previously didn’t watch runs prior to hers in order to take her mind off what other competitors do and thus focus on her own runs. Popko noted that she will also be watching the other competitors as she is warming up for her run.

Popko also noted that her duties as the event director are in contrast with her queen duties which entail only positive comments. “As the director I have to point out any discrepancies,” she said. “I have to be tough.”

One competitor was out of order at Hesperia, and that rider did not respond to Popko’s comments pleasantly. “I had to be mean back,” Popko said.

Popko noted, however, that she was honored that the students who nominated and selected her for the position respect her authority.

Popko gets no special treatment as a competitor in terms of the order in which she runs. The rodeo secretary, an adult officer who this year is Jeannie Malone of Ramona, is responsible for the random draws which determine the order of contestants. Since high school rodeo competitions have two go-rounds, the order of the contestants is reversed in the second go-round.

Popko ran 32nd in the morning go-round and second in the afternoon performance. “I’m glad I got to run at the bottom of the draw,” she said. “The ground was really hard.”

The dirt softened by Popko’s first run. “The dirt kind of got kicked up for me, so it was a lot looser,” she said.

Running second during the afternoon maintained those conditions for Popko. “By the end of the day the ground was getting too loose,” Popko said.

The ground is also dragged after every five runs, meaning that both of Popko’s runs occurred as the second one after the drag.

The September 24 rodeo was the first District 8 rodeo since the final 2005-06 competition in May. “Everyone else kept messing up ’cause they were nervous,” Popko said.

Popko wasn’t as affected by the new season. “It started to hit me, but usually it hits me more at the end of the year when I know I have to do good,” she said.

The top five competitors in each event from each CHSRA district qualify for the state finals in June, and Popko has reached the state finals both as a freshman and as a sophomore. The top four competitors in each event at the state finals qualify for the national finals in July, and Popko earned a trip to the 2006 NHSRA finals in Springfield, IL.

Melanie Miller placed second in both go-rounds with times of 20.42 in the first go-round and 20.46 on her second run.

Popko rode Banjo for the rodeo. “He was perfect. He was so smooth,” Popko said.

The District 8 season consists of nine rodeos, including an interdistrict rodeo in Paso Robles. “I’m really excited to get back into it,” Popko said.