Riley Clark

ONTARIO – Two Grant County rodeo standouts are continuing their careers now that they’ve moved on from high school to intercollegiate rodeo.

Canyon City resident Tucker Wright, who rides for the Walla Walla Community College team, is sitting at first in the Northwest Regional standings for steer wrestling for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

Long Creek resident Riley Clark, riding for Blue Mountain Community College competes in steer wrestling and team roping. He’s ninth in the standings for team roping with his roping partner Allie Brown of Baker City.

Wright placed fifth, bulldogging at the Oct. 17 Northwest Regional Rodeo in Ontario with a 6.9.

He tied for first at the Oct. 18-19 Treasure Valley Community College Rodeo with a time of 12 seconds on two head.

Wright, a 2014 Grant Union graduate, earned second place for steer wrestling last June at the Oregon State High School Finals Rodeo in Prineville, riding for the Grant County High School Rodeo Club.

He also competed in July at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyo.

NIRA rodeos continue in the spring, and Wright plans to continue his involvement with the Walla Walla team.

Clark competed at the Oct. 17 Northwest Regional Rodeo with no luck in that round, but turned the tables the following day.

He and Brown placed third in the first long go at the Oct. 18-19 Treasure Valley Community College Rodeo.

The top 10 were brought back for a short go where the duo split fourth and fifth place in the average.

Clark, a 2014 Monument High School graduate, had a successful high school rodeo career riding for the Grant County club, earning sixth place in steer wrestling at the Oregon State Finals High School Rodeo in Prineville.

He also went on to compete in steer wrestling and team roping at the Silver State Invitational Rodeo in Winnemucca, Nev., where he finished in 17th for steer wrestling.

He plans to continue team rodeo in the spring when the season starts up again.

The BMCC men’s team placed first in the Northwest Regional standings and WWCC finished second.

Individual contestants accumulate points throughout the year to qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo.