MAGNOLIA -- Lake Hamilton High School graduate Britt Driggers is among seven members of Southern Arkansas University Rodeo to qualify for the College National Finals next month in Casper, Wyo.
Driggers, of Pearcy, is a senior Agriculture Business major. He is the son of Jimmy and Lisa Driggers.
Other team members to qualify were Michaela Caudle, a sophomore from Horatio majoring in Agriculture Science-Pre Veterinary; Ashton Glascock, senior, from Ashland, Mo., English major pursuing a minor in Education; Cooper Lee, sophomore, Quitman, majoring in Agriculture Science-Pre Veterinary; Hannah Springer, senior, Lavaca, Agriculture Business major; Jacie Sullivan, junior, Mount Vernon, Psychology major; and West Smith, of Emmet, a Business major. The team is coached by Rusty Hayes.
The Women's Team finished 2016-2017 as the Reserve Champions of the Ozark Region while the Men's Team placed third in the Region. Lee is the Ozark Region Reserve Champion Team Roping Header. Driggers is the No. 3 steer wrestler and Smith is the No. 3 calf roper.
Driggers has a family connection to SAU Rodeo as his father participated in the program. That connection, plus the program's reputation, took him to Magnolia.
"I'm not surprised they've reached this level of competitiveness," Hayes said of the team. "We're never satisfied. We're always looking to improve our skills."
The team consists of 40 students and 90 percent of them are on academic scholarships. Hayes has been the rodeo coach since 2005. SAU Rodeo won the national title in Hayes' fourth year.
"I'll be going home and practicing," Driggers said.
Each team member will take their own horse and equipment more than 1,300 miles to Wyoming. Team members commended SAU for the availability of Story Arena as a venue for rodeo students.
Driggers said his most memorable rodeo event was winning the steer wrestling competition at the University of Tennessee-Martin.
"That is probably the biggest in the Ozark Region -- 2,000 or so people -- and it was really, really loud," Driggers said.
School on 05/28/2017