The Panola Rodeo Team had the home field advantage this weekend as they won both the Men’s and Woman’s Championships at the first Southern Region Rodeo of the year.  Panola hosted the rodeo this past weekend at Bar None Cowboy Church Arena in Tatum, Tx.  Panola’s Men’s Team, which is the defending National Champions, took the victory and were followed by Wharton County Junior College finishing in second place, Hill College third, Texas A&M University fourth, McNeese State University fifth, Sam Houston State University sixth, Trinity Valley Community College seventh, and Southwest Texas Junior College eighth to finish out the men’s standings.  On the women’s side, Panola took its first victory followed by Hill College second, McNeese State University third, Texas A&M University fourth, Wharton County Junior College fifth, Southwest Texas Junior College sixth, Sam Houston State University seventh, and Texas A&M Commerce in eighth.

Josey Murphy, a freshman from Keatchie, LA, had an amazing weekend to lead the women’s team and wrap up the All Around Women’s Title with a victory in breakaway roping and a 4^th place finish in the goat tying.  She won the breakaway with a sharp 2.2 and was 4^th in the goat tying with a 6.9 second run.

Freshman, Kincade Henry, from Mount Pleasant, TX won the tiedown roping with an 8.6 second run.  Kolt Dement, another rookie from Rusk, TX, won the bareback riding with an 82-point ride. Freshman, Gauge McBride, from Kearney, NE split 2^nd place with a 77-point ride. 

A few season veterans for the Panola Ponies racked up points in other events. Michael Womack was 4^th in the saddle bronc.  As well as Maison Davis, being a 2.7 in the breakaway placed her 7^th for the weekend.  Others receiving points in the team roping included rookies Jacques Trahan and Thomas Wallace finished 6^th with an 8.1, Jayden Gould and her partner Colt Leach from Tyler Junior College roped an 8.4 to be 7^th, and Trace Clark and Bradford Fisher placed 10^th.

The Panola Rodeo Team will be back in action this coming weekend Oct. 2-3 at the Southwest Texas Junior College Rodeo in Uvalde, Tx.  Then they will be in Mt. Pleasant at the Northeast Texas Community College Rodeo on Oct. 16-17.