Two Teens Heading to National High School Rodeo Finals

By Susan Etxebarria

BRIGHTON — Two rising rodeo stars, Shelby Osceola, 18, and Jacoby Johns, 16, are heading for the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA) finals in Springfield, Ill. on July 23. They qualified for the national finals after winning at the Florida High School Rodeo Association (FHSRA) state finals.

At the state finals, Osceola, of Hollywood, won fourth place in breakaway and Johns, of Brighton, placed second in bareback riding.

More than 300 students participate in FHRSA and only the top four in each event are invited to the state finals. The two Seminole Tribe of Florida citizens will join approximately 1,500 rodeo competitors from 40 states and five Canadian provinces.

The NHSRA is the world’s largest rodeo, at which students compete for national titles, awards and scholarships.

This is the last year Osceola will compete in high school rodeo. She graduated this school year from Hollywood Christian School and plans to attend Troy State University in Troy, Ala. in the fall on a rodeo scholarship.

Osceola competed in volleyball and softball as well as participated in 4-H until she made the decision to devote all of her efforts to the sport of rodeo.

“Competing in rodeo is different from team sports,” said Osceola. “If you don’t win you have no one to blame but yourself. You can’t blame the loss on a teammate or the coach.”

Osceola doesn’t gloat over her wins.

“I could have done better at state,” she said. “I think I can do better at the finals because I actually work well under pressure.”

Osceola started rodeo as a barrel racer when she was nine years old under the tutelage of another former rodeo champ, Debbie DeHass. She received a lot of help learning to rope from Brighton’s rodeo star, Naha Jumper. She has spent many weekends with the Jumper family traveling with them to rodeos around the state and nationally.

She has qualified for the Indian National Finals Rodeo four times now and works with Coach Robbie Hazouri of St. Augustine.

Mom Tabitha Osceola, a telecommunications analyst for the Tribe, said she is proud of her daughter.

“When she puts her mind to something, she follows through until she reaches her goal,” she said.

Her mother described Shelby as a natural for rodeo.

“She practices when she can but living in the city she doesn’t have lots of opportunity to ride,” she said. “That’s what amazes me. It must be a God-given talent.”

Shelby said she plans to become an equine veterinarian. Her beloved horse named Yeller is stabled at the Frontier Village in Davie, where Shelby cleans the stable and gives her horse daily care. Wherever she rides, Yeller goes with her.

Jacoby Johns, a sophomore at Okeechobee High School, lives on a ranch at Brighton Seminole Reservation and he has cowboy blood running in his veins. Since a small child, he said he has loved hanging out or helping his dad during cattle round-ups.

Riding a wild, unbroken horse bareback is one of the most challenging of all the events in rodeo, and considered the roughest. It is so difficult that the entries are usually the fewest in rodeo.

His mother, Wendy Johns, said she is supportive of her son but she worries, too.

“I am proud as punch when he hits the ground after 8 seconds,” she said. “He’s had a few crashes but he’s so determined. There’s no give up in him.”

Johns is very confident and believes in himself. It is this confidence that gives him the edge. He said he loves the adrenaline rush of the sport.

“I’m like the NASCAR of bareback!” he proclaimed.

Johns has been invited to ride for the Florida-Georgia team at the three-day International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Okla. on July 9. This year he won the title of “Rookie of the Year” from the Okeechobee Chapter of the FHSRA.

Johns started riding ponies in youth contests when he was only 9-years-old and he has been competing for the last three years in bareback events on wild horses.

Brighton’s Adam Turtle is Jacoby’s mentor and guide. His dad, Jeff Johns, is a bulldogger, so he has been fortunate to get coaching from Turtle who won multiple bareback championships in Eastern Indian Rodeo Association and the Indian National Finals Rodeo.

Turtle, however, had to retire due to injuries. He gifted Jacoby with his own specialized rigging that had aided him on his famed rides.

Keith Crum of Okeechobee, another bareback star, has also helped Johns along the way.

For the young Johns, it is a consuming passion. At home he practices rigorously on a spurring box. He also practices when he can on a mechanical Mighty Bronc.

Johns said his heroes in rodeo are the famed Bobby Moate and Kelly Timberland.

“I want to go professional some day,” he said. “It is my favorite sport and I want to continue in bareback.”