Mel Hasler rode laps around the arena as her farewell speech as national high school rodeo president was played over the public address system.
It was an emotional farewell for Hasler, an incoming senior at Hauser who has spent the past year making trips to the western part of the country for meetings and other rodeo business.
"Being a three-time national officer was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made," Hasler said. "I made a lot of great friends and had the time of my life. I’m kind of bittersweet about it. I’m not going to be seeing the other officers year-round, but I’m glad that I served my time."
Last week, Hasler compete in her next-to-last National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyoming. National High School Finals rodeo is the world’s largest rodeo, with the top four finishers from each of 43 states, five Canadian provinces, Mexico and Australia.
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Hasler was running in the top 20 in goat-tying until her last performance and finished 32nd. She also came in 38th in barrels, only four-tenths of a second out of 20th. The top 20 in each event make the finals, known as the "short-go."
"I wasn’t super happy on how things came out, but this year was super competitive," Hasler said.
Hasler had won the state all-around saddle at last month’s state finals at the Hoosier Horse Park in Edinburgh. She won team roping with Clay Yadon from West Lafayette and was reserve champion in goats and barrels and third in poles.
Hasler and her older sister Grace have competed at the National High School Finals Rodeo for several years, but this was Mel’s first year competing without Grace, who just finished her freshman year at Purdue. Mel, who earned a $500 national president’s scholarship, has one more year of high school rodeo before heading to college.
"I’m really happy with the way my horses worked for me," she said. "They’re really good to me. I’m just going to come back next year and end it with a bang."
