14-Year-Old West Virginia Cowboy Wins World Championship – Real WV

Des Moines, Iowa, – Koalton Heckler, 14, of Mill Creek, West Virginia, won the title of “Runner-up World Champion” in the dogging race at the Junior High National Finals Rodeo in Des Moines, Iowa.

Chute dogging is a bull wrestling event for junior and high school cowboys. Competitors must lead the bull to a line ten feet from the chute and hold (or “dog”) the bull on the ground.

The National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR) features approximately 1,200 competitors from 43 U.S. states, 5 Canadian provinces, Australia and Mexico. It is the largest junior rodeo in the world. This year, Team West Virginia sent 13 students to the NJHFR to compete in multiple events to become the National Junior High Finals Rodeo World Champion. To earn the title, competitors must place in the top 20 – based on combined times/scores in the first two rounds – to advance to the final round. The World Champions are determined by combined times/scores in three rounds.

Heckler posted impressive times in the first two rounds – finishing 17th in the first round in 4.1s and winning the second round in 2.72s, which secured his place in the final competition among the 20 best riders in the world. In the short-go final, Heckler posted a time of 2.65s – tied for first and fastest time of the week.

“We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of Koalton and all of the young men and women who compete in rodeo with the WVHSRA,” said Brandon McCormick, president of the West Virginia High School Rodeo Association.

In addition to earning bragging rights, championship buckles and a medal for the fastest time, Heckler received a stipend of more than $1,000.

This year, the WVHSRA awarded $20,000 in scholarships to graduates. If you are interested in joining or want to learn more about the WVHRSA, you can visit: www.wvhrsa.org