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Cardell Laughery is a state champion saddle bronc rider. The upcoming Carter County High School senior finished first at the Montana High School Rodeo Association Finals in Great Falls last weekend. He also took first in the average.

Laughery stopped by the Eagle on Tuesday to talk about his win, fresh in town from helping at a branding near Camp Crook.

For Laughery, it was a tough start to his high school rodeo year. He missed all of the fall rodeos after breaking his pelvis during Sunday's performance at the Days of '85 Rodeo in 2021. He won the long-go on that ride and also finished first in last year's Slope Circuit.

Laughery competed in high school rodeos last year, but he didn't go to the MHSRA finals, instead opting to take a trip to Texas for a hog hunt.

After healing over the fall and winter, Laughery had some ground to make up in the points race this spring. He delivered.

The first rodeo he made it to this spring was in Glendive on April 2nd and 3rd. He was bucked off on day one but won the second day.

In Terry on April 30th and May 1st, Laughery won both days. He followed that up by finishing first and second the next weekend in Jordan.

In Cohagen during the weekend of May 15th, Laughery again won the first day and finished second on day two. He followed that up with a pair of first place rides in Forsyth the next week.

Laughery was bucked off on his first day at an MHSRA rodeo in Harlowton the next week, but a win on day two gave him 68 points for the season. A rider's top seven rides count for points during the MHSRA season, and at 10 points for a winning ride, the maximum amount of points possible for the season is 70. In Big Timber immediately following the two days at Harlowton, Laughery maxed out on points after winning both days. He headed to Great Falls first in the standings.

Laughery won the first round in Great Falls with a seventy point ride and the second with a 69.5 point ride.

Camille Laughery

Cardell Laughery returned home on Sunday with a champion saddle as well as a buckle for winning the average in the saddle bronc at the Montana High School Rodeo Association Finals in Great Falls last weekend.

"All I had to do was hold on for that third ride," he said.

He did.

On day three he secured the saddle with a 69 point, second place ride and also brought home a buckle for winning the average.

Next, Laughery is eyeing a top finish at the National High School Rodeo Association Finals in Gillette, Wyoming. The finals span eight days and begin on July 17.

"I'll only get on for two of those days, and then a third if I make the short-go," he said. "There are some bad dudes that are going to be there, but it's looking pretty good for me so far. I'm going to go in it like I'm going to win."

Before the national finals in Gillette, Laughery plans to spend the summer fencing, day working, hitting a few more brandings and competing in Slope Circuit and open rodeos. He plans to play football at CCHS as well as rodeo next fall.

Cardell Laughery is the son of Carl and Camille Laughery.