Dawson Gleaves remembers looking up to his grandfather and uncle, both bull riders, and wanting to be just like them. 

Now, it is he who has folks looking up to him as he regularly works to stay on for eight seconds on the back of an animal that would just as soon do him bodily harm. 

"They were my biggest role models growing up and I wanted to be just like them so I rode bulls like they did," Gleaves said of his family bull riding tree. 

He's made them proud, certainly. After winning a youth world championship as a freshman in 2015, he won the Texas High School Rodeo Association state finals in 2018 and then qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo as part of the Clarendon College men's team in 2021. 

And now, he's headed back to Casper, Wyoming, June 11-17 for this year's CNFR after qualifying individually from the Southwest Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. 

Gleaves has shattered his left shoulder twice, torn ligaments in both knees, and broken his jaw. However, it's all worth it, he said, citing, "The thrill of the sport and being able to keep my family's tradition alive!" 

Gleaves is one of three Coyotes who are continuing another tradition, that of Weatherford College competing at the CNFR—a streak that goes back 19 straight finals. 

He will be joined by Jace Helton, the 2022 team roping-heeler national champion and first time qualifier Zaine Mikita in tie down roping. 

"It is a huge goal that I have accomplished, so it is very exciting for me," Gleaves said of qualifying individually. 

"I am extremely excited to be qualifying for the CNFR for the first time and grateful to be able to represent Weatherford College," Mikita said. "I am very thrilled that I get to keep the tradition going!" 

In qualifying for the first time, Mikita started strong in the fall and overcame some spring challenges to bounce back and finish the regular season strong. 

"The spring semester was a little tough and not exactly how I wanted things to go, but we got the main goal accomplished and that was to qualify for the college finals," he said.  

Helton is the only one of the three who has experienced WC's CNFR tradition previously. He is excited to be bringing two of his friends and teammates with him for the return trip. 

"I'm super excited to get back there. The goal is the same this year, go heel four steers as fast as they'll let me and come home with some more hardware," He said of defending his title. 

"It's going to be a great experience. All of us that made it in the team roping from our region are pretty good friends. It's great that even though we all want to win, and we have to beat each other to do so, we want each other to succeed as well," he said. "As far as the other Weatherford athletes go, they're in different events but we're all friends, and it's a lot of fun up there representing Weatherford together." 

Helton will be paired with Quade Hiatt from West Texas A&M in Casper. 

Each one attributes much of their success competing in the Southwest Region, considered by many to be the toughest region in the NIRA. 

"There are kids that are rodeoing in the Southwest Region who have also qualified for the NFR (National Finals Rodeo—professional), or have won some major pro rodeos," Mikita said. "The tougher the competition the more you push yourself to get better and to do better. The Southwest Region, in my opinion, is the toughest region. You have to be on your A-game day-in and day-out." 

Among those from the region already doing well professionally is Gleaves, who was 25thin the world last year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and was recently drafted by the Texas Rattlers in Fort Worth to the Professional Bull Riders Team Series.  

All three plan to continue competing professionally when their college days are over. For now, however, the focus is on bringing home another championship for WC from Casper—and the program has won several over the years. Last season, along with Helton's title, the Lady Coyotes won the first ever team national championship in any sport. 

"I think it is a great tradition, the tradition of winning," Gleaves said. "I'm super blessed."