Henry’s National Title Highlights A&M-Commerce Success at National Rodeo

A competitor in a rodeo lassos a calf while riding a horse.

For the second year in a row, a member of the Texas A&M University-Commerce Rodeo team captured a national championship at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyo.

Kincade Henry repeated as the National Champion in the men's Tie Down Roping event, finishing with the lowest combined time of 35.8 seconds across four rounds of competition. His time of 8.1 seconds in the second round was tied for the fastest single-round time throughout the event.

Henry, who won the same event at the 2022 CNFR as a member of Panola College, becomes just the second A&M-Commerce Rodeo athlete to win an individual national title. Last year, Bryana Lehrmann was the first National Champion in program history, winning the Breakaway Roping and Women's All-Around titles.

Cutter Carpenter wasn't too far behind Henry, finishing second in the nation in Tie Down Roping with a four-round total time of 39 seconds flat. Rounding out the top five finishers was Ty Johnson, who finished fifth in the final standings of the Team Roping event after being paired up with Panola's Cooper Parsley. Johnson was a late substitute for CNFR qualifier Trevor Kernick, who was unable to compete.

In addition to these accolades, Carpenter's horse “Twix” was named the 2023 American Quarter Horse Association's Horse of the Year in the men's events. Carpenter and Twix won the award after earning the most combined points in the men's timed events.

Overall, the men's team captured a third-place finish in the team standings, the highest ever for an A&M-Commerce team at the CNFR. The women's team placed 24th overall with just three competitors.

The full finishing results are as follows:

  • Kincade Henry (Mount Pleasant, Texas) – 1st, Tie Down Roping
  • Cutter Carpenter (Athens, Texas) – 2nd, Tie Down Roping
  • Ty Johnson (Sulphur Springs, Fla.) – 5th, Team Roping
  • Addie Weil (Edna, Kan.) – 13th, Breakaway Roping
  • Sonora Schueneman (Madisonville, Texas) – 14th, Goat Tying
  • Cash Robb (Altamont, Utah) – 15th, Steer Wrestling
  • Rylee George (Oakdale, Calif.) – 27th, Breakaway Roping
  • Will Farris (Centerville, Texas) – 39th, Team Roping
  • Tristan Sullivan (Centerville, Texas) – 39th, Team Roping

(Photo of Kincade Henry courtesy of Jackie Jenson Photography.)