Powell native Casen Gines has qualified for the National High School Finals Rodeo in Lincoln, Nebraska, securing his spot in the cow horse competition through the Montana High School Rodeo Association in June.

The high school season takes place throughout the year, with Gines working nearly the entire season and seeing his hard work pay off.

“It feels great. I worked for eight, nine months up till this point to make it here,” he said. “It feels good that all my hard work paid off.”

Gines finished fourth at the state rodeo in Montana, and also competed in team roping throughout the season but was unable to qualify for that event.

He also earned the Teskey’s Top Hand Award, which is a $250 scholarship.

Since qualifying for the national event, Gines said he has been hard at work, prepping for the big event which kicks off on Sunday.

“I’ve been prepping since I made it. Every day I’m on my horse riding him, training him, making sure that he’s good. We just keep working hard at it,” he said.

This won’t be the first time on the big stage for Gines, who has been to nationals before as well as the Little Britches Nationals a few times when he was young.

Heading back to nationals will be a bit further of a trip for Gines this time, as the last time was in Rock Springs, and he wants to get settled in with his horse in Nebraska before the event kicks off.

“It might be a little bit more of a challenge for the horse that I’m taking, just because he hasn’t been to a lot of new places. He’s a little bit more worked up at new places, so it might be a little bit more of a challenge that way,” Gines said.

He’s gotten help in many forms along the way, especially from brother Caden, who has competed in events this large before.

“He’s been a big motivator, and given me lots of motivation to go do it,” he said.

In addition to competing in Montana, Gines said he spends time down in Arizona during the winter practicing, as his support in both areas has helped him reach this point.

“We have a house down in Arizona, and when I’m in Arizona for the winters I work with a guy named Trevor Haught. He’s been really good to me, he’s helped me a lot and trained me pretty much on the whole thing,” Gines said. “Then another guy that I’ve been going to three or four times a week in Billings is Jeremy Young. He’s one of my trainers and he’s helped me a bunch also.”

Heading to the national finals Gines has high goals in mind, and wants to compete with the best of the best from around the country.

“I’m just looking forward to competing … I want to go there and do the best that I can do,” he said.

Following the national finals, Gines does not intend to continue competing at the next level despite holding offers to compete in rodeo in college.

“I had a couple college offers, and I decided not to go to college. I actually work in Cody, I’m the music director for the rodeo, and I run my own music direction company, and so I go to other rodeos, horse sales and weddings and things of that sort,” Gines said. “So I’ve got that, and then I’m planning on going to equine dentistry school too.”

The competition kicks off in Nebraska on Sunday with registration before the competition starts Monday and concludes on Saturday, July 25.