Mt. Pleasant roper clinches NFR berth following big week

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KLTV) - A Mount Pleasant cowboy is heading to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas after winning over $10,000 last week.

Kincade Henry, 21, tied for third in the tie-down roping finals of the CINCH Playoff Series Championship Rodeo in Sioux Falls, S.D., for $9,000. The payday brought Henry up to ninth in the world for tie-down roping, with a total 2023 season winnings of $124,495.

Kincade Henry, 21, tied for third in the tie-down roping finals of the CINCH Playoff Series Championship Rodeo for $9,000.

Henry also placed fifth in the first round of tie-down roping at the Young Living’s Last Chance Rodeo in Mona, Utah, for $1,260.

“Throughout the whole season, you know, I just had to keep believing that things were going to get better,” Henry said during an interview on East Texas Now. “I knew I roped good enough to get to the NFR, it was just a fact of the matter of when I’m gonna start winning,”

The NFR begins in December. Henry said he’s going to rest for a few days before practicing at home.

“I’ll have 20 head of calves, and hopefully a bunch of practice horses,” he said. “It’ll be time to get after it. Get back in the practice pen.”

Henry said he used an 18-year-old horse, named Mario, last week.

“Every time I get on him, I win,” he said.

Henry said the tough start to the year paid off.

“This year started out very, very rough,” he said. You know, I probably wasn’t in the top 30 until the end of July. And then, it was still rough. I just want to thank everybody for staying behind me through the rough times that way we can get to the good times.”

Another East Texas cowboy also won money over the weekend. Kash Martin, 18, of Lufkin, placed third in the first round of bareback riding at the Comal County Fair and Rodeo for $461.

"Throughout the whole season, you know, I just had to keep believing that things were going to get better."

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