His high school career is winding down, but Bell City steer wrestler Jude Leonards is not slowing down.

Last week at the Little Britches National Finals Rodeo in Guthrie, Okla., he was the runner-up and third in the average. In Shawnee, Okla., Saturday night, he made the top-15 at the International Youth Finals. Sunday, he will go for a national championship at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyo.

“I just want to go out there and catch them and see what I can do,” Leonards said. “It would be a dream come true. Everything will come together.”

The NHSFR runs through July 23.

Leonards is making his first appearance at the NHSFR. He has steadily climbed the ranks in the last few years, winning the average at state in 2020 and finishing seventh, followed by a sixth place finish in 2021.

He capped his state title run in June at the Louisiana High School Finals in Sulphur with a solid 4.06-second takedown in the short-go round to beat Life Christian Academy’s Hudson Gros 103.2-92.5.

“I haven’t really changed anything up,” Leonards said. “I just practiced the same and got a different horse and it has been going better.

“Everything is mental. You have to keep everything out of your head, keep your head up and keep going.”

For Leonards, he enjoys the thrill of jumping on a steer that averages between 450 to 650 pounds and attempt to stop it dead in its tracks.

“It gets your adrenalin going,” Leonards said. “It is a challenge to do that specific event. It is a lot of technique. You just back in there, nod your head and make the best run you can make on that steer you draw.”

Louisiana has produced more steer wrestling high school national champions than any other state since 2007 with four, including three in a row from 2014 to 2016 by Tristan Martin (Sulphur), Gabe Soileau (Bunkie) and Ryan Gotreaux (Lacassine).

Other state champions from Southwest La. looking to be crowned national champions are St. Louis Catholic junior Katie Schlang (goat tying), DeQuincy freshman Wyatt Lavergne (saddle bronc riding), Grand Lake’s Bobby Contance (boys’ cutting) and DeRidder’s Laney Walker (girls’ cutting).

Others to watch from Southwest La. include Gros, who was the state runner-up in steer wrestling and team roping, Alyssa Gary, the state runner-up in goat tying, and a pair of state runners-up from Iowa in Lane Touchet (boys cutting) and Lydia Touchet (reined cow horse).