Huntington Cowboy Takes Mutton Bustin’ Trophy at Angelina Rodeo

After a cancellation in 2020, the Angelina Benefit Rodeo made its triumphant return to the George H Henderson Jr. Expo Center in Lufkin last night.  It was exactly what you hoped for in night #1 with great competition from cowboys and cowgirls. Plus, we were so excited to have the mutton bustin' championships again, presented by KICKS 105, Boot Barn Western Wear and Justin.

Just after the rodeo began at 7 pm, 12 youngsters between the ages of 5-9 went down to the arena floor to try their best to stay on the back of a sheep for as long as they could.  It's not an easy thing to do.  First of all, these sheep come out of the chute lightning fast and that fleece tends to be a bit on the slippery side. In fact, the quote of the night from one of the riders was, "I didn't know the sheep would come out of the gate so fast."

The top scorer of the night was Noah Litton of Huntington.  Riding the sheep named Fleece Navidad, Litton stayed balanced on middle of the sheep as it darted quickly to the middle of the ring.  Litton was rewarded with a ride of 87 points for his effort and the honor of hoisting the nightly championship trophy.

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Just behind Litton in scoring was Sam Strickland of Lufkin.  His ride on the sheep named Rampage went for 85 points.

Here's a look at how the other young cowboys and cowgirls did:

• Luke Ball - 79
• Reese Chamblee - 77
• Eva Friesen - 78
• Ethan Strickland - 79
• Colton Taylor - 75
• Gunner Walker - 78
• Ralston White - 74
• Maverick Williamson - 73
• Luke Terry - 72
• Emory Adams - 73

We'll do it again every night of the rodeo with 12 more mutton busters ready to go. In the meantime, take a look at all of the rides in our video above and take a look at these good-looking riders below.