Trojans chute-dogger claims rodeo scholarship

A few years ago, Francisco Gonzalez knew very little about horses, his mother said. Now, the Euless Trinity High School senior is graduating after competing in back-to-back North Texas High School Rodeo Association Finals and receiving a scholarship from the organization.

Gonzalez was one of three Trinity competitors in the finals recently at Cowtown Coliseum. He was also one of 14 seniors, and the lone Trinity competitor, to receive a NTHSRA scholarship ($750) to help with upcoming college expenses.

Cy Luschen, a junior, led all Trinity performers with a sixth-place finish in bareback riding. Gonzalez and senior Anthony Dickens competed in chute dogging.

“He had never been on a horse, but he got real interested after seeing one at my friend’s stable three years ago,” his mother, Rosa Gonzalez, said. “She asked if he’d like to ride one, he did, and he loved it. We bought him one for Christmas.”

Gonzalez plans to attend the University of Texas at Arlington to study computer science and engineering.

“It was a great year, a hard-fought year,” Trinity coach Michael Luschen said. “All of the kids competed well. The Bell kids, too.”

It was a third consecutive trip to the finals for Cy Luschen, who finished fourth in the regular-season standings. After a rough ride in the first round in which he was bucked off, he stayed on in Round 2.

“On his Saturday ride he got too far over,” Michael Luschen said. “Sunday he had a better ride. Close to the end he was about to get thrown off, but he did a good job staying on to the final buzzer.”

Neither Gonzalez nor Dickens placed in the finals, but Michael Luschen praised them for their seasons.

“It was a very strong year for Francisco. It just didn’t work out in the finals,” he said. “We’re going to miss him and Anthony a lot. They both did very well.”

Gonzalez finished third in the regular-season standings. In 2015, he was third in the regular season and third in the finals.

Gonzalez made a strong surge in the second half of the regular season to climb from 13th in the standings at the midpoint.

“In chute dogging, you had kids battling and going back and forth each week. It was a very competitive event,” Michael Luschen said.

Next up for Cy Luschen is the Texas High School Finals Rodeo June 4-11 in Abilene. From there, the top four finishers in each event move on to the National High School Finals Rodeo July 17-23 in Gillette, Wyo.

Returning for Trinity next season, along with Cy Luschen, will be Sha’Roby Ratliff, a junior-to-be, in barrel racing and goat tying.

Among those returning for Bell next season are sophomore-to-be Brye Eberling (barrel racing, pole bending), junior-to-be Molly Hunter (barrel racing) and senior-to-be Sierra Spears (barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying).

L.D. Bell had no competitors reach the finals.

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Trojans chute-dogger claims rodeo scholarship."