Welcome to the website for the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association – home of the very best cowgirls and cowboys the USA has to offer.

The NHSRA and SDHSRA are here to promote the sport of rodeo with the highest level of conduct and sportsmanship.  We aim to preserve the Western Heritage, offer the privilege of family bonding and the opportunity for continuing education while maintaining the highest regard for livestock.

The roots of High School Rodeo run deep in South Dakota as it is one of the charter states of the National High School Rodeo Association.  South Dakota joined Texas, New Mexico, Montana and Louisiana in hosting high school rodeos in 1949, the year the first National Championship High School Rodeo was held in Hallettsville, TX.  By 1951, these five states adopted by laws establishing the National High School Championship Rodeo Association.  HM, “Gabby” Hayes was South Dakota’s first representative at the National level and contributed to the founding of the organization.  The NHSRA Non-Profit papers were actually filed with the State of South Dakota.

The South Dakota High School Rodeo Association has grown over the years, having one of the largest contestant pools of all the states.  We require our members to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner, to abide by a western dress code while competing and to maintain their grades at the same level expected of participants in other sports.

The SDHSRA High School rodeos provide an opportunity to participate in the highly competitive and rewarding sport of rodeo while offering a stepping stone for our students to move on to other “arenas” after high school graduation, be they rodeo or academic arenas.