When the dust settled on the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs a couple of weeks ago, Evanston cowboy Braunson Sims found himself among the bareback riding elite, despite missing out on a World Championship.

Sims — who will be strapping on the pads for football two-a-days in a couple of weeks — was solid in his first-ever appearance in the NHSFR, scoring a 63 in the first go-round and a 66 in the second to land in the Top 20 and advance to Saturday’s short go-round.

Sims was unable to record a score in his final ride of the event, but the experience he gained throughout the week will prove beneficial, both in and out of the arena.

“Things didn’t go horrible,” Sims said. “I definitely wish they would have gone better, but I have another year to grow and get better, and try to win the finals next year.”

Sims’ short go ride got off to a promising start, but went sideways about four seconds in.

“The ride started really good, but honestly, I don’t really know what happened,” he said. “I’ve watched the video of the ride over several times, and can’t see where I messed up. I stubbed my toe somewhere, and it didn’t end the way I wanted.”

The NHSFR crowned a new bareback World Champion this year, as last year’s winner — Saratoga’s Tuker Carricato — failed to advance to the short go. Kash Loyd — a sophomore from Cleburne, Texas — won the title this year. Loyd finished sixth in the first round with a 72-point ride, then scored 80.5 points in round two for the reserve championship; he rode his finals horse for 79 points to secure the World Championship.

“To be a World Champion at the high school level is truly a blessing,” Loyd said. “God has been very great to me and my family these past few weeks. It means so much to me that I, with this win, go down in the history books alongside some of the greats.”

Asked his thoughts on how the event played out, Loyd said he started strong, and just kept improving.

“The event itself went amazing,” Loyd said. “I was able to finish in the top 10 in the first round, then placing second in the two rounds to come I was able to secure my spot as a champion.”

Looking back on his experience, Sims said he enjoyed it for the most part; he knows better what to expect when he returns to compete again next year.

“As a competitor, it’s really fun with everything that’s going on,” he explained. “But for me, I had a few nerves all week. The biggest thing that will stick with me is knowing I can compete with everyone. My biggest takeaway was learning from the mistakes I made, and wanting to keep improving.”

Making it to the championship finals as one of the Top 20 riders is something Sims said will keep him motivated to keep improving. He was back at it Saturday night in Teton County, winning the bareback event at a rodeo in Jackson.

“Knowing I qualified for the short go [at the NHSFR] felt good, because I knew I had one more chance to show off what I can do,” he said. “It makes me want it even more, and I can’t wait to keep rodeoing and improving and seeing what I can do next year.”