Maui eighth-grader Moorea Feliciano from Makawao completed her junior rodeo career in June with a 9th place aggregate world ranking for girls’ junior breakaway roping at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR). Feliciano was able to make the Top 10 in her event, leading to the world ranking, a buckle, a plague, and two award ceremonies. Previously, she had completed her junior rodeo career in Hawai‘i at the Maui Youth Rodeo Association (MYRO) with 23 buckles, scholar athlete awards, and the 2024 Makawao Stampede Junior Rodeo Barrel Racing Championship. 

The massive week-long NJHFR event was hosted at the world-renowned Lazy E Arena near Guthrie, Oklahoma, where the competition drew over 12,000 top young athletes from 40 states and six countries including, Canada, Australia, and Mexico. It is the world’s largest junior-high rodeo. Competitors test their skills in multiple categories to win world and national titles and scholarships. 

Team Hawai‘i consisted of the top four state-level juniors in numerous rodeo events. Morag Rice Miranda, co-manager of Kaonoulu Ranch and the Oskie Rice Event Center, where her son Daniel won the 2026 Makawao Stampede Po’oWai U championship and her daughter Elizabeth won the All-Around Cowgirl championship title at the recent Makawao Stampede, said, “Our Team Hawai‘i did an amazing job at Nationals. Our cowboys and cowgirls are tough paniolo for sure! It takes a lot to be so far away from home and compete at this level. Through the late nights into the early mornings of sheltering in the arena from hail, thunder, lightning, (there were two evening tornado watches) and getting very little sleep, each one of them made us so proud, always giving their all. We can’t wait to hear all the amazing stories about nationals. Moorea, great job! Lots of hard work and dedication paid off!”  

“Wow, what an amazing experience!” said Feliciano. “I want to thank everyone at MYRO and the Hawai‘i High School Rodeo Association for helping to make dreams come true for myself and all the rodeo athletes in Hawai‘i. I’m very proud to have had a good performance at Nationals and to represent our state. Also, congratulations to everyone who came from Hawai‘i to compete, for cheering me on in the finals, and for waving the Hawai‘i state flag.”