Scarlett Hines Wins At World Finals

by Michele Boy | July 11, 2024

Scarlett Hines, daughter of Travis and Corinna Hines, has been riding a horse since she could walk.  She got her first pony, Ladybug, when she was two or three years old. She has participated in play days, local and regional rodeos, and now can add winning at the National Little Britches Rodeo Finals to her belt buckle collection! Scarlett is a busy 7-year-old. In addition to sports and chores, she rides her horse daily, feeds her bucket calves, and walks her pigs.   She has big dreams. But like any dream, it comes with obstacles, setbacks, and tests of perseverance. Would she overcome them?
Scarlett began the season in the 8 and under age group in the Little Wranglers.*  
  Last October, Scarlett began seeing results of her consistent, hard work. At her first Young Guns rodeo, Scarlett took second and first in barrels, 16.976. She also had two firsts in poles with her top time, 22.4. She took second in goats with a 9 second run and then took a tumble off a horse and hit her head. But that didn’t stop her. She won the average in barrels and poles for the weekend.  If her first rodeo of the season was any indication of how it would go, she was determined. 
Throughout the fall and winter she competed in the Young Guns series of rodeos in Dodge City. In January, Scarlett had one of her best times ever in poles (21.92) and won the average as well! Over the weekend, she took 2nd and 3rd in dummy roping against tough competition. 
  Scarlett got her start on horses helping to gather and work cows with her mom’s family in Sharon Springs.
In February, she pushed herself to compete at Young Guns! She had some highs with a 21 second pole run and battled through an illness to win a saddle. At the height of her success, her best horse for Flags went lame. But Scarlett doesn’t know the word no. 
While Scarlett hoped and prayed Flags would get better, her parents, Travis and Corinna Hines, searched for another horse.
On Memorial Day weekend, at the Kit Carson County Little Britches Rodeo, Scarlett was without her best horse. But she worked with Bear and came out first in flags, first in poles, and first in goats. 
But the question remained, would her best horse Dasher be up to the task for the upcoming National Little Britches Rodeo Finals in Guthrie, Oklahoma. 
Scarlett, along with parents traveled last week along with Justin and Nicole Salm’s family to compete in the NLBRA World Finals. 
The weather was hot and humid, the campsites packed, and the stands were full. Approximately 33 states were represented. The energy of 1,601 contestants competing in 8,608 runs was intense. 
While Scarlett had some ups and downs with flags, barrels, and goats, in poles, she and her horse, Dasher, were determined. They came out strong and despite hitting an end pole, she made it to the short. In the short go she ran 20.4 seconds. Scarlett walked away with a champion buckle for the short go, a fifth-place buckle for the average, and took seventh in the world! 
Corinna is so proud of her daughter’s work. “She had focus and a determination to win. It is so much fun to watch and see her root on her friends, too!”
She got to share the experience with Addy Salm and Steele Salm who both rode well in the first round. This was Addy’s third time at the NLBRA Finals. She competed in poles. This was Steele’s first time and he ran flags, barrels, and poles. 
You can come see all the kids hard work at the Hamilton County Fair. 

*Age is determined by the first Monday after the NLBRA finals. With an August birthday, Scarlett competed as a six year old. With the finals over, she will now be competing as a seven year old. 

 Scarlett with her NLBRA buckles/photos courtesy of Corinna Hines