*Classic Moment: Blake Hirdes and Russell Cardoza win 2005 NHSFR

We’ve been digging through our archives and came across this Classic Moment from the September 2005 edition of Spin To Win when Blake Hirdes and now six-time NFR qualifier Russell Cardoza won the 2005 National High School Finals Rodeo.

Californians Blake Hirdes and Russell Cardoza were the second-to-last team to rope at the 56th National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming.

They knew they only needed a 10.7 to take the lead, but they also knew first-round winners Jerome Hutchison and Rhen Richard from Utah had two full seconds on them in the average. Hirdes got a safe start and half-headed their steer before Cardoza nailed him for a smooth 9.09.

For the Utah boys, an eleven-second run would still have sealed the deal. In a heart-breaker, Hutchison dropped his spoke, finally took a throw at the catch pen, and Richard missed a wild heel shot.

With a three-head time of 24.737, the “prunies” from Turlock and Escalon, respectively, won California’s second team roping title in 10 years, following Clayton Grant and Dugan Kelly in 1996.

“That wasn’t the one I wanted to draw,” said Cardoza, who doffed his hat to fans following their run. “He didn’t handle very good.”

But the slow-breaking hard runner helped give the team the winning three-head time of 24.7 seconds. Hirdes and Cardoza, who live just an hour from each other and are both home-schooled, were loaded down with Tod Slone saddles, buckles, scholarships, framed prints, and a truckload of other booty.

Cardoza, a No. 10 heeler, wasn’t even nervous before the run and likely doesn’t need the free shootout awarded each champ by the USTRC. He gives a lot of credit to the same thick-built chestnut mare he’s ridden for seven years, 16-year-old Mocha.

“She does the same thing every time,” he said. “There’s not one time she ever does anything different. She is what made me a better heeler.”

Hirdes rode Blackie, a 12-year-old sorrel horse that he says was named when he got him, but is registered as Cody’s Ducking Pond. Next year will see Cardoza on the pro rodeo trail, where he’s been entering behind Billy Holland, while Hirdes will be back at the high school rodeos with Austin Roen (who was fifth high call Sunday with Tyler Quiring).