Local rodeo stars shine at 2025 Junior NFR in Las Vegas
These two young rodeo stars form Burnet County recently competed at the 205 Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. 10-year-old Austyn Shell (left) and 11-year-old Haven Huffstuttler were recognized with certificates of accomplishment by Burnet County officials for representing the county on the national stage. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Two young rodeo stars from Burnet County, 10-year-old Austyn Shell and 11-year-old Haven Huffstuttler, recently placed among the highest in the nation at the 2025 Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. County officials also commended the girls for their performances and for bringing national recognition to Marble Falls and Burnet.
Austyn and Haven are regular competitors in barrel racing and pole bending. Their hard work was even featured in The Picayune magazine, in 2023, when they made the cover for their dedicated training in the arena. While still so young, they both made it into the finals of their events, which included other riders all the way up to the age of 17.
Austyn, riding her horse Mooch, placed third overall in the country in pole bending and twelfth overall in barrel racing. Haven, riding her aptly-named horse Vegas, made it into the top 15 for barrel racing.
The Burnet County Commissioners Court officially recognized the girls at the Tuesday, Dec. 23 meeting of the court, honoring them with certificates of recognition for “outstanding achievement in qualifying for the Junior NFR World Finals and competing among the nation’s top youth barrel racers with dedication, perseverance, and exceptional horsemanship.”
“It’s hard to get in (to the finals) at their age, but they fought their way in,” said Austin Shell, Austyn’s father, during the court’s Tuesday meeting. “The way you get to Vegas, it’s a national qualifier across the continental 48 (states), so you have to be in top 80 in barrels or poles to qualify to Vegas to get invited. These two outlaws qualified.”