​Jul. 17—FORESTBURG, S.D. — For Ledoux Bracha, earning a trip to the National High School Finals Rodeo is the result of years of dedication, hours of practice and a lifestyle built around hard work.The 16-year-old Forestburg native will represent the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association at the National High School Finals Rodeo, scheduled for July 19-25 at the Sandhills Global Event Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Bracha qualified for the national stage after finishing second in bull riding at the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association State Finals in June in Fort Pierre.The accomplishment places Bracha among the top high school bull riders in the country as he prepares to compete against the nation’s best. For the rising Sanborn Central junior, the journey to nationals has been years in the making.Bracha’s passion for rodeo began at an early age, inspired by his father, Luke Bracha. That interest quickly turned into action when he climbed on his first bull as a sixth grader, beginning a steady climb through the South Dakota high school rodeo ranks where he currently sits second in the bull riding standings.Much of that development has taken place close to home. Bracha regularly strengthens his skills at Mason Moody’s family ranch near Letcher, where countless practice rides have helped prepare him. Moody attended Sanborn Central and graduated in 2022, and he continues to give local rodeo competitors a spot to practice around the area.While many athletes spend summers focused solely on training, Bracha balances his rodeo duties with long days working cattle around Forestburg before loading up on weekends to compete at rodeos across the region.”Rodeo and bull riding is a tough sport, so I just try to work hard all the time, keep it simple and just have fun with it,” Bracha said. “I try to work out when I can and when I am not working on cattle I try to get a lot of exercise during the day. It has been a lifestyle for me, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”Bracha’s path to nationals was anything but accidental. Just one week before the state finals, he built momentum during the second and final week of South Dakota High School Rodeo Association regional qualifying. Competing June 13-14 at Watertown, Bracha posted the top score in both bull riding go-rounds to finish with 20 points and put himself in position to fare well at the state finals.He carried that confidence into Fort Pierre, where Bracha had two qualifying rides and scored 59 season points to finish second behind White Horse’s Wynn Lawrence, who posted 75 season points. Bracha’s runner-up finish secured one of the four qualifying spots for the National High School Finals Rodeo. Gregory’s Taos Weborg also earned a trip to Lincoln by claiming the fourth and final qualifying position with 43 season points.While the results have been impressive, Bracha is quick to point to the person who has made the biggest impact on his development. Luke Bracha has remained his son’s biggest men