A scholarship for graduating high school seniors will honor the memory of J.O. Cravens. Cravens, the father of CowboySanta.com owners Johna and Dayna Cravens, was a lifelong rodeo cowboy and retired teacher.
The scholarship is open to any 2019 high school graduate who is involved in rodeo and plans to attend college, university or trade school on a full-time basis.Â
Deadline to apply is August 1 and the winner will be announced on August 15. Scholarships will be judged on the following criteria – 40% on rodeo involvement, 25% on scholastic and community activities, 20% on financial need and 15% on a written essay/personal narrative.Â
Applicants must include a copy of their high school transcript, a headshot of themselves wearing a cowboy hat, a rodeo photo and a double-spaced essay/personal narrative of not more than 500 words outlining their accomplishments in and out of rodeo, their future goals and what rodeo means to them.
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Cravens was a founding member and past president and general manager of the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA). He competed in bareback riding and bull riding for some 40 years, starting at age 13.Â
He was a well-respected rodeo judge who taught the first judging clinic in the rodeo industry in the 1960s. He continued judging junior rodeos after he retired from the IPRA.
Cravens also taught high school history for 14 years.