Akita chips out third straight All-Around title

PO‘IPU — Sandra Akita piled up 51 points to be named All-Around Cowgirl for the third straight time at the Kaua‘i All Girl Rodeo Association event, Sunday at the CJM Country Stables in Po‘ipu.

But it was not a cake walk for Akita, who at 51 points had her strongest showing to date.

Britni Ludington-Braun, named Reserve All Around with 37 points on the day, came out strong, just besting Akita in the 1st D of the 3D Barrels event on a 17.665 go to Akita’s 17.859 run.

That edge gave Ludington-Braun first place to Akita’s second-place finish in the event.

But Ludington-Braun did not stop there as she teamed with her mom, Ho‘olai Ludington, to take first place in the Team Roping event on a 15.43/1 go.

Akita, teaming with Joyce Miranda, finished fifth in that event on a 17.49/1 go.

With just four more events remaining on the day, Akita roared back with first finishes in the Breakaway Roping (10.55) and Steer Undecorating (5.39), rocketing away from the pack in both events.

The best Ludington-Braun could do in both events was a third finish in Breakaway Roping on a 12.19 go.

Akita also marked a second finish in the 1st D of the 3D Pole Bending event on a 22.393 go compared with Wendy Tannery’s 21.510 pace and a fourth finish in the Goat Tying event on a 32.604 run compared with the first finish of Kim Medeiros, who stopped the clock at 23.375 in the event.

Ludington-Braun finished second in the Goat Tying on a 29.360.

With the completion of this last rodeo, KAGRA will be on a recess until the final rodeo of the season on Aug. 15. During this time, the KAGRA members will probably be out in the community during the Koloa Plantation Days celebration in July and the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair later in the summer where last year, the KAGRA girls offered horseback rides for keiki.

Results of the rodeo can be found in the Scoreboard section on page B2.

Visit www.kauaiallgirlsrodeo.com for more information.