Monthly Archives: August 2019

EAGLE, Colo. – The voice is smooth, the words are filled with knowledge. Scott Grover has proven that being a rodeo announcer is more than a job to the man from Weston, Missouri; it’s a passion that matches the action inside the Johnette Phillips Arena during the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo. “This rodeo is the total package,” said Grover, who has called the action of the annual event for each of the past four seasons. “If you want a place to come and ride in a beautiful setting with a great crowd that appreciates professional rodeo, with a committee that wants to go the extra mile for hospitality, Eagle is the place. “(Stock contractor) Pete Carr is going to bring the best stock he owns. It’s the perfect storm to really make this rodeo great.” It all adds up to why Eagle’s rodeo has been recognized as one of the best and why more accolades are likely heading its way. The contestants have come to learn that there’s much to appreciate about the goings-on in this picturesque mountain community. Grover is just the orchestra leader, sitting astride his gray horse and speaking into the microphone as if it were a magical baton. He takes his cues from the local volunteers that organize the annual exposition and from the high-flying, oftentimes electric action that is professional rodeo. He also serves as the perfect cheerleader for the large crowds that pack into the stands for each of the four performances. “Scott is one of our favorite pieces of our puzzle, and he does an amazing job,” said Hanna Albertson, chairwoman of the fair and rodeo’s advisory board. “He’s receptive to what we want to do, and he brings us new ideas, too. We need to push each other to make the sport of rodeo better.” It’s happening in Eagle. The crowds respond to every word he breathes, and they react to what they witness – from Gage Greer’s 3.9-second steer wrestling run to Rusty Wright’s 91-point saddle bronc ride on two-time Horse of the Year Dirty Jacket. But there’s so much more that is involved in Eagle’s rodeo. “One of the things that makes this rodeo so great has to be the setting,” Grover said. “There’s not a cooler arena with a river going along the outside of it, and four nights of packed stands makes it a place you want to be at in July. When you hear the roar of this crowd, it makes you want to perk up pretty quick.” He should know; in addition to his gray mount, he travels the rodeo trail with his wife, Becky, and their two young children. Just arriving at the Eagle County Fairgrounds gets his blood flowing a little more. “It’s just an honor to get to bring my family to Colorado in July, where the weather’s good and we get to watch great horses buck and see great contestants,” Grover said. “This rodeo’s at the perfect time of year to draw the big names here. It’s just a place we love to come to every year.”

DUNCAN, Okla. – The hardest part of Hardy Braden’s job – outside driving tens of thousands of miles a year to do it – is being matched with the right partner. Braden is a saddle bronc rider from Welch, Oklahoma, and he’s pretty good at it. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 2017 and is the defending champion of both the Prairie Circuit and the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo. He’s on pace to defend that title again, sitting No. 1 in the bronc riding standings with less than a month left in the regular season. He’s already clinched his spot at the circuit finale, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17-Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. “The circuit finals always seems to be a good place to finish off the year,” he said. “If a guy gets lucky enough and does well at the circuit finals, it kicks off his year in the same boat.” By the time the championship takes place in Duncan, the 2019 regular season will be complete, and the 2020 campaign will be slowly inching forward. It’s the cyclical process that is professional rodeo. “It’s not life or death to make the circuit finals, but it’s always nice to make it,” said Braden, who had victories in Burwell, Nebraska; Phillipsburg, Kansas; and Dalhart, Texas, in August to propel him to the top of the standings – the last of which is in the Texas Circuit, but because of its proximity to Oklahoma stands as a co-sanctioned event. As August winds to a close, he owns a slim, $811 lead over the No. 2 man in the race, Colt Gordon of Comanche, Oklahoma. In addition to competing at rodeos in their home region, both Braden and Gordon are busy making their livings in the game they love; Braden is 27th in the world standings with $50,523, while Gordon sits 15th with $77,841. In order to qualify for the circuit finals, both cowboys have to compete in at least 15 rodeos in the region, made up of contestants and events primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. While that’s not an exorbitant number, it can be difficult to manage. “It’s very tough,” Braden said this week while between events in the Northwest United States. “The bulk of our circuit rodeos go on during the time when all the Northwest rodeos are going on, and there’s a lot more money up here. To make that work, a guy almost spends more money than he actually makes to get his circuit count in. “It’s tougher for us than other circuits. There’s nothing else this time of year than the rodeos in the Columbia River Circuit (northern Idaho, Oregon and Washington). It’s easier for the contestants in that circuit to get their count. The rest of us have to go back and forth a lot.” They’re making it work, and the race for the year-end championship will come down to which cowboy has the best three rides over the course of the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo. “I feel like I’m riding as well as I ever have, but it’s just the drawing part,” Braden said, referring to the random match between him and the bucking horse. “If I can draw the right horses, I can usually place.” That’s just part of what it takes to be successful in professional rodeo, and it’s why Braden continues to be a force in the circuit. “I think a big part for me is always staying positive,” he said. “I’ve been taking advantage of the breaks when I get them and knowing that if something goes bad, I just forget about it and look forward to the next ride. “When good horses do come, a guy has to take advantage of it. I think I’ve done that quite a bit, especially at the circuit rodeos.”

Waller County Fair and Rodeo offers incentives for rodeo contestants HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The one thing contestants have come to learn about the Waller County Fair and Rodeo is that there are plenty of incentives to compete. “This is a really good rodeo with good money,” said Lane Ivy, a National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Dublin, Texas, who won the rodeo’s team roping title two years ago with heeler Buddy Hawkins. Money isn’t the only fixture in Hempstead drawing contestants, but it’s a big part of it. The Waller County Fair Association features $5,000 in a local purse for each event, which is then added in with the entry fees to make up the total purse. This provides a great opportunity to make good money to kick off the new season. ProRodeo’s 2019 regular season will end Sept. 30, and Hempstead will be home to the first rodeo of the 2020 season when it takes place Oct. 3-5. Local organizers will provide winners in each event a Ruger 270 deer rifle, while the all-around champ will win a 4-12x50mm Fire Dot Leupold Scope. “We’ve got some really great sponsors who want to be part of our fair and rodeo, so we’re able to come up with some great prizes that the cowboys might not see at other rodeos,” said Clint Sciba, co-chairman of the rodeo committee. “We want as many contestants as possible to come make a run at our money and our prizes, because this adds to the show we put on for our community. “We have also joined the CINCH Rodeo Series, which will donate $250 per event on behalf of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo to the Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo.” A key ingredient is the rodeo’s relationship with its livestock producer, Dallas-based Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, which has been nominated for the PRCA’s Stock Contractor of the Year each of the past six years. The Carr firm has had as many as 27 animals selected to the NFR and continues to take several animals to ProRodeo’s grand finale every year. In fact, several of the animals will perform in Hempstead in October before they venture off to the NFR in Las Vegas. It’s a good opportunity for regular NFR qualifiers to test their talents on great bucking animals before showcasing their abilities for the biggest prize money in the game in December. “This is a great rodeo; I love Waller County,” said Jacobs Crawley, the 2015 world champion saddle bronc rider from Boerne, Texas. “It’s got a good turn-out, and they’re trying to make it a better event every year. I’m just a fan. “If the environment’s right, it makes you want it that much more, and that environment is right here. You have a great dance, a great hospitality, and Pete Carr brings great bucking horses.” The hospitality includes a VIP Contestant Tent, which offers a bit of an escape from the elements while cowboys, cowgirls, and their families relax with a nice meal before, during or after the rodeo. Organizers have set up hot meals to provide the comforts of home. For contestants who travel the rodeo circuit full time, efforts like these are always appreciated. “We want to do more for the contestants each year, because each of them is a vital part to what happens during our fair and rodeo,” Sciba said. “This rodeo is an important part of our fair every year, and we want to show everyone why.”

BELLVILLE, Texas – Dale McCracken has multiple personalities, but it’s not a disorder. It’s quite the opposite, really. Like a superhero donning his cape, McCracken covers his face with greasepaint and enters the world of his alter-ego, Gizmo, the funnyman/barrelman who has entertained rodeo crowds for much of his life. It’s as if Dale drives and Gizmo does all the work, but it works well for McCracken. “The guy that wears the makeup gets paid better, that’s for sure,” said McCracken, who will be one of the featured acts at the Austin County Fair and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10-Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Austin County Fairgrounds in Bellville. “The name came along several years ago. I worked on a music show in Branson (Missouri) for about eight years, and there you’ve got to have a stage name. “So, with all the gizmos and gadgets I had, they came up with the name, ‘Gizmo, the Ozarks Greatest Inventor.’ So, instead of selling a particular act, I sell a character.” That character carries on several personas, but they’re all comedic. During much of the rodeo, he’ll do what is called the “walk and talk,” sharing his comedy with the audiences each night of the three-performance rodeo. “We’ve got a lot of stuff planned for Bellville,” said McCracken, still referring, possibly, to his multiple personalities. “The big thing we do is the ‘walk and talk,’ and we work it from the hello to the end. I’ll bring out a lot of characters throughout the rodeo, because I think if you come for more than one night, you should see the different characters.” “You always hope you’re going to win,” McCracken said. “Everybody wants to win something like that. The first couple of years I was nominated, I was hopeful. I was a little jittery. Then we had a dry spell for a few years that we weren’t even nominated. “(In 2016) I was nominated for Clown of the Year and comedy act. I had gotten a little numb to not winning. I felt like I was past my shot at winning it.” Such is McCracken’s life as a rodeo clown. He spends many weeks on the road, working events in several states, but he loves what he does. He enjoys the crowds and the excitement that comes with rodeo, and loves to see the smiles and hear the laughter. “I really enjoy seeing people have a good time,” McCracken said. “Maybe there’s a guy that’s had it pretty rough, is struggling some. If we can just get him to the rodeo and use our last American heritage sport to help him forget his troubles, then he’s had a good night, and we, as a rodeo, have had a good night, too. Laughter is pretty good medicine, and the way things are right now, everybody needs a shot.”

North Carolinian earns second BFO Speedway Series title BRISTOL, Tenn. – Simply put, Kris Furr was ready to get back to work. His job? Juking and jumping over Spanish fighting bulls. After suffering a groin injury last month in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Furr proved why he remains one of the best in the business by winning the Bullfighters Only Speedway Series stop at the Bristol Motor Speedway. He put on two high-marked bouts – an 89 to share the first-round victory and a 92.5 in the Hooey Championship Round – to win the crown. “I’m just trying to get back up in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings,” said Furr, the sixth-ranked man in the BFO from Hamptonville, North Carolina. “I’ve been sitting out, and it’s time to get back to it.” He did that well on a very humid morning in northeastern Tennessee and secured another Speedway Series event title. “Other than it being very hot, it was great, and Chad (Ellison) always brings some really good bulls to those events,” he said. “After my first bullfight, it was one of those where I wasn’t sure if I did enough to be enough points. Usually when I think like that, I’m a lot of points. “Come the short-round time, it was so damn hot, and I was ready to get it done, drink some water and take my stuff off.” Furr tied with Nebraskan Beau Schueth and Canadian Aaron Mercer with 89-point fights in the opening round. They advanced to the Hooey Championship Round along with three-time world champion and world-standings leader Weston Rutkowski, who posted an 86 to advance. All four finals competitors are firmly inside the top 10 in the standings, and it added up to a spectacular display of athleticism. Besides Furr’s 92.5, Schueth finished second overall with a 90-point bout in the final round, followed by Rutkowski’s 88 and Mercer’s 87.5. “The crowd was rowdy at this one,” Furr said. “I think the time of the bullfights are what’s best for me because they’re in the mornings. I like it being early so you’re not thinking about it all day.” While there was plenty to celebrate, a scary situation arose after the first round. Colt Oder of Moorpark, California, was flipped up into the air and landed awkwardly on his head. He regained consciousness and finished his fight, but medical staff quickly realized that something wasn’t right. Oder was airlifted to a hospital in Bristol and treated for head trauma. He has since been released. “With a little more prayer and a little more time, we should make a full recovery,” Oder said on a social media video. Bristol Motor Speedway Aug. 17, 2019 First round: 1. (tie) Beau Schueth, Kris Furr and Aaron Mercer, 89 points; 4. Weston Rutkowski, 86. Hooey Championship Round: 1. Kris Furr, 92.5 points; 2. Beau Schueth, 90; 3. Weston Rutkowski, 88; 4. Aaron Mercer, 87.5.

EAGLE, Colo. – The people that live in Eagle County and the surrounding communities have come to expect great happenings. The Eagle County Fair and Rodeo is no different, which is why it was a virtual sellout each of the four performances for this year’s rodeo, which took place July 24-27. There are numerous factors that make the annual event a must-see. “It doesn’t hurt to bring the best of the best,” said Hanna Albertson, chairwoman for the fair and rodeo’s advisory committee. “In Eagle County, we put on the New York Philharmonic with Bravo Vail and the Vail Dance Festival, so it’s expected here. We can’t put on a mediocre rodeo; we have to put on the best rodeo.” That’s been the case for a number of years, and this year’s expo was one of the best. Not only was there a record 91-point saddle bronc ride by Rusty Wright, but he also was one of dozens of competitors with National Finals Rodeo experience to compete in Eagle this July. “I think what makes our rodeo so great is a combination of our amazing sponsors, where we live and who we bring in as our specialty acts, out stock contractor and our contract personnel,” Albertson said. “We work together as a team, and we’re in it to put on a great show.” That’s true. This year’s rodeo featured Justin Rumford, who has been named the Clown of the Year six times in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and charro Tomas Garcilazo, a four-time winner of the PRCA’s Dress Act of the Year. While Rumford and his comedic antics kept the crowd in stitches, Garcilazo and his family, including 5-year-old son Louis, allowed for some “awe” moments each of the four nights. Throw in the great animals and production from the livestock production firm of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, and there’s a reason why there were multiple world champions who found their way to the Eagle pay window. “I think the rodeo was fantastic this year,” said Tanya Dahlseid, the fair’s manager. “I just love working with Pete Carr and his whole crew. They’re like a family, and they’re so helpful. “We have an amazing committee. Hanna does a great job, and we are so fortunate to have all five members of the committee together because they make a great team. It’s an honor to see the world champions here; I love how everyone’s so kind and professional.” The tell-tale sign of excellence came through the large and active crowds that were part of each night’s festivities. “It’s a very excitable,” she said. “It’s cool to have the crowd so into it. It makes for a fun experience for everyone involved.” Albertson agreed. “If you are a contestant or a person just visiting, there’s some definite energy in our rodeo,” she said. “The great thing about Eagle is that there are a lot of first-time rodeo visitors, and when they hear that crowd and that energy, you make a rodeo fan for life. We are promoting and continuing the legacy of the sport of rodeo.”

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Cody Cabral knew he had a good opportunity Saturday at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. That’s why he flew in and borrowed a horse to could compete on the final day of Lovington’s rodeo, and he made the opportunity pay off. He wrestled two steers in a cumulative time of 7.3 seconds, with the punctuation coming Saturday night with a 3.4-second run. That was good enough to share second place in the second round and give him the edge in the aggregate by three-tenths of a seconds. “I’m pumped up,” said Cabral, a 2016 National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Hilo, Hawaii. “It’s been a pretty slow past couple of weeks. I’ve had a little luck at this rodeo but never been able to win it. Today I had a couple of good steers. “Tonight, I really liked my steer. Wyatt Jurney was 3.9 and place in the first round on him. I knew he would leave good and would stop, so I just tried to get down early and just tried to do my job. I was lucky enough to get the win.” That victory was worth just shy of $4,000. He’ll pay a bit of that in mount money to Stockton Graves, who owns the horse Cabral rode, and Billy Boldon, who hazed. “It’s a cheap price to pay,” Cabral said. “It’s always good when you have to pay mount money.” When borrowing a horse, cowboys pay a percentage of their winnings to the horse’s owner. If the cowboy wins nothing, then the horse owner is paid nothing. “This is always a good week to get on a roll,” he said. “By this time of year, you either have to get it or go home.” Team ropers Coleman Proctor and Ryan Motes have few reasons to go home; it’s been that kind of year. Motes, the heeler, is second in the world standings, and Proctor is fourth. Both are heading to the NFR for the fifth time in their careers. After winning the first round Saturday morning with a 4.3-second run, Proctor and Motes put together a solid, 5.2-second run in the performance to win the title. They finished tied for seventh in the second round and pocketed $5,710 each. “This has been a good week for us,” said Motes, who pointed out a first-round victory in Sikeston, Missouri, and a shared victory in Lawton, Oklahoma, this week. “We had a pretty slow week last week, so it was a good time to have a good week. “All three rodeos we went to this week are tour rodeos, and we were needing a few more tour points to make sure we are in for Puyallup (Washington).” Puyallup is home to the championship for the season’s ProRodeo Tour, so it’s vital for both cowboys to earn their spot. “I’ve had good luck here; this is a good rodeo for me,” Motes said. “I’ve always done good at the three rodeos we went to this week; I’ve won Sikeston a couple times, won Lawton a couple times and won this one a couple times. They’ve all been good rodeos for me.” They’re having a good year, but it was punctuated by a victory this past March at The American where each man earned $333,000. Because of sanctioning by the PRCA, $50,000 of that counts toward the world standings; the rest is just life-changing money that comes in quite handy. “It definitely makes for a much easier year,” Motes said. “We’ve had a great year anyhow, but it makes it good for us. Now Coleman can go home and spend time with his new baby and his family. I’ll go to the Northwest and try to build on what I’ve earned. “The gold buckle is what drives me. That’s the only goal left for me. That’s the one main goal Coleman and I have. I’ve lost the world (title) before by narrow margins. I’m going to go to all 65 rodeos I can go to and give myself the best shot to win that gold buckle.” Lea County Fair and Rodeo Lovington, N.M. Aug. 7-10 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tanner Aus, 90 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie, $5,189; 2. Orin Larsen, 87, $3,978; 3. (tie) Garrett Shadbolt and Zach Hibler, 86, $2,422 each; 5. Kyle Charley, 84, $1,211; 6. (tie) Steven Dent and Kody Lamb, 83, $778 each; 8. (tie) Jake Brown, 81, $259 each. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Tyke Kipp, 3.8 seconds, $1,730; 2. (tie) Cody Cabral, Tyler Pearson and Wyatt Jurney, 3.9, $1,278 each; 5. (tie) Brady Reneau and Kalane Anders, 4.0, $714 each; 7. (tie) J.D. Struxness, Justin Shaffer and Will Lummus, 4.1, $175 each. Second round leaders: 1. Cody Harmon, 3.1 seconds, $1,730; 2. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Cody Cabral, 3.4, $1,391 each; 4. (tie) Nick Guy, Jacob Talley and Cody Devers, 3.5, $827 each; 7. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Bridger Anderson, 3.7, $263 each. Average leaders: 1. Cody Cabral, 7.3 seconds on two runs, $2,594; Tyler Pearson, 7.6, $2,256; 3. (tie) Kalane Anders and Jacob Talley, 7.8, $1,748; 5. Bridger Anderson, 7.9, $1,241; 6. Russell Armenta, 8.2, $902; 7. Dakota Eldridge, 8.3, $564; 8. (tie) Matt Reeves and Denver Berry, 8.5, $113. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Tyson Durfey, 7.8 seconds, $2,480; 2. (tie) Timber Moore and Stetson Vest, 8.3, $1,995 each; 4. Treg Schaack, 8.6, $1,510; 5. (tie) Marty Yates, Clint Cooper and Tanner Green, 8.8, $863 each; 8. Cody McCartney, 8.9, $216. Second round leaders: 1. Shad Mayfield, 7.3 seconds, $2,480; 2. Rhen Richard, 7.5, $2,157; 3. (tie) Ty Harris and Richard Newton, 7.6, $1,671 each; 5. Tuf Cooper, 7.7, $1,186; 6. Chance Oftedahl, 7.9, $863; 7. Justin Smith, 8.3, $539; 8. (tie) Randall Carlisle and Luke Jeffries, 8.5, $108. Average leaders: 1. Shad Mayfield, 16.4 seconds on two runs, $3,730; 2. Stetson Vest, 17.2, $3,235; 3. Richard Newton, 17.6, $2,750; 4. Rhen Richard, 18.0, $2,265; 5 (tie) Chance Oftedahl and Cooper Martin, 18.1,  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Tanner Aus and Jacobs Crawley both ride bucking horses for a living, they just do it in a little different manner. On Friday night, they did better than anybody and left the Lea County Fair and Rodeo either leading or owning a share of the lead in their respective events. “Lovington has always been a good rodeo,” said Crawley, who rode Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo’s Angel Fire for 85.5 points to share the saddle bronc riding lead. “It’s got great stock. Pete (Carr) puts on a great rodeo, and he brings in other (contractors) to help. Tonight was just about not wasting an opportunity.” He is an eight-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Boerne, Texas, who won the 2015 world title. He’s also been a contender every year since. Aus is a three-time NFR qualifier in bareback riding who just missed the finale a year ago after sitting out a few months with injury; still, he finished 18th in the world standings – only the to 15 contestants in each event at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the NFR. He posted the highest-marked ride of this year’s rodeo after matching moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie for 90 points; the only other time he rode the powerful sorrel gelding, Aus won the ninth round of the 2016 NFR – the animal has been to the NFR as many times as Aus and Crawley combined. “That horse is just timeless,” said Aus of Granite Falls, Minnesota. “Pete said the horse is 17 years old now. For that horse to be that good for that long is just incredible. I was happy to see it here. This is a great rodeo with a lot of money up for grabs, so it’s a good place to have him. It’s a good time of year for me to have him.” Aus was 12th in the world standings heading into this week of rodeos. His score should hold up for a big-time check, and he’s hoping it will give him the boost he needs to reach even higher on the money list. “It’s awesome to see your name in the top 15, but the bottom line is that it’s a long season, so we’re going to rodeo hard until the end of September,” he said. “I’ve had a great July and beginning of August as far as drawing well and feeling good for the most part. I’m really thankful for the season I’ve had so far.” Of course, having the random draw match him with horses like Good Time Charlie enables Aus to show off his spurring style. “Good Time Charlie is very electric, and he bucks deliberately,” he said. “He’s one one of those horses that sets you back in the middle, and I’m happy I was able to finish him strong. He’s not easy, but he’s one that a bareback rider wants.” That’s a similar comment to what Crawley had about Angel Fire. “The first time I had that horse was probably six or seven years ago, and we got along pretty good at San Antonio,” he said. “The last time I had her was two years ago at the (Texas) Circuit Finals, and we got along pretty good there, too. I’ve seen that horse the last seven or eight years, and he’s been to the NFR the last five or six years. “I was just excited to get on him, because it’s been several years. That’s just a really nice horse.” Lea County Fair and Rodeo Lovington, N.M. Aug. 7-10 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tanner Aus, 90 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie; 2. (tie) Garrett Shadbolt and Zach Hibler, 86; 4. Kyle Charley, 84; 5. Steven Dent, 83; 6. Jake Brown, 81; 7. Wyatt Denny, 80; 8. Paden Hurst, 79. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Tyler Pearson, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Kalane Anders and Brady Dallin Reneau, 4.0; 4. (tie) Will Lummus and Justin Shaffer, 4.1; 6. (tie) Jace Melvin, Miguel Garacia and Matt Reeves, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. Cody Harmon, 3.1 seconds; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4; 3. (tie) Nick Guy, Jacob Talley and Cody Devers, 3.5; 6. Tyler Pearson, 3.7; 7. (tie) Kalane Anders and Russell Armenta, 3.8; 8. Sam Houston Powers, 4.0. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Pearson, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Kalane Anders and Jacob Talley, 7.8; 4. Russell Armenta, 8.2; 5. Dakota Eldridge, 8.3; 6. (tie) Matt Reeves and Denver Berry, 8.5; 8. Miguel Garcia, 8.7. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Stetson Vest and Timber Moore, 8.3 seconds; 3. Treg Schaack, 8.6; 4. (tie) Marty Yates, Clint Cooper and Tanner Green, 8.8; 7. Cody McCartney, 8.9; 8. (tie) Michael Otero, Shad Mayfield and Cimarron Boardman, 9.1. Second round leaders: 1. Shad Mayfield, 7.3 seconds; 2. Rhen Richard, 7.5; 3. (tie) Ty Harris and Richard Newton, 7.6; 5. Tuf Cooper, 7.7; 6. Chance Oftedahl, 7.9; 7. Justin Smith, 8.3; 8. (tie) Randall Carlisle and Luke Jeffries, 8.5. Average leaders: 1. Shad Mayfield, 16.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Stetson Vest, 17.2; 3. Richard Newton, 17.6; 4. Rhen Richard, 18.0; 5 (tie) Chance Oftedahl and Cooper Martin, 18.1; 7. Cody McCartney, 18.4; 8. Cimaroon Boardman, 18.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) Ryder Wright, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Downtown, and Jacobs Crawley, on Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo’s Angel Fire, 85.5 points; 3. (tie) Brody Cress and Sterling Crawley, 83; 5. Tegan Smith, 82.5; 6. Jade Blackwell, 78; 7. Joe Harper, 77; 8. Brandon Lansford, 74. Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Shay Good, 10.3 seconds; 2. Thomas Smith, 10.4; 3. Brady Garten, 10.5; 4. Trenton Johnson, 10.7; 5. Kelton McMillen, 11.0; 6. Garrett Hale, 11.3; 7. Cody Lee, 11.9; 8. Landon McClaugherty, 12.1. Second round leaders: 1. JoJo LeMond, 9.5 seconds; 2. Cole Patterson, 9.7; 3. Roger Branch, 10.7; 4. Bryce Davis, 11.0; 5. Trevor Brazile, 11.1; 6. Billy Good, 11.4; 7. Thomas Smith, 11.7; 8. Darin  Continue Reading »

EAGLE, Colo. – Rodeo cowboys and cowgirls make their livings crisscrossing the countryside, stopping briefly for the competition that drives them. Each July, hundreds make sure to include the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo on their schedules, and the 2019 version was no exception. The big number weren’t just the contestants, but also the scores posted throughout the four days of the exposition. “I think what makes our rodeo so good is a combination,” Fair Manager Tanya Dahlseid said. “It’s definitely the stock contractor, the contestants, the location and the community. It’s just a good mix. It’s very excitable. It’s cool to have the crowd so into it.” There was a lot to be excited about. Saddle bronc rider Rusty Wright set a new standard in his discipline, riding Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket for an arena-record 91 points on the final night of the rodeo on July 27. That just made for an explosive explanation point to a fantastic week of rodeo. “It seems we come to Eagle every year,” said Wright, 23, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Milford, Utah. “I love coming here.  Pete’s got awesome horses. It doesn’t matter what day you’re coming, you know you’re going to get a good one; it’s just up to how well your ride to see if you’re going to get some money. “The fans are loud. I got off today, and the fans were cheering so loud, I couldn’t help but throw my hat.” He wasn’t the only winner that loved the crowd and loved posting a high-marked ride. Bull rider Trevor Reiste, an NFR qualifier from Linden, Iowa, was 86.5 points to win bull riding, while Steven Dent was 89 points to claim the bareback riding title. It was whirlwind stops for all the contestants in the field. Some rode in Cheyenne, Wyoming, during the day, then drove to Eagle to compete that evening. After their rides and runs, they were off again. Most of the time for ProRodeo cowboys and cowgirls is spent chasing white lines. During the week of Eagle’s rodeo, there were 28 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events across the country, and about a half dozen within close proximity. Since the contestants feed their families on the money they win, they need to get to as many stops as possible. “I try to come here regularly,” said Dent, a nine-time NFR qualifier from Mullen, Nebraska. “I try to work the rodeos I can enter with Cheyenne. “This is a great rodeo. It’s cool, and by now you’re tired of sweating. It’s got a great crowd.” In fact, Dahlseid said, the rodeo featured its biggest attendance ever. “Everything this year was up,” she said. “We’re probably up in admissions 5 percent from last year. All of our concessions and beer sales were up, and sponsorships were up. “We had over 14,000 people come to this event, and we had no negative comments. I heard from multiple people, some that have been on different boards in San Antonio and other rodeos, and they said this was the best rodeo they’ve ever seen.”

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Garrett Shadbolt knew a little bit of the history of Scarlet’s Web. What he didn’t know was the 17-year-old bay mare’s history at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. Over the last five years, cowboys have won the bareback riding title on the powerful horse three times. Now he’s trying to make it four. During Thursday night’s second performance of Lovington’s rodeo, he rode Scarlet’s Web for 86 points to take the bareback riding lead. If he holds on, he will join cowboys J.R. Vezain, Clayton Biglow and Orin Larsen as winners inside Jake McClure Arena on the back of that talented bucking horse – all three men have qualified multiple times for the National Finals Rodeo. “When I saw that horse next to my name (on the draw), I knew I had something special,” said Shadbolt, a ProRodeo rookie from Merriman, Nebraska. “I’ve seen NFR videos of her. She’s phenomenal.” Over her career, she’s been selected to perform at the NFR 12 times because of her bucking prowess. Virtually every year, cowboys win a boatload of money in Las Vagas on her back. Part of it is her style, but a big reason for her talent is in her bloodlines: Her dam is Scarlett, a well-known bucking horse and producer; her father was Night Jacket, which has become one of the greatest sires of bucking horses in the sport. For Shadbolt, he’s just getting his career started. He is 30th in the world standings and third in the rookie standings, and he’d like to move up considerably in both. “I’ve been chasing Jesse Pope pretty hard in the rookie race,” Shadbolt said. “Last week, I won $5,000 and thought I might have caught up on Jess a bit, but he won more than that and pulled ahead even more.” That’s part of the game, and he understands that. He also knows that the top prizes in the sport go to those that earn it, so he’ll keep working toward it. “I want to get my rodeo count to 100,” he said, referring to the number of rodeos in which he hopes to compete. “If I go to 100, I know I gave it my best effort.” Though most cowboys travel together as a posse, Shadbolt has been going by himself recently. On Thursday, though, he got one of the biggest influences in his life to make the trip down; his father flew the two down. “I had the privilege of having my dad pull my bareback rigging,” he said about tightening the cinch around the horse to secure the rigging to the animal. “He flew me down and got to pull my rigging on that famous horse.” A wrestler at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, he likes the physical nature of bareback riding. He hopes that carries over into a big payday in southeast New Mexico. “Winning big rodeos is more important now than it’s ever been,” Shadbolt said. “I’m just putting the pedal to the metal on this last month or so of rodeo before the end of the year to get out to every tour rodeo I can to reel in those big checks. “It can change things overnight at these big rodeos.” Lea County Fair and Rodeo Lovington, N.M. Aug. 7-10 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 86 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie; 2. Kyle Charley, 84; 3. Wyatt Denny, 80; 4. Paden Hurst, 79; 5. Hunter Carter, 78; 6. (tie) Ethan Crouch and Kash Wilson, 73. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Tyler Pearson, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Kalane Anders and Brady Dallin Reneau, 4.0; 4. (tie) Blake Knowles and Miguel Garcia, 4.2; 6. (tie) Jace Melvin, Miguel Garacia and Matt Reeves, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. Cody Harmon, 3.1 seconds; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4; 3. (tie) Nick Guy and Jacob Talley, 3.5; 5. Tyler Pearson, 3.7; 6. (tie) Kalane Anders and Russell Armenta, 3.8; 8. Sam Houston Powers, 4.0. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Pearson, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Kalane Anders and Jacob Talley, 7.8; 4. Russell Armenta, 8.2; 5. Dakota Eldridge, 8.3; 6. Matt Reeves, 8.5; 7. Miguel Garcia, 8.7; 8. Justin Shaffer, 8.8. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Stetson Vest, 8.3 seconds; 2. Treg Schaack, 8.6; 3. (tie) Marty Yates and Clint Cooper, 8.8; 5. (tie) Michael Otero and Shad Mayfield, 9.1; 7. Cooper Martin, 9.4; 8. (tie) Brian Gar and Tyler Prcin, 9.5; 10. Reese Riemer, 9.6. Second round leaders: 1. Shad Mayfield, 7.3 seconds; 2. (tie) Ty Harris and Richard Newton, 7.6; 4. Tuf Cooper, 7.7; 5. Chance Oftedahl, 7.9; 6.  Randall Carlisle, 8.5; 7. (tie) Joseph Gernentz and Cooper Martin, 8.7. Average leaders: 1. Shad Mayfield, 16.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Stetson Vest, 17.2; 3. Richard Newton, 17.6; 4. (tie) Chance Oftedahl and Cooper Martin, 18.1; 6. Tyler Prcin, 18.6; 7. Ty Baker, 18.9; 9. Joseph Gernentz, 19.2. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Wright, 85.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Downtown; 2. Brody Cress, 83; 3. Tegan Smith, 82.5; 4. Joe Harper, 77; 5. Brandon Lansford, 74; 6. Rowdy Chesser, 73; no other qualified rides. Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Shay Good, 10.3 seconds; 2. Thomas Smith, 10.4; 3. Garrett Hale, 11.3; 4. Cody Lee, 11.9; 5. Landon McClaugherty, 12.1; 6. Chet Herren, 12.7; 7. Billy Good, 13.2; 8. Laramie Allen, 14.5. Second round leaders: 1. Roger Branch, 10.7 seconds; 2. Bryce Davis, 11.0; 3. Trevor Brazile, 11.1; 4. Billy Good, 11.4; 5. Thomas Smith, 11.7; 6. Darin Suit, 13.3; 7. Laramie Allen, 14.3; 8. Ryan Willberg, 14.5. Third round leaders: 1. Trevor Brazile, 8.9 seconds; 2. Reo Lohse, 9.0; 3. (tie) Roger Branch and Chet Herren, 10.0; 5. J. Tom Fisher, 10.9; 6. Corey Ross, 12.1; 7. Garrett Hale, 12.4; 8. Billy Good, 15.3; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Billy Good, 39.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Cody Lee, 43.7; 3. Laramie Allen, 44.2; 4. Trevor Brazile, 20.0 seconds on two  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – The world of professional rodeo can be much like a roller-coaster ride – there are many highs and lows through the season. Chance Oftedahl has experienced the extremes of both in the last month. On Wednesday night, he showed that he’s riding through the high times during the first performance of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. He roped and tied his calf in 7.9 seconds to move into third place in the second round, but more importantly, he is the No. 1 man in the aggregate with a two-run cumulative time of 18.1 seconds. “I was here this morning when we tied the calves, and I knew this calf was probably going to run a bit but was going to be outstanding on the ground,” said Oftedahl of Pemberton, Minnesota. “I didn’t get her spun around like I wanted, but it worked out.” Tie-down roping is always a tough event in this southeastern New Mexico community, but that’s to be expected. The rodeo takes place in Jake McClure Arena, and McClure was a world champion in that event 89 years ago. The arena was also a good place for the Minnesota cowboy to continue his hot streak. “It’s been pretty slow the last month,” he said, noting that a badly sprained ankle was the cause for some of the problems, even though he continued to compete. “I didn’t stay mentally sharp through that deal. I went three weeks and didn’t win a check in calf roping. Until Dodge City (Kansas last week), I’d won $500 in about a month. “It’s starting to turn around now. It takes just one rodeo, and you can start drawing a little better and get a feel for the start; then everything starts clicking.” In fact, he won $6,300 in southwest Kansas and can feel things working in his favor “My confidence is coming back,” Oftedahl said. That’s critical, especially now that there are less than two months remaining in the regular season. Only the top 15 in the world standings in each event at the end of September advance to the National Finals Rodeo. It could be a bit of a stretch for Oftedahl to earn that qualification, because he is 47th. He will continue to compete, though, hoping to finish high enough in the standings to get into some of the bigger winter rodeos. He’ll also make sure he earns a spot at the Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo, which takes the top 12 contestants primarily from the Midwestern states. Of course, it helps to have an outstanding equine partner. In his case, Oftedahl leans on Bullseye, an 11-year-old sorrel gelding. “This is a horse my dad bought, and he was 4 years old when we bought him,” he said. “I’ve been hauling him since he was 6. “He’s naturally a free-runner. As soon as you get his motor running, he feels like he’s running off.” While Minnesota is his home, he’s been living in a horse trailer outfitted with a living quarters. In fact, he’s been home for only a few hours since June and won’t be back until September. “I just want to keep the momentum going from here,” Oftedahl said. “There are no breaks from here on out.” Lea County Fair and Rodeo Lovington, N.M. Aug. 7-10 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Kyle Charley, 84 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s First Kiss; 2. Paden Hurst, 79; 3. Ethan Crouch 73; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Tyler Pearson, 3.9 seconds; 2. Kalane Anders, 4.0; 3. (tie) Blake Knowles and Miguel Garcia, 4.2; 5. Jace Melvin, 4.4; 6. Riley Krassin, 4.6; 7. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Aaron Vosler, 4.8. Second round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds; 2. Nick Guy, 3.5; 3. Tyler Pearson, 3.7; 4. Kalane Anders, 3.8; 5. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Miguel Garcia, 4.5; 7. Clayton Hass, 4.6; 8. Kyle Irwin, 5.4. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Pearson, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Kalane Anders, 7.8; 3. Dakota Eldridge, 8.3; 4. Miguel Garcia, 8.7; 5. Tyler Waguespack, 9.3; 6. Jace Melvin, 18.6; 7. Aaron Vosler, 18.7; 8. Nick Guy, 3.5 seconds on one run. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Treg Schaack, 8.6 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, 8.8; 3. Michael Otero, 9.1; 4. (tie) Brian Gar and Tyler Prcin, 9.5; 6. Ty Baker, 10.0; 7. Chance Oftedahl, 10.2; 8. Cody Huber, 10.7. Second round leaders: 1. Ty Harris, 7.6 seconds; 2. Tuf Cooper, 7.7; 3. Chance Oftedahl, 7.9; 4.  Randall Carlisle, 8.5; 5. Ty Baker, 8.9; 6. (tie) Tyler Prcin and Cory Solomon, 9.1; 8. Colt Papy, 9.8. Average leaders: 1. Chance Oftedahl, 18.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Prcin, 18.6; 3. Ty Baker, 18.9; 4. Treg Schaack, 19.2; 5. Cody Huber, 20.9; 6. Colt Papy, 24.1; 7. Ty Harris, 7.6 seconds on one run; 8. Tuf Cooper, 7.7. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Wright, 85.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Downtown; Joe Harper, 77; no other qualified rides. Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Shay Good, 10.3 seconds; 2. Billy Good, 13.2; 3. Corey Ross, 22.6; 4. Brian Garr, 23.2; 5. Mark Milner, 23.4; no other qualified runs. Second round leaders: 1. Trevor Brazile, 11.1 seconds; 2. Billy Good, 11.4; 3. Ryan Willberg, 14.5; 4. Vin Fisher Jr., 16.4; 5. J.D. Barnes, 27.8; no other qualified runs. Third round leaders: 1. Trevor Brazile, 8.9 seconds; 2. J. Tom Fisher, 10.9; 3. Corey Ross, 12.1; 4. Billy Good, 15.3; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Billy Good, 39.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Trevor Brazile, 20.0 seconds on two runs; 3. Corey Ross, 34.7; 4. Shay Good, 10.3 seconds on one run; 5. J. Tom Fisher, 10.9; 6. Ryan Willberg, 14.5; 7. Vin Fisher Jr., 16.4; 8. Brian Garr, 23.2. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Jake Cooper/Caleb Anderson, 4.9 seconds; 2. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 5.3; 3. Bubba Buckaloo, 5.5; 4. Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 5.6; 5. Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 5.7; 6. Matt Sherwood/Hunter Koch, 6.0;  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – For the last five years, Trey Kimzey has watched from the sidelines as older brother Sage has lived his rodeo dreams. Sage Kimzey has won the last five bull riding world championships and leads the standings again, but he’s been sharing the limelight with his little brother a bit this season. On Tuesday night, Trey Kimzey rodeo two bulls to win the Lea County Xtreme Bulls competition at Jake McClure Arena in Lovington and pocketed $10,490 in the process. That pushes his season earnings to more than $85,000 and moves him up to 11th in the world standings with less than two months remaining in ProRodeo’s regular season. “It’s crunch time,” said Kimzey, 20, of Strong City, Oklahoma, who rodeo Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Hex to finish fifth in the opening round, then won the final round with an 87.5-point ride on Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo’s White Walker. “Everybody’s trying to make the NFR. Everybody’s riding good, so you’ve got to get the money where it counts. This is a dang big rodeo, and it’s going to pay good, so I appreciate it.” The reason he feels the end-of-the-season crunch is that only the top 15 on the money list in each event advance to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale that takes place over 10 December nights in Las Vegas. He’s in a good place now, but that can change quickly with dozens of big-money events taking place between now and the final day of the season on Sept. 30. In addition to his place in the world standings, he is eighth in the Xtreme Bulls standings and second in the rookie-of-the-year race. He only trails Stetson Wright in the rookie race, and Wright is the No. 1 man in the all-around world standings. “There’s not that many years that two rookies make it to the finals,” Kimzey said. “I think Stetson and me have a pretty good chance at that. Nothing matters until you make the big show; once you get there, 10 days in Vegas fits my riding style, so we’ll see who wins.” His riding style has come from years of competing in the sport and doing other things around the game. The youngest son of a longtime rodeo clown, Ted Kimzey, Trey has done trick riding, trick roping, tie-down roping and team roping. “I always knew I was going to be a bull rider,” Trey Kimzey said. “Everything else just got in the way, but I wanted to be a bull riding my whole life and go to the NFR. “Balance is a big part of it. Half the tricks are just straight balance. I think everything you can do helps; nothing hurts. I think everything I’ve done in the past helps at this point.” Part of that past is growing up in an active family. He’s looked up to his big brother, as most younger siblings do, and he’s had opportunities to learn that some haven’t. “I think one of the big things was my foundation,” he said. “I was getting on this caliber of bulls when I was 16 and 17, so I had two years of it before others even had a year of it. I feel like that helped me out at a very young age.” Like all others who compete in the sport, Kimzey would like to own that coveted Montana Silversmiths gold buckle, just like the five that his brother already has. There’s work to be done, though. “You’ve got to stay on your bulls,” Kimzey said. “At this point, everybody that’s still going up and down the road pretty hard is in contention to go to the NFR. “Everybody wants a gold buckle, so that’s the main goal. I’ve got to get to Vegas first, then we’ll see how it plays out.” Lea County Xtreme Bulls Lovington, N.M. Aug. 6, 2019 First round: 1. Denton Fugate, 89.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s War Tank, $3,384; 2. Jordan Wacey Spears, 89, $2,594; 3. Garrett Tribble, 88, $1,918; 4. Daylon Swearingen, 86.5, $1,241; 5. Trey Kimzey, $790; 6. Bready Portenier, 85.5, $564; 7. (tie) Sage Steele Kimzey, J.T. Moore and Jeff Askey, 84.5, 263 each. Championship round: 1. Trey Kimzey, 87.5 points on Lancaster & Jones ProRodeo’s White Walker, $4,061; 2. Garrett Tribble, 84.5, $3,459; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. Trey Kimzey, 173.5 points on two rides, $5,640; 2. Garrett Tribble, 172.5, $4,324; 3. Denton Fugate, 89.5, $3,196; 4. Jordan Wacey Spears, 89, $2,068; 5. Daylon Swearingen, 86.5, $1,316; 6. Brady Portenier, 85.5, $940; 7. (tie) Sage Steele Kimzey, J.T. Moore and Jeff Askey, 84.5, $439 each.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – It’s been years since Koby Radley got his first glimpse of a Dodge City Roundup Rodeo championship buckle. It belongs to his brother-in-law, Jacob O’Mara, who won the bull riding title in 2011, then followed it up with a Dodge City Xtreme Bulls title in 2015. Now Radley can return to Louisiana and compare those wearable trophies. On Sunday night during the championship round, he rode Frontier Rodeo’s Tiger Twister for 86.5 points to put the wraps on his first Roundup Rodeo bull riding championship. In all, he pocketed just shy of $8,000, which will push his season earnings past the $80,000 mark with less than two months remaining in the regular season. “This win was really important,” said Radley, 21, of Montpelier, Louisiana. “I haven’t had a big rodeo win my whole career, so to get the win here in Dodge City is awesome. “That buckle is awesome. As a kid seeing it, I always thought I’d like to win that buckle.” He did. He started off by sharing the first-round win with an 87-point ride on Frontier’s Master Charge. Garrett Tribble of Slick, Oklahoma, had the same score on Frontier’s 99 Problems. But when it came down to crunch time during a rank and rough championship round, Radley made sure he stayed atop his bull to claim the top prize. In fact, he was just one of two of 12 cowboys to have an eight-second qualified ride in the short round; Jesse Petri of Palestine, Texas, had the highest-marked ride of the week with an 89-point ride on Frontier’s Lookin Up – he was 79 points in the first round and finished second overall with a two-ride cumulative score of 168, five points behind Radley “I’d like to say there wasn’t pressure, but there definitely was,” Radley said. “Watching almost all the guys fall off, I knew if I’d stay on that bull, I would probably win it. I just had to keep calm and keep breathing.” Coming off his first National Finals Rodeo qualification, he would love to return to ProRodeo’s grand finale. This was his third time at Roundup Rodeo, and he plans to return. He finished second overall in his first bid two seasons ago. “My plan is to make the NFR again this year,” said Radley, the No. 13 bull rider in the world standings who won just shy of $63,000 at last year’s finale and finished 10th. “I want to come back this year and go for that gold buckle. While the Louisiana cowboy is a relative newcomer to ProRodeo, tie-down roper Adam Gray is a veteran with four NFR qualifications to his credit. Still, he earned his first Roundup buckle this week. “It’s been a real good week here in Dodge City … in Kansas total; I won Hill City and placed in Phillipsburg,” said Gray, who earned more than $10,000 over the last seven days, $8,116 of which came in Dodge City. “I’m really thankful. I’ve made the short round a couple of times and won some go rounds but never did anything substantial.” That changed this year. He won the first round and placed in the second round, and that money is vital. In rodeo, dollars equal points, and only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event at the end of the regular season advance to the NFR. “This was really important, because last year I missed the finals by $512,” said Gray, who is 10th in the world standings. “I’m trying to rope like I have a little bit of a grudge. I don’t want to leave any doubt. It would make my last few weeks of the season a lot less stressful. “I’ve never had (the finals) made early; every time I’ve made them has been has been at the end (of the regular season). I wanted one time in my career to have them made early and get to watch the race and enjoy it and see how much fun I could win if I didn’t have stress.” If he stays on this hot streak, Gray just may do it. Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Dodge City, Kan. July 31-Aug. 4 All-around cowboy: Tuf Cooper, $4,957, tie-down roping, team roping and steer roping. Bareback riding: First round: 1. Will Lowe, 90 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Cactus Black, $3,085; 2. Tilden Hooper, 87.5, $2,365; 3. Steven Dent, 86, $1,748; 4. Leighton Berry 85, $1,131; 5. (tie) Zach Hibler and Logan Patterson, 84, $617 each; 7. Mason Clements, 82.5, $411; 8. Paden Hurst, 82, $309. Final round: 1. Steven Dent, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off, $1,650; 2. Tilden Hooper, 87, $1,250; 3. Will Lowe, 85, $900; 4. Leighton Berry, 84.5, $600; 5. Yance Day, 83, $350; 6. Blaine Kaufman, 80.5, $250. Average: 1. (tie) Steven Dent and Will Lowe, 175 points on two rides, $2,725 each; 3. Tilden Hooper, 174.5, $1,748; 4. Leighton Berry, 169.5, $1,131; 5. Zach Hibler, 164; $720; 6. Mason Clements, 162, $514; 7. Blaine Kaufman, 159.5, $411; 8. Yance Day, 159, $309. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Aaron Vosler, 3.7 seconds, $2,629; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 3.8, $2,286; 3. (tie) Nick Guy, Shane Frey, Clayton Hass and Tyler Waguespack, 3.9, $1,429 each; 7. Cody Devers, 4.0, $571; 8. (tie) Blake Mindemann, Denell Henderson, Riley Duvall and Levi Rudd, 4.2, $57 each. Second round: 1. Nick Guy, 3.7 seconds, $2,629; 2. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and J.D. Struxness, 3.9, $2,114 each; 4. Denell Henderson, 4.1, $1,600; 5. Tyler Pearson, 4.2, $1,257; 6. Riley Westhaver, 4.3, $914; 7. Cody Devers, 4.4, $571; 8. (tie) Blake Mindemann and Jule Hazen, 4.8, $114.  Final round: 1. Kyle Irwin, 3.5 seconds, $1,102; 2. Denell Henderson, 3.8, $912; 3. Matt Reeves, 4.0, $722; 4. (tie) Blake Mindemann and Dakota Eldridge, 4.3, $437 each; 6. Blair Jones, 4.7, $190. Average: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 12.0 seconds on three runs, $3,943; 2. Denell Henderson, 12.1, $3,429; 3. Nick Guy, 12.4, $2.915; 4. Blake Mindemann, 13.3,  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – As Boyd Polhamus announced his credentials, the full-house crowd packed into Roundup Arena began to build for a Kansas-born cowboy that owns three world championships. Will Lowe didn’t disappoint, either. On Saturday night during the final preliminary performance of Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, the bareback rider who was raised on the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro spurred Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Cactus Black for 90 points to win the first round and own a decent lead heading into Sunday night’s championship round. “I’ve been coming to this arena since I was about 14 for high school rodeos,” said Lowe, 36, who was raised in Olathe, Kansas, and graduated from Spring Hill (Kansas) High School. “I bulldogged my first steer at a rodeo here in the mud, so it’s always been great to me here. You don’t always win money, but the committee’s great and the crowd’s great. They have such a great fan base. “Of course, it’s Kansas, so it’s given that the people are going to be good.” He’s lived in Canyon, Texas, most of his ProRodeo career, but he’s quite proud of his Kansas roots. He’s also proud of the resume that Polhamus spoke about, including his three world championships and 15 qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo. “(Sunday) is going to be a tough day, because you know some buckers will be out tomorrow,” he said Saturday night. “I felt pretty confident that as long as I did my job, that horse would do his job, and I’d be pretty good to slide into the short round.” Lowe did more than slide into the final performance, which features only the top 12 contestants in each event from the previous four days of competition. The champions in eight disciplines will be crowned and awarded those highly identifiable Roundup buckles. Lowe owns one, a title he earned a dozen years ago, but it’s just one of many prestigious awards for the cowboy. Of course, he’s now in his 18th season in ProRodeo – he was only 19 years old when he qualified for his first NFR and 20 when he won his first Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. He’s a bit behind the eight-ball heading into the final two months of the regular season; he is 26th in the world standings, and only the top 15 when the season ends Sept. 30 will advance to the NFR, ProRodeo’s grand finale. The $3,085 he earned Saturday night will help, but winning the whole thing would be a major boost. “It’s great to start August off strong,” Lowe said. “This is the big rodeo of the week this weekend. The Fourth of July is Cowboy Christmas, but it keeps rolling all the way through. You could be at a rodeo just about every day to about the end of September.” Of course, it helps to have good horses. At rodeos like Dodge City’s, cowboys are matched to their animals via random draw. The better the bucking horse, the better are his odds to get a good score. “I had him at Coleman (Texas) earlier this year and was 87 points,” he said. “I knew he was going to stack up. I just got done watching him in the short round at Cheyenne, and he was really good there. “It worked out perfect. You can’t say it enough; I’m blessed. Thank God I’m still healthy and still able to go.” In bareback riding, 36 is considered old. When he first started competing, Lowe was fascinated to be riding alongside his heroes; now he’s the guy they all look up to when it comes to achieving greatness. Sometimes, though, other things in life adjust the priorities – two of those are Garrett, 10, and Levi, 7. “I’ll go until I don’t want to ride anymore,” Lowe said. “I don’t think I’ll ever retire; if I want to get on a bucking horse, I’m going to get on a bucking horse. “There are so many good rodeos down there. I’ve got kids now, so I’ll ease around to some rodeos. If it goes good and crack at a good one, you go to a few more. If not, you stay at the house and have fun with the family.” For now, though, he’s looking forward to the championship round in Dodge City. Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Dodge City, Kan. July 31-Aug. 4 Bareback riding: First round: 1. Will Lowe, 90 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Cactus Black, $3,085; 2. Tilden Hooper, 87.5, $2,365; 3. Steven Dent, 86, $1,748; 4. Leighton Berry 85, $1,131; 5. (tie) Zach Hibler and Logan Patterson, 84, $617 each; 7. Mason Clements, 82.5, $411; 8. Paden Hurst, 82, $309; 9. Blaine Kaufman, 79; 10. Wyatt Bloom, 78.5; 11. (tie) Justin Polmiller and Briar Dittmer, 77. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Aaron Vosler, 3.7 seconds, $2,629; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 3.8, $2,286; 3. (tie) Nick Guy, Shane Frey, Clayton Hass and Tyler Waguespack, 3.9, $1,429 each; 7. Cody Devers, 4.0, $571; 8. (tie) Blake Mindemann, Denell Henderson, Riley Duvall and Levi Rudd, 4.2, $57 each. Second round: 1. Nick Guy, 3.7 seconds, $2,629; 2. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and J.D. Struxness, 3.9, $2,114 each; 4. Denell Henderson, 4.1, $1,600; 5. Tyler Pearson, 4.2, $1,257; 6. Riley Westhaver, 4.3, $914; 7. Cody Devers, 4.4, $571; 8. (tie) Blake Mindemann and Jule Hazen, 4.8, $114.  Average leaders: 1. Nick Guy, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 7.7; 3. Denell Henderson, 8.3; 4. Cody Devers, 8.4; 5. Blake Mindemann, 9.0; 6. Jacob Edler, 9.3; 7. Matt Reeves, 9.4; 8. Clayton Hass, 9.7; 9. Kyle Irwin, 10.0; 10. (tie) Trever Nelson and Jule Hazen, 10.2; 12. Blair Jones, 10.5. Team roping: First round: 1. (tie) Caleb Smidt/Ty Arnold and Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 5.0 seconds, $2,557 each; 3. (tie) Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison and Adam Rose/Jett Hillman, 5.1, $1,843 each; 5. David Key/Rich Skelton, 5.4, $1,308; 6. Garrett Tonozzi/Dustin Davis, 5.5, $951; 7. (tie) Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, Cory Clark/Douglas Rich  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Rusty Wright is 28 months older than the next oldest sibling, his saddle bronc riding world champion brother Ryder. They’ve been close since that March day in 1998 when the younger brother was born to two-time world champion Cody Wright and his wife, ShaRee. They have three younger siblings, one of whom is Stetson, who just turned 20 this week and leads the all-around and bull riding world standings. On Friday night, the No. 1 son held that same spot at Dodge City Roundup Rodeo after Rusty’s 90-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Let ’Er Rip to lead first round of bronc riding with one preliminary day of competition remaining. By the time the final bull bucks on Saturday night, Sunday’s championship round will be set. And there’s a good chance the Wrights will be at the top of the leaderboard in their chosen event. “I’ve been on this horse three times here in Dodge City,” said Rusty Wright, 23. “I was 86 on him once, he bucked me off last year in the short round, so I was really nervous today getting on him. “I just thought to myself, ‘Stay back and lift on your rein; that horse will damn sure buck, so make sure you throw your feet and spur.’ That, honestly, is the best I’ve ever felt on that horse. I just kept things rolling. It felt awesome, and I’m really excited about it.” He should be. It’s the second time in less than a week that Rusty Wright has scored at least 90 points – last Saturday night, he was 91 points to win in Eagle, Colorado. But here’s the thing: He’s just one point better than his little brother, who posted an 89 on Frontier’s Molly Brown and is a close second place heading into the short round on the final night of Roundup Rodeo. He also has a couple of other advantages: He won the coveted gold buckle two seasons ago, while Rusty’s best finish was third place; Ryder also leads the world standings with nearly $185,000 in earnings. “It’s never a bad day when you’re in the top spots,” said Ryder Wright, 21. “I’ve seen that horse a bunch; Rusty’s been on him three times, and (uncle) Spencer (Wright) has been on him. When I saw that I had him, I was happy. I wish I could take that horse with me everywhere.” While there is good reason to celebrate – Stetson Wright sits second in the first round of bull riding – there is also the cause for concern. After his qualified ride Wednesday night, Stetson and 4L & Diamond S Ranch’s Last Cigarette met bull-head-to-Wright-chin. The end result for Stetson was multiple jaw fractures that required surgery in which four plates and numerous screws were placed in the cowboy’s face. “The getting-hurt aspect of rodeo … you don’t want to think about it and you want to keep it out of your head,” Rusty Wright said. “But when your little brother’s laying in a hospital bed and you’ve been sitting there with him for two days, it’s hard to get it out of your head. “If anybody knows Stetson, he’s in good spirits all the time no matter what. We couldn’t quit laughing all day today He’s got a broken jaw making everybody laugh like he always does. He keeps us in a good attitude and a positive mindset, so he made it better on us.” Stetson Wright was transported from Dodge City to a Wichita hospital. His older siblings made the overnight drive from Sidney, Iowa, to Wichita that night. On Thursday, Rusty and Spencer made the round trip to Phillipsburg, Kansas, to compete at that rodeo and return to the hospital. After seeing Stetson off to surgery, they made their way to Dodge City for the largest rodeo in the state. In addition to traveling together, Ryder and Rusty travel with Spencer, one of two world champion uncles. All three will likely compete in Sunday night’s championship round, but they have other business to tend to first: They left on a 13-hour drive to Sentinal Butte, North Dakota, to compete Saturday night before making the reverse trip to battle for the Dodge City title “People talk about the Fourth of July being tough on us rodeoing, but usually the Fourth of July doesn’t seem as bad as these last two months (of the season),” Ryder Wright said. “We’re really busy with a lot of all-night driving, just trying to get all the rodeos in before the season’s over. I think the last two months are busier.” It’s a mad dash, because the ProRodeo regular season ends Sept. 30; only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event advance to the National Finals Rodeo. While Ryder is a virtual lock to compete at the grand finale, Rusty still has a bit of work to do – he is 10th in the world standings with more than $69,000 in earnings. He’ll add to that just by doing so well in the first round, and he expects a plenty of electricity come Sunday night. “Frontier’s got so many good horses,” Rusty Wright said, noting that Let ’Er Rip has been a fixture in the short round for years. “That goes to show you how awesome Frontier is; they can buck that awesome of a horse in the long round and still have a whole pen of buckers in the short round. “You know when you come to any of their rodeos, you better have your hammer cocked, because you’re going to get on a bucker. If it’s not a bucker, it’s going to be a nice one you can place on.” Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Dodge City, Kan. July 31-Aug. 4 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tilden Hooper, 87.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Medicine Show; 2. Steven Dent, 86; 3. Leighton Berry 85; 4. (tie) Zach Hibler and Logan Patterson, 84; 6. Mason Clements, 82.5; 7.  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Team ropers Garrett Tonozzi and Dustin Davis knew they needed a consistent run Thursday night if they had a chance to win the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. “Honestly, we were trying to be 6.0 twice,” Davis said, referring to time in seconds. “Luckily, we beat that by a little bit.” The tandem leads the first round with a 5.5-second run they had during Thursday morning’s competition. They were 5.7 in the second round, where they sit third, and lead the average with a cumulative time of 11.2 seconds. At Roundup Rodeo, every timed event contestant competes in two rounds on the same day. Each contestant (or team) will compete in the morning in what’s deemed as “slack,” meaning excess competition. The top 10 times then return for the evening performances. Both cowboys knew they had a good chance when they were ready to compete in the performance. “We got to watch our steer go this mooring, and we knew he was good,” said Davis of Terrell, Texas. “At a rodeo like this, you know it’s easy to make the short round, so you just want to get two down.” Each cowboy and cowgirl will compete in the four preliminary days of the rodeo, with the top 12 in the standings after Saturday night advancing to Sunday’s championship round. Davis and Tonozzi are in an outstanding position to make that happen. “At a rodeo like this, the setup is a little more different, and the steers are fresher this year,” said Tonozzi, a Colorado-born header now living in Lampasas, Texas. “We were just looking to make sharp runs on both ends. I just tried to go turn the steer, set him up for my partner to finish it off fast.” The two have been roping together all season, and it’s been good. A strong finish here would be a great way to start the final two months of the 2019 regular season “Dustin ropes great, his horse is great and we’re dang sure on the same page,” Tonozzi said. “Winning this would mean a lot to me. I remember coming here as a little kid with my grandad one time and watching everyone roping in the big slack. I’ve always loved this rodeo.” He’s showing it this year. Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Dodge City, Kan. July 31-Aug. 4 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tilden Hooper, 87.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Medicine Show; 2. Leighton Berry 85; 3. (tie) Zach Hibler and Logan Patterson, 84; 5. Mason Clements, 82.5; 6. Paden Hurst, 82; 7. Wyatt Bloom, 78.5; 8. Yance Day, 76. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Aaron Vosler, 3.7 seconds; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 3.8; 3. (tie) Clayton Hass, Tyler Waguespack and Nick Guy, 3.9 each; 6. (tie) Kyle Irwin and Will Lummus, 4.3; 8. Tom Uttermark, 4.6. Second round leaders: 1. Nick Guy, 3.7 seconds; 2. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and J.D. Struxness, 3.9; 4. Tyler Pearson, 4.2; 5. Brody Cleveland, 5.2; 6. Kalane Anders, 5.3; 7. Billy Boldon, 5.6; 8. (tie) Kyle Irwin and Dean Stermer, 5.7.  Average leaders: 1. Nick Guy, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 7.7; 3. Clayton Hass, 9.7; 4. Kyle Irwin, 10.0; 5. J.D. Struxness, 10.9; 6. Dean Stermer, 11.3; 7. Brody Cleveland, 12.5; 8. Maverick Harper, 14.1; 9. Riley Krassin, 15.9; 10. Cody Doescher, 16.5; 11. Tom Uttermark, 20.0; 12. Jacob Talley, 28.6. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Garrett Tonozzi/Dustin Davis, 5.5 seconds; 2. Lane Ivy/Cesar de la Cruz, 6.5; 3. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 6.6; 4. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 6.8; 5. Nick Becker/Dawson McMaster, 7.1; 6. Coy Rahlmann/Ryan Von Ahn, 7.3; 7. Butch Levell, 7.7; 8. Charly Crawford/Logan Medlin, 9.7. Second round leaders: 1. Nick Becker/Dawson McMaster, 5.3 seconds; 2. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 5.6; 3. Garrett Tonozzi/Dustin Davis, 5.7; 4. Butch Levell/J.W. Beck, 9.5; 5. Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 10.2; 6. Coy Rahlmann/Ryan Von Ahn, 11.6; 7. Jake Orman/Tyler McKnight, 14.8; no other qualified runs.  Average leaders: 1. Garrett Tonozzi/Dustin Davis, 11.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 12.4; 3. Nick Becker/Dawson McMaster, 12.4; 3. Butch Levell/J.W. Beck, 17.2; 5. Coy Rahlmann/Ryan Von Ahn, 18.9; 6. Lane Ivy/Cesar de la Cruz, 6.5 seconds on one run; 7. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 6.6; 8. Charly Crawford/Logan Medlin, 9.7; 9. Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 10.2; 10. Pace Freed/Dustin Searcy, 10.8; 11. Tyler Wade/Billie Jack Saebens, 11.5; 12. Tanner Baldwin/Nano Garza, 11.6. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tegan Smith, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Bordertown; 2. Jacobs Crawley, 86; 3. Wade Sundell, 84.5; 4. Dean Wadsworth, 82.5; 5. Dalton Kingery, 82; 6. (tie) Logan Cook and Sterling Crawley, 81; 8. Shorty Garrett, 80.5. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Adam Gray, 9.0 seconds; 2. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.2; 3. Colt Papy, 10.3; 4. Trell Etbauer, 10.8; 5. Chase Williams, 11.0; 6. (tie) Trent Creager and Clay McCuistion, 12.4; 8, Luke Potter, 12.5. Second round leaders: 1. Westyn Hughes, 9.6 seconds; 2. Adam Gray, 9.7; 3. Garrett Busby, 10.0; 4. Colt Papy, 10.1; 5. Trell Etbauer, 10.3; 6. (tie) Trent Creager and Luke Potter, 10.3; 8. Anthony Jordan, 11.2. Average leaders: 1. Adam Gray, 18.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Colt Papy, 20.4; 3. Trell Etbauer, 21.0; 4. Trent Creager, 22.7; 5. Luke Potter, 22.8; 6. Westyn Hughes, 22.9; 7. Ryan Thibodeaux, 24.1; 8. Cole Bailey, 30.8; 9. Garrett Busby, 10.0; 10. Chase Williams, 11.0; 11. Anthony Jordan, 11.2; 12. Luke Madsen, 12.1. Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Michelle Darling, 16.70 seconds; 2. Cindy Smith, 17.24; 3. Jeanne Anderson, 17.32; 4. Sara Cheeney, 17.37; 5. Kiley Dalchow, 17.40; 6. Maggie Carter, 17.49; 7. Amber Scales, 17.50; 8. Leia Pluemer, 17.53; 9. Haley Nida, 17.54; 10. Tierra Gray, 17.61. Second round leaders: 1. Jessica Routier, 16.93 seconds; 2. Shannnon Lillard, 17.01; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, $17.28; 4. Michelle Darling, 17.29; 5. Molly Childers, 17.36; 6. Ivy Hurst, 17.38; 7. Kiley Dalchow, 17.40; 8. Sara Cheeney, 17.42; 9. Maggie Carter, 17.43; 10. Jeanne Anderson, 17.44. Average leaders: 1. Michelle Darling, 33.99 seconds  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – The state of Iowa is becoming a hotbed for cowboys wanting to ride bucking horses for a living. This past December, two Iowans – saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell and bareback rider Tim O’Connell – earned world championships; it was the first for Sundell and the third straight for O’Connell. Now cowboys like Tegan Smith and Riggin Smith are hoping to carry on that tradition. Both cowboys attended Clarendon (Texas) College the past two years, and the cousins from Winterset, Iowa, competed at the College National Finals Rodeo this past June – Riggin won the national title, while Tegan finished third. On Wednesday, Tegan Smith posted an 87-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Bordertown to burst into the saddle bronc riding lead on the opening night of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. That score should be enough to bring him back for Sunday’s championship round. “I want to finish the year in the top 30 in the world, then I’ve got a good chance at those winter rodeos next year,” said Smith, 21, who is No. 46 in the world standings with $20,772 but sits fourth in the bronc riding rookie race. “After that, then I can make a good run at the (National) Finals.” He just completed his sophomore season at Clarendon, a college in the Texas Panhandle about four hours south of Dodge City. He decided on the college primarily because of its coach, three-time National Finals Rodeo saddle bronc riding qualifier Bret Franks. “I knew how to ride broncs, but then he critiqued everything and made it to where I could go out to all these big rodeos and accomplish something,” Smith said. “When we went to the college finals, I felt like I owed Bret something for everything he did for us. “Bret was the reason I went to Clarendon. I knew he could help me in my career of rodeoing.” While Smith is in the rookie race this year, bareback rider Zach Hibler earned his rookie title in a runaway last year. Hibler finished the 2018 campaign with nearly $43,000, more than $15,000 ahead of the No. 2 man. He, too, took the lead Wednesday night after an 84-point ride on Frontier’ Ace of Spades. “That was a little black horse that went straight down the pen and gave me everything I could ask for,” said Hibler of Wheeler, Texas. “You can dang sure mess up a nice one on the first night out, so it’s nice to capitalize on it.” That score should also allow Hibler to return to Sunday’s short round. If history repeats itself, the final night of bareback riding will feature some of the rankest bucking horses in the business. “I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “Those buckers make you want to bring your “A” game, so it separates the men from the boys.” He should know; he learned a lot about that last year after earning a spot in the short round. It was a big test in a rookie year that became magical for the Texan. “Winning the rookie made me feel like I was part of something, that I could compete with these guys that are making the finals each year,” Hibler said. “It just boosted my confidence more than anything.” Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Dodge City, Kan. July 31-Aug. 4 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Zach Hibler, 84 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Ace of Spades; 2. Paden Hurst, 82; 3. Ethan Crouch, 71; 4. Chance Merrill, 60; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Aaron Vosler, 3.7 seconds; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 3.8; 3. (tie) Clayton Hass, Tyler Waguespack and Nick Guy, 3.9 each; 6. Kyle Irwin, 4.3. Second round leaders: 1. Nick Guy, 3.7 seconds; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 3.9; 3. Tyler Pearson, 4.2; 4. Kalane Anders, 5.3; 5. Kyle Irwin, 5.7; 6. Clayton Hass, 5.8; 7. Riley Krassin, 6.0; 8. Cody Doescher, 8.5; 9. Sam Houston Powers, 14.0; 10. Cutter DeHart, 14.3.  Average leaders: 1. Nick Guy, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 7.7; 3. Clayton Hass, 9.7; 4. Kyle Irwin, 10.0; 5. Riley Krassin, 15.9; 6. Cody Doescher, 16.5; 7. Aaron Vosler, 3.7 seconds on one run; 8. Tyler Waguespack, 3.9; 9. Tyler Pearson, 4.2; 10. Heath Thomas, 4.8. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Lane Ivy/Cesar de la Cruz, 6.5 seconds; 2. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 6.6; 3. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 6.8; 4. Charly Crawford/Logan Medlin, 9.7; 5. Pace Freed/Dustin Searcy, 10.8; 6. Tyler Wade/Billie Jack Saebens, 11.5. Second round leaders: 1. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 5.6 seconds; 2. Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 10.2; no other qualified runs.  Average leaders: 1. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 12.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Lane Ivy/Cesar de la Cruz, 6.5 seconds on one run; 3. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 6.6; 4. Charly Crawford/Logan Medlin, 9.7; 5. Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 10.2; 6. Pace Freed/Dustin Searcy, 10.8; 7. Tyler Wade/Billie Jack Saebens, 11.5; 8. Tanner Baldwin/Nano Garza, 11.6; 9. Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 14.3; no other qualified times. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tegan Smith, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Bordertown; 2. Wade Sundell, 84.5; 3. Dalton Kingery, 82; 4. Logan Cook, 81; 5. Bradley Harter, 77; 6. Wyatt Casper, 76; 7. Riggin Smith, 68; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Colt Papy, 10.3 seconds; 2. Chase Williams, 11.0; 3. Westyn Hughes, 13.3; 4. Dawson Appleton, 16.0; 5. Clint Cooper, 22.1; 6. Randall Carlisle, 22.7. Second round leaders: 1. Westyn Hughes, 9.6 seconds; 2. Garrett Busby, 10.0; 3. Colt Papy, 10.1; 4. Anthony Jordan, 11.2; 5. Bryce Loyd, 16.9; 6. Tuf Cooper, 20.1. Average leaders: 1. Colt Papy, 20.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Westyn Hughes, 22.9; 3. Garrett Busby, 10.0 seconds on one run; 4. Chase Williams, 11.0; 5. Anthony Jordan, 11.2; 6. Dawson Appleton, 16.0; 7. Bryce Loyd, 16.9; 8. Tuf Cooper, 20.1; 9. Clint Cooper, 22.1; 10. Randall Carlisle, 22.7. Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Michelle Darling, 16.70 seconds; 2. Cindy Smith, 17.24; 3. Jeanne Anderson,  Continue Reading »