Monthly Archives: April 2023

ALVA, Okla. – Kade Chace is a tie-down roper at heart, but he’s expanding his horizons. In recent months, his friends at Northwestern Oklahoma State University have talked Chace into trying his hand at steer wrestling, and he’s taken to it rather well. This past weekend at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo in Weatherford, the cowboy picked up points in both events to lead the way for the Rangers rodeo team. “I like that rodeo, because there are a lot of people that come out and support it,” said Chace, a Northwestern junior from Cherokee, Oklahoma. “I haven’t had much luck (this year), so I told myself to go out there and rope one and see what happens. I did my job in the Friday performance.” He roped and tied his first-round calf in 10.7 seconds to finish fourth in the long round. He actually competed in both events Friday night and knocked his steer down in 4.9 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for third place in the opening round with teammates Jeremy Plourde of Carleton, Michigan, and Tevin Cowan of Harrold, South Dakota. “I also made a good bulldogging run in the long round,” Chace said. “I haven’t been doing it very long. It was good to get that feeling. I had a lot of support from my rodeo team.” There are a bunch of great bulldoggers at Northwestern, with six of the top seven steer wrestlers in the Central Plains Region being Rangers. They’ve all given a hand to the newcomer, with Hawaiian Trisyn Kalawaia offering the use of his bulldogging horse. In Saturday’s championship round, Chace didn’t secure his steer and was saddled with a no-time, but he excelled in tie-down roping. He stopped the clock in 10.5 seconds to finish third in the short round, and his two-run cumulative time of 21.2 seconds was good enough for third overall. “I drew a great calf in that calf roping, and I just wanted to do my job,” he said. “I roped him and tied him down, and my horse worked great. I didn’t have much luck in the bulldogging, but I had a great horse. Trisyn let me ride one of his bulldogging horses, and I can’t thank that guy enough.” There are two rodeos remaining in the Central Plains season, with the teams traveling to Hays, Kansas, this next weekend and to Guymon, Oklahoma, the final weekend of April. Chace is hoping to continue his hot streak and jump into the top three in the regional tie-down roping standings by season’s end and secure his spot at the College National Finals Rodeo. “I think if I can continue to do what I did in Weatherford, I could sneak in there,” he said. “My plan is to do my job and let it all play out from there. If I do my job and my horse does his job, I really like my chances.” His horse is Romeo, a sorrel gelding that he acquired from his WPRA world champion sister, Kelsie Domer. “She didn’t really get along with him, so I told her to let me have him so I could see if I could get them to like each other,” Chace said. “I had him for a couple of years; he worked great for me, so I just bought him. He’s easy to ride, and he does the same thing every time so I only have to worry about myself.” Fellow Northwestern tie-down roper Denton Oestman of Auburn, Nebraska, added to his regional lead by finishing second in the long round in Weatherford, while the team roping tandem of Camden Hoelting of Olpe, Kansas, and Austin Lampe of Dodge City, Kansas, finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the opening round. None of those Rangers had much luck after that. In bulldogging, Wyatt Fields of Silsbee, Texas, led the way for Northwestern by winning the championship round and finishing third overall. Both Chace and Plourde failed to place after their first-round runs, but Cowan was 6.1 in the short round to finish sixth overall. Barrel racer Samantha Chambers of Calhan, Colorado, finished sixth in the short round and sixth overall. With just two rodeos left on the campaign, it’s down to crunch time for all the Rangers. Chace can do wonders if he can continue to score points in multiple events. After years of being pestered to try his hand at steer wrestling, he likes how he has been transformed. “It was a good feeling to get points in both events,” Chace said. “I had a lot of family there watching and supporting me. It felt good with all that practice and to see all those guys do it. I had a bunch of other team members cheering for me, so it was a lot of fun.”

GUYMON, Okla. – For decades, breakaway roping was a bit of a stepchild to traditional rodeo, a starting point for rising stars and a way for young women to show off their abilities. That changed four years ago when The American made breakaway roping part of its lucrative rodeo, and the rest of the Western sports world took notice. There are more opportunities for female ropers to make a living in the sport than ever before, and it’s still in the growing stages. While it has been a hit in the Oklahoma Panhandle for a while, breakaway roping will be one of the featured events at this year’s Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “We’ve had an evening of breakaway roping before, but the rodeo committee opted to be sanctioned by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association so that money counts toward the ProRodeo world standings,” said Ken Stonecipher, the production manager of the Pioneer Days Rodeo committee. “For the better part of the past two decades, we were known as a cowboys’ rodeo, and we want to be known as a cowgirls’ rodeo, too. We’ve got unlimited entries, so we could legitimately see hundreds of breakaway ropers come to Guymon this year. It will also have the same added money as the other events.” “Added money” refers to the amount of local dollars the volunteer committee puts into the pot. In Guymon, each event will start with $8,000 in local money, which will then be mixed with contestants’ entry fees to make up the total purse. Each event will have its own fee per contestant, and the numbers of cowboys or cowgirls per event will vary. “We’ve got seven full days of rodeo, so it’s no small task to put this thing on,” said Stonecipher, who also serves as one of the rodeo’s announcers. “When we decided to add breakaway roping to our performances, we wanted to give every competitor a good chance, which is why we set it up in the format we did.” All breakaway ropers will compete in one go-round, which begins at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 4. The cowgirls with the top times will advance through to the progressive round, which will be part of the four paid performances. The lady with the fastest two-run cumulative time will be crowned champion. Pioneer Days is unique in that it will feature all events associated with rodeo. Not all rodeos have steer roping, while others don’t have breakaway roping. Opening the doors to all types of competitors ensures the cream of the crop will be showcased in Guymon during the first week of May. Rodeo week kicks off with two days of steer roping beginning at noon Monday, May 1; there will be two go-rounds per day, and the top cumulative time on four runs will earn the first Pioneer Days trophy belt of the week. Two days of men’s timed events will follow beginning Wednesday, May 3. The fastest aggregate times will advance to the progressive round, which will take place over the weekend. Barrel racers will have the opportunity to compete in two go-rounds. The first round begins at 8 a.m. Friday, May 5, and the ladies with the 40 fastest times will return through the performances. All others will make their second runs around the cloverleaf pattern later Friday. The roughstock events – bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding – will be just one go-round, with the top score taking the lion’s share of the prize money. “We’ve been rodeoing in the Panhandle for 91 years, and we’ve got a lot to be proud of around here,” Stonecipher said. “Pioneer Days Rodeo is the hallmark event of our community celebration, so we want to keep it that way by making it fun and entertaining for the crowd and a great competition for the cowboys and cowgirls. “We’ve got the best stock contractor in the PRCA with Frontier Rodeo, and everybody around here already knows what that means for an event production and outstanding bucking stock. We’ve got a dedicated group of volunteers who just try to do better every year. That’s not an easy job, but it’s one we all take a lot of pride in.”

SAN ANGELO, Texas – First-year ProRodeo cowboys aren’t supposed to do the things that Keenan Hayes is doing. He is dominating the Resistol Rookie of the Year bareback riding standings with more than $85,000 in earnings. He’s also No. 2 in the world standings, besting most of the established veterans in most physically demanding events in the sport. On Saturday night, Hayes made two world-class rides to walk away with the San Angelo Cinch Chute-Out title and $7,500. He packaged that with his victory a year ago at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo when he was on his permit, a qualifying level in ProRodeo that he maintained while setting new earnings records. “I love the energy in this place,” said Hayes, 20, of Hayden, Colorado. “I was 110 (percent) the whole time.” He rode Championship Pro Rodeo’s The Crow for 80.5 points to win the long round, then matched moves with Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Top Notch for 89 points to win the title. He added $7,500 to his already solid winter campaign, where he sits second in the world standings behind Texan Leighton Berry, who earned a share of the San Angelo rodeo’s bareback riding title Friday night. “I was really excited to get on that horse,” he said of Top Notch, which has been a fixture at the National Finals Rodeo for several years. “It was really fun. “I had good luck here last year and was lucky enough to continue this year. This is one of my favorite rodeos, so I’s an awesome place to do it.” The Chute-Out features a unique format. Ten contestants compete in the opening round, with only the top three advancing to the championship round, where the top score or fastest time wins the title and the lion’s share of the money. Hayes wasn’t the only top dog to find his way to the title Saturday night: He was joined by No. 1 steer wrestler Dalton Massey of Hermiston, Oregon, and Stetson Wright of Milford, Utah, who leads the all-around race, is second in saddle bronc riding and is fourth in bull riding. Wright qualified for the three-man finals in both of his events, winning the bronc riding crown with a 91-point ride on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Larry Culpepper. Massey stopped the clock in his final bulldogging run in 3.3 seconds to win the top prize. “It was a tough group of guys, and it went my way,” said Massey, who won RodeoHouston a few weeks ago to move into the standings lead. “I had a great steer. I knew I had one of the steers I really wanted. I got a great start; I knew he was going to let off, and Remey Parrott hazed for me, and Tanner Milan’s horse worked great. Everything worked out for me.” It also worked out well for tie-down roper Riley Pruitt of Gering, Nebraska. Pruitt, who won the NFR average title in 2016, won the long round in 7.4 seconds. In the Chute-Out, Michael Otero had posted a 7.7-second run. Pruitt raced through his tie and, despite fumbling his wrap, stopped the clock two-tenths faster. “When I threw my hands up, I knew it would be close,” said Pruitt, who is 10th in the world standings. “Luckily I was going fast enough that I made up for a couple of them bobbles.” Other winners on the final night of the San Angelo stock Show and Rodeo inside Foster Communications Coliseum were team ropers Dustin Equsquiza and Levi Lord, bull rider Jeff Askey and barrel racer Lindsay Sears, a two-time world champion who last won ProRodeo gold in 2011. San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoCinch Chute-OutApril 15Bareback riding: 1. Keenan Hayes, 88 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Top Notch, $7,500; 2. Jayco Roper, 87.5, $3,000; 3. Taylor Broussard, 87, $2,000. Steer wrestling: 1. Dalton Massey, 3.3 seconds, $7,500; 2. Jacob Talley, 3.4, $3,000; 3. Stockton Graves, 4.0, $2,000. Team roping: 1. Dustin Equsquiza/Levi Lord, 4.0 seconds, $7,500; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Stetson Wright, 91 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Larry Culpepper, $7,500; 2. Kade Bruno, 89.5, $3,000; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: 1. Riley Pruitt, 7.5 seconds, $7,500; 2. Michael Otero, 7.7, $3,000; Riley Webb, 8.8, $2,000. Barrel racing: 1. Lindsay Sears, 13.80 seconds, $3,000; 2. Jordon Briggs, 14.42, $2,250; 3. Sherry Cervi, 19.48, $1,500; 4. Hailey Kinsel, 25.99, $750. Bull riding: 1. Jeff Askey, 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Bandit, $7,500; no other qualified rides.

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Leighton Berry has earned a significant income in just a short time. Now in the fourth month of the year, the Weatherford, Texas, cowboy has already earned more than $115,000 and sits No. 1 in the bareback riding world standings. Nearly $11,000 of that has come over the last couple of weeks at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. Since February, Berry has earned at least a share of the championship at three of the biggest rodeos in Texas: Houston, San Antonio and San Angelo; he also won in Los Fresnos, Texas. He’s been on a roll that nobody would want to stop, and he proved again it inside the Foster Communications Coliseum. “First and foremost, I’ve got to thank God,” he said. “That’s been my No. 1 thing; I’ve been trying to focus on Him this year. It’s kept my head on straight and helped me with everything else in life, my workouts and everything I’ve got going on at home. I try to remind myself to be a good person and keep following God.” Prayer works, and it has for quite a while. Two years ago, Berry didn’t get the chance to compete in San Angelo. He’s suffered a broken back at a rodeo in Odessa, Texas, in January. Through his faith and his dedication to rehabilitation, he returned to action seven months later and came within a whisker of returning to the National Finals Rodeo; he first competed at the NFR in 2020, just a few weeks before his injury. He got his chance to play on the grandest stage in rodeo again last season, and he took full advantage. He earned more than $137,000 in just 10 December nights in Las Vegas and finished the 2022 campaign as the third-best bareback rider in the game. He’s just taken it a step up in the early stages of this season. In San Angelo, he finished in a four-way tie for third place in the opening go-round with an 87-point ride on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Rip, which was worth $2,523. He then won the San Angelo short round with an 88.5-point ride on Championship’s Cajun Queen and shared the aggregate championship with newcomer Andy Gingerich of Aberdeen, South Dakota. Both had a two-ride cumulative score of 175.5 points. “Everybody at Championship Pro Rodeo, mainly Will O’Connell, has done an outstanding job of putting together a great set of bucking horses that prove themselves time in and time out,” Berry said. “Pete Carr is the stock contractor in San Angelo and does a great job all the time of bringing the right stock contractors to his rodeos, whether it’s his amazing bucking stock or the best from other guys. “He tries to make it as even a pen of stock as he can whether it’s the bucking stock or the calves they rope or the steers they rope. That gives everybody as even of a shot to win.” Berry is an established veteran. Friday’s championship round featured 10 bareback riders, six of whom have made the NFR (two world champions). Three others – Gingerich, Luke Thrash and Jacek Frost – are all rookies. It just added to the flair that people in west Texas have come to expect at San Angelo’s rodeo. “I’m only 24, and I’ve been rodeoing the last couple of years, but I feel like I’m turning into a veteran because of all these young kids that are riding like superstars,” he said. “Bareback riding has exploded on the scene, and I’m glad to see it. It makes for better competition.” There was plenty of excitement all night, and the biggest winner fiscally was barrel racer Kassie Mowry of Dublin, Texas. She placed in a tie for second in the opening round, then won the second round. She and her big, gray gelding, Will, posted the second fastest run in the championship round to clinch the aggregate title. In all, Mowry pocketed $25,283. The packed house inside the historic coliseum made sure every contestant felt the energy. “The electricity in there is similar to the NFR,” Berry said of the Thomas & Mack Center, the home of ProRodeo’s grand finale since 1985. “You’re in a little dome building. The fans come to this rodeo for a reason. They make you feel right at home. “You get a cowboy feel to it and get chills down your spine. You feel like you’re in a gunslinger town.” Leighton Berry came to town with his pistols loaded and the No. 1 ranking in the world standings. He made sure to fire off a few shots of his own, and he has the San Angelo title because of it. San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoMarch 31-April 14Bareback riding: 1. Luke Thrash, 88.5 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Think Pink, $7,569; 2. Andy Gingerich, 87.5, $5,803; 3. (tie) Jess Pope, Clayton Biglow, Cole Reiner and Leighton Berry, 87, $2,523 each; 7. Orin Larsen, 86.5, $1,009; 8. Shane O’Connell, 86, $757. Final round: 1. Leighton Berry, 88.5 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Cajun Queen, $1,650; 2. Andy Gingerich, 88, $1,250; 3. Shane O’Connell, 87.5, $900; 4. Luke Thrash, 86.5, $600; 5. Jacek Frost, 86, $350; 6. Jess Pope, 85.5, $250. Average: 1. (tie) Leighton Berry and Andy Gigerich, 175.5 points on two rides, $6,686 each; 3. Luke Thrash, 175, $4,289; 4. Shane O’Connell, 173.5, $2,775; 5. Jess Pope, 172.5, $1766; 6. (tie) Jacek Frost and Clayton Biglow, 170.5, $1,135 each; 8. Richmond Champion, 169, $757.  Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds, $6,530; 2. (tie) Will Lummus and Josh Garner, 3.5, $5,252 each; 4. Jay Williamson, 3.7, $3,975; 5. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline, Denard Butler and Remey Parrott, 3.8, $1,845 each. Second round: 1. Cash Robb, 3.2 seconds, $6,530; 2. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Cody Devers, 3.5, $5,252 each; 4. (tie) Tanner Milan and Brandon Harrison, 3.8, $3,549 each; 6. Stan Branco, 3.9, $2,271; 7. (tie) Tucker Allen, Joe Nelson and Talon  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Kassie Mowry was in a bit of a hurry during Thursday’s 10th performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. It’s good for her to be in that position, because she’s used to going fast. She trains barrel racing horses, and she’s pretty darn good at her job. She and her mount, Will, made everything happen in a rush, winning the second go-round and moving into the two-run aggregate lead. She will head into Friday’s championship round in the top spot with hopes of earning her second San Angelo title in six years. Her job wasn’t done once the race was over, though. She loaded up her stead – Will, an 8-year-old gray gelding – and headed back home to Dublin, Texas, because she has a morning schedule to keep before returning to Tom Green County Friday evening. “He always surprises people, because he’s so big that it looks like he’s just loping,” said Mowry, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “He’s a big boy. He’s 17 hands tall, but he can clock really well.” The tandem rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 14.04 seconds, the fastest of the rodeo. They have a two-run cumulative time of 29.86 seconds, the only team to post a sub-30-second aggregate. They finished the first round in a tie for second place, and with one night remaining, Mowry has already earned $11,753 in San Angelo. “This rodeo has been huge for me,” she said. “I actually won this rodeo in 2017, and it was a qualifier to get into Houston. I was nowhere in the standings, but I got invited into Houston and won Houston. I made the NFR that year because of San Angelo and Houston.” That’s valuable, because both rodeos are close to her home. Because she focuses her attention on training and showing colts through the futurity season, she expects her run in Angelo to be her last in ProRodeo until the first of July. “I’m not able to be gone (rodeoing) very much because of the colts and the futurities,” Mowry said. “I have to make every run count.” She’s doing that on Will, a big bruiser she estimates to weigh about 1,500 pounds. They’ll try their hand at the pattern inside Foster Communications Coliseum one more time. “I have a lot of confidence in my horse,” she said. “I feel like if he leaves the barrels up, he usually clocks really good. I just have to be good with my timing. He’s a lot of horse to get around a barrel, so my timing is really important to his success. “Because he’s had some injury issues, he’s really green for his age. He’s not been hauled a lot, but he’s big and he tries hard. He doesn’t back down.” Rookie bareback rider Luke Thrash also doesn’t back down from a challenge. He rode J Bar J Rodeo’s Think Pink for 88.5 points to win the first round, earning nearly $7,600 and giving himself a shot at the elusive title come Friday night. With that, he moved into fifth in the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings and moved into the top 15 in the world standings. There are still two nights of rodeo remaining in San Angelo. Friday features the top 12 contestants in each event battling for the rodeo’s title, and the Cinch Chute-Out will close out the three weeks of incredible action in west Texas. San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoMarch 31-April 14Because of technical issues, not all events have round payouts. Bareback riding leaders: 1. Luke Thrash, 88.5 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Think Pink, $7,569; 2. Andy Gingerich, 87.5, $5,803; 3. (tie) Jess Pope, Clayton Biglow, Cole Reiner and Leighton Berry, 87, $2,523 each; 7. Orin Larsen, 86.5, $1,009; 8. Shane O’Connell, 86, $757; 9. Bronc Marriott, 85.5; 10. (tie) Richmond Champion and Jacek Frost, 84.5; 12. (tie) R.C. Landingham, Caleb Bennett and Kody Lamb, 84. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds, $6,530; 2. (tie) Will Lummus and Josh Garner, 3.5, $5,252 each; 4. Jay Williamson, 3.7, $3,975; 5. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline, Denard Butler and Remey Parrott, 3.8, $1,845 each. Second round leaders: 1. Cash Robb, 3.2 seconds, $6,530; 2. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Cody Devers, 3.5, $5,252 each; 4. (tie) Tanner Milan and Brandon Harrison, 3.8, $3,549 each; 6. Stan Branco, 3.9, $2,271; 7. (tie) Tucker Allen, Joe Nelson and Talon Roseland, 4.1, $662 each. Average leaders: 1. Ty Erickson, 8.1 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Cody Devers, Will Lummus and Eli Lord, 8.2; 5. Jesse Brown, 8.3; 6. Jay Williamson, 8.4; 7. (tie) Talon Roseland and Jacob Talley, 8.5; 9. Cash Robb, 8.6; 10. (tie) Paul Melvin and Mason Couch, 8.8; 12. Tyler Pearson, 8.9. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Jaxson Tucker/Wyatt Cox and J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 3.9 seconds, $5,188 each; 3. Dustin Equsquiza/Levi Lord, Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Cyle Denison/Cody Hogan, 4.0, $3,378 each; 6. Chad Masters/Trey Yates, 4.1, $1,930; 7. (tie) Shay Carrol/Evan Arnold, Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins and Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.2, $563 each. Second round leaders: 1. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 3.4 seconds; 2. Brenten Hall/Paden Bray, 3.6 seconds; 3. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 3.7; 4. (tie) Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Billy Bob Brown/Kirby Blankenship, 4.0 seconds; 6. (tie) Derrick Begay/Colter Todd and Garett Chick/B.J. Dugger, 4.1; 8. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Reno Stoebner/Whit Kitchens, 4.2. Average leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Green/Caleb Green, 8.7; 3. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 8.8; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 9.1; 5. Chad Masters/Trey Yates, 9.3; 6. Tyler Mangus/Max Kuttler, 9.3; 7. (tie) Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn, Jaxson Tucker/Wyatt Cox and Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 9.5; 10. Tanner James/Jason Johe, 9.6; 11. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 9.7. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Dawson Hay, 90.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s South Point Gambler; 2. Brody Cress, 87.5; 3. Wyatt Casper, 86; 4. Ian McGivney, 85; 5. (tie) Sage Newman and Ben  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – A San Angelo cowboy shined brightly Wednesday night at his hometown rodeo. The crowd inside Foster Communications Coliseum is always loud and always on point when it comes to enjoying the rodeo performances, but the sound exploded during Ty Harris’ 7.9-second run. It was his first of at least two runs, and he finished in a three-way tie for fifth place in the opening round. That’s worth $2,442 already, and he’ll make his second run Thursday to see if he can place again; most of all, he wants to earn his spot in Friday’s championship round of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo and put himself into contention to win his hometown rodeo. “I sure know I get excited,” Harris said of the crowd’s raucous ovation for his performance. “I’d rope here every day for $10. This is what it’s about; this is what dreams are made of. When I was growing up, I dreamt of stuff like this, but I couldn’t even put it into thoughts how it feels. “These people … this crowd … it doesn’t get any better. I’m so excited to be here, and I’m glad it worked out tonight.” Harris, 24, is a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier who finished 11th in the 2022 world standings. He isn’t among the top 50 yet this year, but he pulled off the biggest victory of any cowboy in 2023 when he won the tie-down roping title at The American. As a cowboy that wasn’t invited into the field, he earned a share of the $1 million bonus with breakaway roper Jackie Crawford. In all, both Harris and Crawford left Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, with $600,000 in earnings. That will go a long way, but the money doesn’t count for the ProRodeo world standings. Money earned in San Angelo does, and he needs every dollar he can muster if he hopes to return to the NFR for a fifth straight year. “It was kind of a blur,” he said of his run. “It all happened fast. I didn’t know if (the rope) was going to go on (the calf). I thought I missed. Thank goodness (I didn’t). Hopefully we can put one more together.” Truth be told, he’d prefer three good runs in consecutive days to close out his run at home. Only the top 12 in each event from the preliminary performances advance to Friday’s round. Dawson Hay, a three-time NFR qualifier from Wildwood, Alberta, rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s South Point Gambler for 90.5 points to take the saddle bronc riding lead and give himself a good shot at the San Angelo title. Each time the horse has bucked in Las Vegas, he’s done so in bareback riding. Hay proved the paint horse has plenty of power to work in bronc riding.   “I didn’t now a whole lot about hat horse,” said Hay, the middle son of saddle bronc riding legend Rod Hay. “I just knew he was definitely a chance if I did my stuff. “We love coming here every single year. I can’t wait until the short round.” The championship round is where the best from three weeks in west Texas meet, and it’s the route all want to take to get to the coveted San Angelo title. San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoMarch 31-April 14Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jess Pope, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Painted River, Clayton Biglow, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Knicks, Cole Reiner, on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Cat Nap, and Leighton Berry, on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Rip, 87 points; 5. Orin Larsen, 86.5; 6. Bronc Marriott, 85.5; 7. (tie) Richmond Champion and Jacek Frost, 84.5; 9. (tie) R.C. Landingham, Caleb Bennett and Kody Lamb, 84; 12. (tie) Ty Pope, Dean Thompson and Tim O’Connell, 83.5. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds, $6,530; 2. (tie) Will Lummus and Josh Garner, 3.5, $5,252 each; 4. Jay Williamson, 3.7, $3,975; 5. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline, Denard Butler and Remey Parrott, 3.8, $1,845 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds; 3. (tie) Tanner Milan and Brandon Harrison, 3.8; 5. Stan Branco, 3.9; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen, Joe Nelson and Talon Roseland, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. Ty Erickson, 8.1 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Cody Devers, Will Lummus and Eli Lord, 8.2; 5. Jesse Brown, 8.3; 6. Jay Williamson, 8.4; 7. Talon Roseland, 8.5; 8. (tie) Paul Melvin and Mason Couch, 8.8; 10. Curtis Cassidy, 9.0; 11. (tie) Sam Powers and Stephen Culling, 9.1. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Jaxson Tucker/Wyatt Cox and J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 3.9 seconds, $5,188 each; 3. Dustin Equsquiza/Levi Lord, Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Cyle Denison/Cody Hogan, 4.0, $3,378 each; 6. Chad Masters/Trey Yates, 4.1, $1,930; 7. (tie) Shay Carrol/Evan Arnold, Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins and Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.2, $563 each. Second round leaders: 1. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 3.4 seconds; 2. Brenten Hall/Paden Bray, 3.6 seconds; 3. (tie) Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Billy Bob Brown/Kirby Blankenship, 4.0 seconds; 5. Garett Chick/B.J. Dugger, 4.1; 6. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Reno Stoebner/Whit Kitchens, 4.2; 8. Tyler Mangus/Max Kuttler, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Green/Caleb Green, 8.7; 3. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 8.8; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 9.1; 5. Tyler Mangus/Max Kuttler, 9.3; 6. (tie) Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn, Jaxson Tucker/Wyatt Cox and Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 9.5; 9. Tanner James/Jason Johe, 9.6; 10. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 9.7; 12. Jase Staudt/Jhett Trenary; 9.8. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Dawson Hay, 90.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s South Point Gambler; 2. Brody Cress, 87.5; 3. Wyatt Casper, 86; 4. Ian McGivney, 85; 5. Sage Newman, 84.5; 6. (tie) Cash Wilson and Tanner Butner, 84; 8. (tie) Ryder Wright, Statler Wright, Jacobs Crawley and Chet Johnson, 83.5; 12. (tie) Wade Sundell, Ross Griffin, Brandon Lansford, Zac Dallas and Kolby Wanchuk, 83. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie)  Continue Reading »

There’s a lot going on this spring at Fort Hays State University in western Kansas. The school’s rodeo club is celebrating its 60th anniversary in style, introducing its inaugural class for induction into the Fort Hays State University Rodeo Hall of Fame during the college’s rodeo weekend, Thursday, April 20-Sunday, April 23. A reception, set for 3-6 p.m. Saturday, April 22, will honor Doug Philip, Neil Barstow and Bronc Rumford at the Schenk Building on the Ellis County Fairgrounds. The induction ceremony will take place at 7 p.m., followed by the Saturday night rodeo performance at the Ellis County Fairgrounds. “Establishment of the Rodeo Hall of Fame is a long-term way to recognize individuals who have had a significant impact on the program and/or the business of rodeo,” said Marcy Aycock, a member of the rodeo club’s advisory board. Philip was instrumental in establishing the rodeo club, providing resources to build the original bleachers and bucking chutes at the FHSU rodeo grounds. The rodeo arena bears his name as a tribute. Barstow is a 1970 Fort Hays State graduate helped building the rodeo program. He was a member of the 1969 Central Plains Region championship team. With his wife, Belinda, he founded Barstow Rodeo Equipment. Rumford is a 1974 graduate and, like the other two, was a stalwart rodeo cowboy. He remained close to FHSU over the years, serving as an assistant coach, then taking on the head-coaching duties for 15 years. He also remains influential in professional rodeo and this past December was awarded the PRCA’s Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award. The Fort Hays State Rodeo is the ninth of 10 Central Plains Region events. The regional season will conclude on the final weekend of April, and the top three athletes in the standings in each event will then advance to the College National Finals Rodeo. Hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls from the region made up primarily of rodeo teams in Kansas and Oklahoma will converge on Hays that weekend to chase the points necessary to win the circuit titles or at least advance to the intercollegiate championship, which will take place in Casper, Wyoming, in June. It’s a major boon to Ellis County and Fort Hays State to have the program’s rodeo be such a springtime spectacular.

SAN ANGELO, Texas – The smile that pierced across Sage Kimzey’s lips revealed more than the emotions of winning a bull riding title; he’s done that countless times in his storied career. No, this smile said more in its creases and lines than many others. It showcased a sign of the times and an understanding that after almost a year on the injured reserve, the seven-time world champion is back and ready to contend for another Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. Kimzey won both go-rounds and dominated Easter Sunday afternoon to win the San Angelo Xtreme Bulls title at Foster Communications Coliseum and make a defining stand on what he hopes to do for the remainder of the 2023 ProRodeo season. “It’s big to go in and get the first big win under my belt since my injury,” said Kimzey, who suffered another injury to an already damaged left shoulder last June and had it surgically repaired. “For me, this is huge, especially coming off injury and having moderate success so far this year. “Once you get the ball rolling, this is a good time of year to be riding good, especially looking into the spring and summer months. It’s definitely been a process.” The shoulder injury came to a head last June after he was injured in Weatherford, Texas. He was third in the world standings. Even though he didn’t compete for three and a half months and missed many lucrative rodeos, the Oklahoma-born cowboy still finished 17th in the world standings. While his free-arm (left) shoulder is still not 100 percent, he was cleared to compete in time for the Xtreme Bulls event at Fort Worth, Texas, in mid-February. In less than two months of riding, he had shot up to 27th in the standings. His earnings on Easter Sunday will push him into the top 20. Kimzey won the first round with an 87.5-point ride on Stockyards Rodeo’s Crash Cart, while Missourian Creek Young was a point behind for second place. In the championship round, Kimzey rode Harper & Morgan’s Pickup Man for 89.5 points to take the top spot. Tyler Taylor of Stephenville, Texas, was the only other cowboy in the 10-man short round to earn a qualified ride; he was 86.5 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Con Air. Kimzey knew there was something special with Pickup Man when he got the opportunity to ride the animal Sunday afternoon. “He’s a great bull,” he said. “I’ve seen him around for four or five years. A lot of guys don’t get along with him. “I knew there was something to him. He was in and out the whole time, and that makes it pretty tough to get by.” In all, Kimzey cashed out for $12,829 and pushed his season earnings to nearly $37,000. It was a great way for him to kick off a holiday celebrating his faith. After what has transpired in the last 10 months, he was excited to take his big payday and Xtreme Bulls championship buckle back to his wife, Alexis, and son, Steele, in Salado, Texas, about three hours east of San Angelo. “I’d known the surgery was coming,” Kimzey said. “Obviously I was hoping to get through my career before I had to have it repaired, and I was at least hoping I’d get through the year because I’d had such a good winter run. But it was one of those deals. I knew I had to do something about it; there was a lot of finality with that decision. “I was at peace with it. God’s timing was perfect. It happened on the year my son was born. I had a lot going on at home that kept my mind and my hands busy. I really didn’t miss (competing) a whole lot last year. I had bigger, more important stuff going on in my life at that time, and getting to spend my son’s first year of life with him … you can’t put a price on that.” Of course, optimistic people tend to look at things that way, whether they’re on the back of a raging bull or trying to use one arm to control a squirming infant while changing its diaper. “I didn’t have the emotional ups and downs that most people have when they have to take time off,” he said. “Emotionally I was at peace with it. I had support from my wife, and she was the one who took the brunt of it all. She was taking care of her 28-year-old husband and a 1-year-old baby.” Now that he’s back to his winning ways, he’ll return to supporting his family the best way he knows how. He’s won seven gold buckles in his short lifetime, but he’s not done. His goals are plentiful, and he’s got throngs of supporters who are there to help him achieve them. Rodeo fans across the world always applaud greatness, and there may be none better than those in San Angelo. “The crowd is so cool in San Angelo,” Kimzey said. “They are some of the most knowledgeable rodeo fans we ride in front of all year. The way that stadium is set up, they’re right on top of you. Whenever you do something good, they let you know it.” San Angelo Xtreme BullsApril 9First round: 1. Sage Kimzey, 87.5 points on Stockyards Rodeo’s Crash Cart, $3,321; 2. Creek Young, 86.5, $2,546; 3. (tie) Cody Teel and Jordan Hansen, 85, $1,550 each; 5. Jeff Askey, 84, $775; 6. Maverick Potter, 83.5, $553; 7. Stetson Wright, 83, $443; 8. Jestyn Woodward, 82.5, $332. Championship round: 1. Sage Kimzey, 89.5 points on Harper & Morgan’s Pickup Man, $3,985; 2. Tyler Taylor, 86.5, $3,394; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. Sage Kimzey, 177 points on two rides, $5,534; 2. Tyler Taylor, 165.5, $4,243; 3. Creek Young, 86.5 points on one ride, $3,136; 4. (tie) Cody Teel and Jordan Hansen, 85, $1,660 each; 6. Jeff Askey, 84, $922; 7. Stetson Wright, 83, $738;  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – It takes many elements for cowboys to find success in rodeo. For steer wrestler Ty Erickson, he needs a good bulldogging horse, a good hazer riding a good horse and a steer that helps them be fast. When it all comes together, elite cowboys like Erickson make it look easy. “The draw is dang sure important, because everywhere you go, you’re competing against the best 100 guys in the world,” said Erickson, the 2019 world champion and a seven-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Helena, Montana. “When you can get a better steer, it gives you a better chance to win, and that’s what we’re looking for. “The saying that it’s the luck of the draw is true. There are steers in each herd that are easier to be faster on than others. I was fortunate to draw two good ones.” He competed in Friday’s fifth performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo and stopped the clock in 3.9 seconds; he sits seventh in the first go-round. He followed that up with a 4.2-second run during Saturday’s matinee and moved into the two-run aggregate lead. He owns a one-tenth-of-a-second lead over a trio of bulldoggers and is virtually assured a place in the championship go-round, which takes place next Friday and features only the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary performances. It’s where the 2023 champions will be crowned, and now the Montana cowboy is in position to leave west Texas with the coveted crown. “That steer I had (Saturday) had been run a couple of times before I ran him,” he said. “I knew he was a really good chance. He’s the one that I really wanted, so I was fortunate to have him and made a really good run on him. “I’m really looking forward to Friday.” If things keep going his way, he has a good chance to take the title. He credited his two-run success to getting a good start out of the timed-event box. Steers are given a head start, and cowboys must cue their horses with good timing in order to get to the animals as quickly as possible. “I feel like a good start sets up my runs, and my horse, Crush, worked good on both of my runs,” said Erickson, who entrusts fellow veteran bulldogger Clayton Hass as his hazer. “With him, you don’t have to worry about what’s going on over on his side (of the steer). He does such a good job of hazing. He’s going to be where he needs to be to give myself the best shot to be fast.” It’s a winning formula. Erickson has faith in Crush, a black gelding his family has owned for eight years. “My wife actually bought him off Facebook,” he said. “The first couple of years, we just spent riding him. After that, we started training him in bulldogging. I’ve been rodeoing on him since ’19.” It coincided with his Montana Silversmiths gold buckle, a prize he will always cherish, and he’ll continue his battles in pursuit of more. Having success in San Angelo can go a long way toward that. “San Angelo is one of the best winter rodeos we get to go to,” Ericson said. “Everyone looks forward to coming here, because it pays so good and has a great history. They do an awesome job of packing that coliseum out, which makes it a lot more fun to compete when there are people making that much noise and enjoying themselves.” About 24 hours after Brenten Hall and Paden Bray posted the fastest run of the rodeo so far, world champions Erich Rogers and Paul Eaves did one better during the Saturday evening performance. They stopped the clock in 3.4 seconds to take the lead in the second go-round. They will not make it back to the championship round, so this was their best chance to cash in at San Angelo. San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoMarch 31-April 14Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jess Pope, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Painted River, Clayton Biglow, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Knicks, Cole Reiner, on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Cat Nap, and Leighton Berry, on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Rip, 87 points; 5. Orin Larsen, 86.5; 6. (tie) Richmond Champion and Jacek Frost, 84.5; 8. (tie) R.C. Landingham, Caleb Bennett and Kody Lamb, 84; 11. (tie) Ty Pope, Dean Thompson and Tim O’Connell, 83.5. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.5; 3. Jay Williamson, 3.7; 4. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline and Denard Butler, 3.8; 7. Ty Erickson, 3.9; 8. (tie) Paul Melvin, Payden McIntyre and Wade Steffen, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds; 3. (tie) Tanner Milan and Brandon Harrison, 3.8; 5. Stan Branco, 3.9; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen, Joe Nelson and Talon Roseland, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. Ty Erickson, 8.1 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Cody Devers, Will Lummus and Eli Lord, 8.2; 5. Jesse Brown, 8.3; 6. Jay Williamson, 8.4; 7. Talon Roseland, 8.5; 8. (tie) Paul Melvin and Mason Couch, 8.8; 10. Curtis Cassidy, 9.0; 11. (tie) Sam Powers and Stephen Culling, 9.1. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Jaxson Tucker/Wyatt Cox and J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 3.9 seconds; 3. Dustin Equsquiza/Levi Lord, Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Cyle Denison/Cody Hogan, 4.0; 6. (tie) Shay Carrol/Evan Arnold and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.2; 8. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Bubba Buckaloo/Riley Wakefield, 4.3. Second round leaders: 1. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 3.4 seconds; 2. Brenten Hall/Paden Bray, 3.6 seconds; 3. (tie) Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Billy Bob Brown/Kirby Blankenship, 4.0 seconds; 5. Garett Chick/B.J. Dugger, 4.1; 6. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Reno Stoebner/Whit Kitchens, 4.2; 8. Tyler Mangus/Max Kuttler, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Green/Caleb Green, 8.7; 3. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 8.8; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 9.1; 5. Tyler Mangus/Max Kuttler, 9.3; 6. (tie) Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn,  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Thursday’s run didn’t work out the way the team roping tandem of Brenten Hall and Paden Bray had hoped. The duo suffered a five-second penalty when Bray only secured one leg instead of two in his heel loop, pushing their first-round time to 9.0 seconds. That takes them out of title contention at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, but it didn’t stop them from trying to make some money. They bounced back during Friday’s sixth performance and put together a 3.6-second run, the fastest of this year’s rodeo so far. “Because I caught just a leg last night, the average is not even in the equation,” said Bray, 24, a two-time National Finals Rodeo heeler from Stephenville, Texas. “We just had to take the gloves off and bring smoke and see what we could get done.” It moves them into the Round 2 lead and gives them a shot at good money. The second-round winners from the 2022 edition of San Angelo’s rodeo pocketed more than $5,000 apiece. That’s important because this is how cowboys make a living, but the money is also important for the standings. In rodeo, dollars equal championship points, so every cent counts for something. “That steer we had last night was pretty strong and wanted to push the rope,” he said. “He beat me to the ground, and I lost a leg (on his loop). I could have done a little bit better job; when my guy spins one for money, you’ve got to do your job. He did a really good job last night, and he did a great job tonight. He was rank both nights.” Hall, 23, is a three-time NFR header from Jay, Oklahoma, and is in his first year of teaming with Bray. Hall is 23rd in the world standings, and Bray is 21st on the heeling money list. They’re in good position as they wade through the spring portion of the season and await the hectic summer run of rodeos that begin in late June. “Angelo is a great rodeo and one of my favorites,” Bray said. “Just because a guy has some tough luck in the first round, they still have a chance to make some good money. We make a living at this, so it’s important for us to have as many chances to get paid as we can, and Angelo does that for us.” Bray is in his fifth year competing in the PRCA, but he’s been to Foster Communication Coliseum plenty in his lifetime. It’s just 155 miles from Stephenville to San Angelo, and he’s witnessed greatness in Tom Green County often. “Ty Harris and I have been best friends since before we were in high school,” Bray said of the tie-down roper, a four-time NFR qualifier from San Angelo. “I’ve been here a lot, and every year I get to come here, I get really excited. The fans feed off this rodeo. It’s a unique crowd, because they know rodeo and they care about rodeo. They’re here to see us show off and see us show our talents. “The loudest crowd I’ve ever heard in my life was when Ty tied his calf one year. It was louder than the NFR. They love rodeo, they love roping, and I appreciate what that committee does for us to come to a rodeo to experience all that. It’s truly a blessing.” San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoMarch 31-April 14Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jess Pope, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Painted River, and Clayton Biglow, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Knicks, 87 points; 3. (tie) Richmond Champion and Jacek Frost, 84.5; 5. R.C. Landingham, 84; 6. (tie) Ty Pope and Dean Thompson, 83.5; 8. (tie) Kade Sonnier and A.J. Ruth, 83; 10. Gauge McBride, 82; 11. Chad Rutherford, 81.5; 12. Hunter Ramsey, 80.5. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.5; 3. Jay Williamson, 3.7; 4. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline and Denard Butler, 3.8; 7. Ty Erickson, 3.9; 8. (tie) Paul Melvin, Payden McIntyre and Wade Steffen, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds; 3. (tie) Tanner Milan and Brandon Harrison, 3.8; 5. Stan Branco, 3.9; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen, Joe Nelson and Talon Roseland, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Cody Devers, Will Lummus and Eli Lord, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 4. Jesse Brown, 8.3; 5. Jay Williamson, 8.4; 6. Talon Roseland, 8.5; 7. Mason Couch, 8.8; 8. Curtis Cassidy, 9.0; 9. Stephen Culling, 9.1; 10. Boyd Sawyer, 9.3; 11. Bridger Anderson, 9.6; 12. Tucker Allen, 9.7. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 3.9 seconds; 2. Cyle Denison/Cody Hogan, 4.0; 3. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Bubba Buckaloo/Riley Wakefield, 4.3; 5. (tie) Ty Arnold/Kaden Profili, Clint Keller/Morgan Jones and Korbin Rice/Jake South, 4.4; 8. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 4.5. Second round leaders: 1. Brenten Hall/Paden Bray, 3.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Billy Bob Brown/Kirby Blankenship, 4.0 seconds; 4. Garett Chick/B.J. Dugger, 4.1; 5. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Reno Stoebner/Whit Kitchens, 4.2; 7. Tyler Mangus/Max Kuttler, 4.3; 8. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 4.4. Average leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Green/Caleb Green, 8.7; 3. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 8.8; 4. Tyler Mangus/Max Kuttler, 9.3; 5. Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn and Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 9.5; 7. Tanner James/Jason Johe, 9.6; 8. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 9.7; 10. Jase Staudt/Jhett Trenary; 9.8; 11. Korbin Rice/Jake South, 9.9; 12. (tie) Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn and Kellen Johnson/Carson Johnson, 10.2. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Brody Cress, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Spotted Charm; 2. Wyatt Casper, 86; 3. Sage Newman, 84.5; 4. (tie) Cash Wilson and Tanner Butner, 84; 6. (tie) Ryder Wright and Statler Wright, 83.5; 8. (tie) Wade Sundell, Ross Griffin, Brandon Lansford, Zac Dallas and Kolby Wanchuk, 83. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Brush Minton,  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Over three-plus decades, Craig Latham left his mark on the Oklahoma Panhandle. He followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Deke, and moved to Goodwell to attend Oklahoma Panhandle State University, known nationally as Bronc Rider U. He was one of many that just added to that legacy, establishing himself early as an elite cowboy by winning the 1988 Resistol Rookie of the Year title. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo nine times before moving to the coaching ranks at his alma mater. He was the perfect man to take ownership of that post, a proud graduate who wanted to share that passion with others. After a 12-year battle with cancer, he died in October 2021, but his legacy continues to live and prosper in the community he claimed as home for most of his life. Along with his surviving family, the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo is renaming his specialty event the Craig Latham Memorial Saddle Bronc Riding. It will take place during the four performances of Guymon’s rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “This means everything to us,” said Lori Latham, his bride of 31 years. “This community, these people … it’s all part of who Craig was and still is. It’s about Panhandle State, the rodeo program there, the people in the community, the businesses. There has always been so much support here. It means everything to have him still be a part of it.” The family had a memorial stand-alone bronc riding event last fall at the Frontier Rodeo ranch near Freedom, Oklahoma, as a way to commemorate Latham’s career. The transition to Guymon came about after conversations with members of the rodeo committee. “We were talking with Lori about having this event at Craig’s hometown, and I thought it would be a good thing to include in our rodeo,” said Jeremy Carman, chairman of the volunteer group. “Craig always supported our rodeo. “When he was the coach at Panhandle State, he was always helping us by either promoting it or making sure we had members of his team on hand to assist the committee. He was an integral part of Pioneer Days Rodeo.” Lori Latham and her daughters, Chaney and Sadie and their families, will be on hand during the rodeo weekend, and the clan will be honored during Saturday night’s third performance. “We’re very glad to have this here where everything is part of Craig and who he was and what this community means to us,” said Lori Latham, who will have a buckle made for the champion. “Living here and growing into adults here in the Panhandle made us better and stronger people. “It’s not because of the elements here but because of the people and the support you have behind you.”

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Wyatt Casper is on the lookout for a new favorite rodeo. He might have found it Thursday night, when he rode Lancaster & Jones Rodeo’s Angel Fire for 86 points to move into second place in saddle bronc riding during the fifth performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. “San Angelo is a lot like a mini-NFR in a way,” he said, referring to the National Finals Rodeo, the grand championship in the sport. “You’ve got that tiny arena, and that crowd is right there. You’re also in Texas, so everybody there loves that rodeo. The town is really good about coming out and supporting that deal. “If I can do well again next weekend, it’ll be up there on the list of my favorite rodeos.” That’s saying quite a bit for the Miami, Texas, cowboy, who won $600,000 a The American in 2020 and has qualified for three straight trips to the NFR. But in all his years of competing inside the Foster Communications Coliseum, he has never earned a trip to San Angelo’s championship round, which features only the top 12 contestants through the preliminary performances and is scheduled for next Friday, April 14. Heck, he’s never scored above 80 points in this west Texas town, about 330 miles from his home in the Panhandle. “It feels good to finally break that ice,” Casper said. “It makes you feel good when you draw a horse like that. If you screw up one like that, all your buddies are going to laugh at you, so there’s a little bit of nerves knowing you should do good on that horse. I feel like I’m to the point where I should ride a horse like that pretty good. “I’ve always wanted to get on that horse, and I’m glad I finally got to at San Angelo. That’s a really nice horse you get to go out there on and do your job. It makes bronc riding fun when you get on one of those.” He will have to wait out five more performances to see where his score falls on the leaderboard, but an 86-point ride in bronc riding should go above just getting him back to the short round; it also should secure him a pretty good first-round payout. In recent years, cowboys that scored 86 points placed second or third in the go-round. Most importantly, Casper knows where he will be in a week. “That rodeo has a bunch of (performances), and that would be pretty tough for one stock contractor to be able to handle all that,” he said, noting that the primary producer is Dallas-based Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. “Pete does a good job of bringing other contractors in, and they’re all bringing their best stuff. It makes it good for the cowboys that way.” Casper was one of two Panhandle cowboys to find success Thursday night. Quade Hiatt, a 23-year-old tie-down roper from Canyon, Texas, stopped the clock in 7.9 seconds to move into fourth place in the opening round. He will make his second-round run Saturday night. Hiatt is among the to 35 in the world standings, and doing well in San Angelo would go a long way to helping him move up the standings. He finished the 2021 season 31st on the money list and was 29th last year. He comes from a rodeo family. His father, Chad, won the intercollegiate tie-down roping national championship 31 years ago while attending Oklahoma Panhandle State University, and his maternal grandfather, Butch Myers, and uncle, Rope Myers, were world champion steer wrestlers. Quade Hiatt also felt a bit of relief by finally finding success in San Angelo. “I finally drew (a calf) that was pretty good, and I used him,” he said. “Chisum Allen let me ride his good horse, Rolex.” It all added up to a solid chance to finish strong for the Texas Panhandle cowboys. San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoMarch 31-April 14Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jess Pope, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Painted River, and Clayton Biglow, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Knicks, 87 points; 3. (tie) Richmond Champion and Jacek Frost, 84.5; 5. R.C. Landingham, 84; 6. (tie) Ty Pope and Dean Thompson, 83.5; 8. (tie) Kade Sonnier and A.J. Ruth, 83; 10. Gauge McBride, 82; 11. Chad Rutherford, 81.5; 12. Hunter Ramsey, 80.5. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.5; 3. Jay Williamson, 3.7; 4. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline and Denard Butler, 3.8; 7. Wade Steffen, 4.0; 8. (tie) Jesse Brown, Kyle Irwin and Grant Peterson, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds; 3. (tie) Tanner Milan and Brandon Harrison, 3.8; 5. Stan Branco, 3.9; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen, Joe Nelson and Talon Roseland, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Cody Devers, Will Lummus and Eli Lord, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 4. Jesse Brown, 8.3; 5. Jay Williamson, 8.4; 6. Talon Roseland, 8.5; 7. Mason Couch, 8.8; 8. Curtis Cassidy, 9.0; 9. Stephen Culling, 9.1; 10. Boyd Sawyer, 9.3; 11. Bridger Anderson, 9.6; 12. Tucker Allen, 9.7. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 3.9 seconds; 2. Cyle Denison/Cody Hogan, 4.0; 3. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Bubba Buckaloo/Riley Wakefield, 4.3; 5. (tie) Ty Arnold/Kaden Profili, Clint Keller/Morgan Jones and Korbin Rice/Jake South, 4.4; 8. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 4.5. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Billy Bob Brown/Kirby Blankenship, 4.0 seconds; 3. Garett Chick/B.J. Dugger, 4.1; 4. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Reno Stoebner/Whit Kitchens, 4.2; 6. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 4.4; 7. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 4.5; 8. Keeper Parker/Cole Rogers, 4.6. Average leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Green/Caleb Green, 8.7; 3. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 8.8; 4. Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 9.5; 5. Tanner James/Jason Johe, 9.6; 6. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 9.7; 8. Jase Staudt/Jhett Trenary; 9.8; 9. Korbin  Continue Reading »

ALVA, Okla. – There was a time a few years ago that Wyatt Fields was learning techniques to better his curve ball. He was a pitcher whose fastball reached up to 90 mph and carried him to a college team. About three years ago, though, injuries caught up with him. Throwing that many pitches can wear on young arms, but Fields didn’t stay bogged down long. Ever the competitor, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a steer wrestler. “I was glad whenever I quit playing baseball, but I quit on a high note,” said Fields of Silsbee, Texas. “I’d had a good spring, and then I tore my shoulder up over the summer. A week later I was running steers and a month later I had my first horse.” His father is Bryan Fields, a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier who set the Thomas & Mack Center arena record with a 3.0-second run during the 2001 championship. He didn’t want his son to rodeo, and baseball took control for most of Wyatt Fields’ life. In fact, he didn’t even ride a horse until he was 20 years old This past weekend at the Garden City (Kansas) Community College rodeo, he proved the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He managed his way into the short go-round by getting past a mediocre steer, then won the final round with a 4.2-second run. He finished second overall and led a swarm of Northwestern bulldoggers to score points for the Rangers in western Kansas. “I knew that first steer real well, because I’d had it two or three times before and knew he was one I could make the short round on but wasn’t a good enough steer to place very high,” Fields said. “I’d seen that second steer, too, and had run him a couple of times. I knew if I did everything right, I’d have a chance to win on him. “I also knew the caliber of the guys ahead of me and the caliber of steers we had. I figured I’d try to make my run and see what happens. It was anybody’s game at that point.” He made it his game and with it, he scored 110 points and plans to build on that with hopes of finishing the season among the top three steer wrestlers in the Central Plains Region to earn his spot in the College National Finals Rodeo. He has three events remaining to do so, but he’s got a good team with him. Of the top seven bulldoggers in the region, six are Rangers, with Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon, leading the charge. “I’m starting to catch my stride, and everything’s falling into place,” said Fields, who transferred last fall from Cisco (Texas) College. “I’m going to try to make a late run to see if I can make the CNFR. “It’s really competitive at this school. It seems like all the guys have been successful this year, and I’m just glad I finally got to contribute a little bit.” He’s leaned on a few people to help him make his way in this rough-and-tumble game of rodeo. Steer wrestlers not only ride fast horses, but they leap from their running mounts onto steers that are running just as hard. Once they’ve gathered the cow, they must then control it and turn it onto its side. While his father had great success two decades ago, this is all new to the second generation. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Wyatt Fields has some size going for him. Once he gets the technique down pat, there may be some special things happening in the arena. Until then, he continues to work at his craft. When he’s not getting help from his father, he leans on Northwestern rodeo coach Stockton Graves, an eight-time NFR bulldogger, and other NFR qualifiers who still live near Alva and have been on ProRodeo’s biggest stage: Bridger Anderson and 2020 world champion Jacob Edler. “I’ve had great coaches, and they’ve all been extremely helpful,” Fields said. “The guys that are on the team are also really helpful. It’s not the easiest thing to do in the world. It takes an army, and we have the army to do it.” At Garden City, five Rangers tallied points in bulldogging, though all only placed in one round. Greenfield finished in a tie for second place in the long round with a 4.3-second run. While Fields claimed the short round, Trisyn Kalawaia of Waiakea, Hawaii, finished in a tie for second and placed third overall; Cameron Fox of Tulsa was fourth in the round and placed sixth; and Jeremy Plourde of Carleton, Michigan, finished fifth in the championship and placed fifth overall. Ben Jackson of Hudson Hope, British Columbia, earned a trip to the final round in both tie-down roping and team roping as a header. He and Zac Dunlap of Western Oklahoma State College shared the first-round win, then failed to secure a time in the championship. Jacob Haren of Erie, Colorado, tied his calf in 10.1 seconds to place in a tie for third in the long round, but he didn’t get a time on his second run. Denton Oestmann moved into the regional lead in tie-down roping with his second-place finish. He scored second-place points in both the championship round and the aggregate and hopes to continue to score points through the final three events of the campaign. For the women, Sierra Schott of McGlaughlin, South Dakota, placed in both rounds of barrel racing and finished fourth overall. Lindy Munsell of Arnett, Oklahoma, placed fifth in both go-rounds and the aggregate in breakaway roping. “My dad’s tougher on me than I’d sometimes like, but he’s brutally honest, and we all need that at times,” Fields said. “Stockton keeps everybody out here honest. It’s kind of intimidating being here because the top guys in the region are all at practice. “I’ve been blessed with as many coaches as I  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – In his first three years of competing inside Foster Communications Coliseum, Jess Pope hasn’t had much luck at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. That changed this year. He rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Painted River for 87 points to move into a tie for the bareback riding lead during Sunday afternoon’s fourth performance of this west Texas event. He shares the top spot with 2019 world titlist Clayton Biglow, who competed Friday night. “This is the first time I’ve ever done any good at San Angelo,” said Pope, the reigning world champion from Waverly, Kansas. “I’m looking forward to hopefully coming back to the short round (set for Friday, April 14). I’ve never drawn the right horses to get back to the short round, but I know that eventually they’ve got to run a good one under you.” Painted River is a second-generation National Finals Rodeo bucking horse. The 14-year-old mare’s mother is Riverboat Annie, a prolific red roan bucking horse that has become the cornerstone of the Carr breeding program; Painted River’s sire is Korczak, a paint stud that has bucked in both bareback riding and saddle bronc riding in Las Vegas. “I knew that (Cole) Franks had gotten on that horse last fall in Hempstead (Texas), and he had a lot of luck on it,” said Pope, who has qualified for the last three NFRs and won the average title each year he’s been there. “It’s one that they win on quite a bit, so I was excited to get on it.” Painted River has been a workhorse in San Angelo. In 2017, Chad Rutherford spurred her for 91.5 points to win the final round and the aggregate championship. In 2020, Biglow rode her for 89 points in the championship round to claim the top prize. It was the right kind of match-up for Pope, who needs as many dollars as he can get. He sits 46th in the world standings, and all of his earnings came from a successful run at Houston a few weeks ago. That came after he made some equipment changes to help with some neck issues he has struggled with through the winter run of rodeos. “I’ve changed a lot of everyday stuff and some habits I’ve had,” Pope said. “I got a new neck-roll and got a new vest, and that seems to help. I’ve got some ligaments in my neck that are inflamed, and they’re a lot like callouses. I’ve got some discs that are pushing into my spinal canal, making my nerves to shut down. “I haven’t really missed anything, but it really affected my performances at Fort Worth and San Antonio. My arm just went numb, so I knew I needed to do something about it.” Bareback riding is the most physically demanding event in rodeo, and cowboys wear thick pads around their necks to help protect them from the jarring their bodies take on just about every ride. Neck, shoulder and elbow injuries are the most common in the event. Pope is changing some exercises and routines he does even when he’s not on the rodeo trail to make sure he’s in the best shape possible to compete at an elite level. Doing well in San Angelo is proof that things are working and that he’s on the right path to repeat. “That ride makes me feel good,” Pope said. “I’ve had a couple weeks off since Houston, so I got to go home and take care of cattle and handling things around home. Being able to ride good and get on good horses boosts your confidence makes you realize you know how to do things when the winter has been as slow as it has for me. “The committee in San Angelo does a good job of getting people in their seats. It’s the closes thing to the NFR that we see all year with the electricity and having people right there on top of you making a lot of noise. It makes you want to do good for them, and it helps a lot in getting your motor running and getting amped up to compete.” He plans to return in just two weeks to see what it might be like to win the San Angelo title. San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoMarch 31-April 14Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jess Pope, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Painted River, and Clayton Biglow, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Knicks, 87 points; 3. Richmond Champion, 84.5; 4. R.C. Landingham, 84; 5. Ty Pope, 83.5; 6. (tie) Kade Sonnier and A.J. Ruth, 83; 8. Gauge McBride, 82; 9. Chad Rutherford, 81.5; 10. (tie) Will Lowe, Kash Martin, Yance Day and Kaleb Norstrom, 80. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.5; 3. Jay Williamson, 3.7; 4. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline and Denard Butler, 3.8; 7. Wade Steffen, 4.0; 8. (tie) Jesse Brown, Kyle Irwin and Grant Peterson, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds; 3. (tie) Tanner Milan and Brandon Harrison, 3.8; 5. Stan Branco, 3.9; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen, Joe Nelson and Talon Roseland, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Cody Devers, Will Lummus and Eli Lord, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 4. Jesse Brown, 8.3; 5. Jay Williamson, 8.4; 6. Talon Roseland, 8.5; 7. Mason Couch, 8.8; 8. Curtis Cassidy, 9.0; 9. Stephen Culling, 9.1; 10. Boyd Sawyer, 9.3; 11. Bridger Anderson, 9.6; 12. Tucker Allen, 9.7. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 3.9 seconds; 2. Cyle Denison/Cody Hogan, 4.0; 3. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Bubba Buckaloo/Riley Wakefield, 4.3; 5. (tie) Ty Arnold/Kaden Profili, Clint Keller/Morgan Jones and Korbin Rice/Jake South, 4.4; 8. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 4.5. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Billy Bob Brown/Kirby Blankenship, 4.0 seconds; 3. Garett Chick/B.J. Dugger, 4.1; 4. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Reno Stoebner/Whit Kitchens, 4.2; 6. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili,  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – There’s a fine line between having fun and having too much fun, and Cash Wilson was walking a tight rope Saturday night. “I was really having fun, and then I was having too much fun and set my rein down and spurred over my rein and about got myself in trouble,” said Wilson, who rodeo Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Downtown for 84 points to take the saddle bronc riding lead during the third performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. “That’s a really good horse that went to the (National Finals Rodeo) last year. It was definitely the one to have in the long round here. I felt like I left some points on the table, but I should be able to get another one in the short-go.” The final go-round is set for Friday, April 14, inside the Foster Communications Coliseum, the longtime home of this award-winning rodeo in west Texas. Only the top 12 contestants in each event from the 10 preliminary performances earn the right to compete on Championship Night, so it’s important for cowboys to find their way during the early days of this event. “Last year I finished in the crying hole (13th) to make the short-go, but because Rusty Wright got hurt, I got to ride in the short round,” said Wilson, who sits 19th in the world standings after finishing among the top five in the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings last season. “This is one of my favorite rodeos. I got to come here on my permit season, so this is my third year being here. “There are a lot of rodeo fans in San Angelo.” That’s true, and they pack the coliseum night after night. That actually gives the game’s players a bit of a boost. “It’s a lot different in front of a crowd like that,” said Wilson, 22, of Wall, South Dakota. “Your adrenaline is pumping, especially when you’ve got a good one drawn like I had tonight.” He wants to keep riding the momentum that has seen him step up on the money list. He’s taken advantage of good bucking horses and has earned just shy of $30,000 so far this season. He’d love to pad that as he pushes through the spring and into the busy summer run. “It’s been a good winter so far, so I just want to keep my head down and keep going,” he said. “Last year, I didn’t have any great success in the California run in the spring, but my confidence is up, and everything feels good. I just want to keep it rolling.” That’s the way Oklahoma barrel racer Wenda Johnson feels when she rides into San Angelo. The three-time NFR qualifier has had great success at this rodeo: She finished third a year ago, but won the title in 2021 and finished second in 2020. During Saturday afternoon’s second performance, she stopped the clock in 14.23 seconds to take the second-round lead. The final barrel racer to run Saturday was Taycie Matthews of Wynne, Arkansas, who posted a 14.37-second run. That was enough to move her into the overall lead with a two-run cumulative time of 30.20 seconds.   San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoMarch 31-April 14Bareback riding leaders: 1. Clayton Biglow, 87 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Knicks; 2. Richmond Champion, 84.5; 3. R.C. Landingham, 84; 4. Kade Sonnier, 83; 5. Gauge McBride, 82; 6. Chad Rutherford, 81.5; 7. (tie) Will Lowe, Kash Martin, Yance Day and Kaleb Norstrom, 80; 11. Lane McGehee, 79.5; 12. Clay Stone, 79. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.5; 3. Jay Williamson, 3.7; 4. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline and Denard Butler, 3.8; 7. Wade Steffen, 4.0; 8. (tie) Jesse Brown, Kyle Irwin and Grant Peterson, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Tanner Milan and Brandon Harrison, 3.8; 4. Stan Branco, 3.9; 5. (tie) Joe Nelson and Talon Roseland, 4.1; 7. (tie) Jesse BrownTrey Jackson and Levi Rudd. Average leaders: 1. Cody Devers, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Jesse Brown, 8.3; 3. Jay Williamson, 8.4; 4. Talon Roseland, 8.5; 5. Mason Couch, 8.8; 6. Curtis Cassidy, 9.0; 7. Stephen Culling, 9.1; 8. Boyd Sawyer, 9.3; 9. Gage Hesse, 9.7; 10. Wacey Dorenkamp, 9.8; 11. Kaden Greenfield, 10.1; 12. Newt Novich, 10.3. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 3.9 seconds; 2. Cyle Denison/Cody Hogan, 4.0; 3. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoyh Profili and Bubba Buckaloo/Riley Wakefield, 4.3; 5. (tie) Ty Arnold/Kaden Profili, Clint Keller/Morgan Jones and Korbin Rice/Jake South, 4.4; 8. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 4.5. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Billy Bob Brown/Kirby Blankenship, 4.0 seconds; 3. Garett Chick/B.J. Dugger, 4.1; 4. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Reno Stoebner/Whit Kitchens, 4.2; 6. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 4.4; 7. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 4.5; 8. Keeper Parker, 4.6. Average leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Green/Caleb Green, 8.7; 3. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 8.8; 4. Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 9.5; 5. Tanner James/Jason Johe, 9.6; 6. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 9.7; 8. Jase Staudt/Jhett Trenary; 9.8; 9. Korbin Rice/Jake South, 9.9; 10. (tie) Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn and Kellen Johnson/Carson Johnson, 10.2; 12. Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Cash Wilson, 84 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Downtown; 2. (tie) Ryder Wright and Statler Wright, 83.5; 4. (tie) Wade Sundell, Ross Griffin and Brandon Lansford, 83; 7. Kai Rockhil, Lucas Macza and Damian Brennan, 82.5; 10. Gus Gaillard, 82; 11. Ira Dickinson, 81.5; 12. (tie) Carson Bingham and Sam Martin, 80. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Brush Minton, Hayden Ford and Chase Webster, 7.6 seconds; 4. (tie) Blake Ash, Roan Hudson and Ryan Jarrett, 8.1; 7. Cory Rowland, 8.3; 8. (tie) Austin Thomas Hines, Justin Smith and Sy Felton, 8.4. Second round leaders: 1. Justin Smith, 6.9 seconds, 2. J.T.  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Dakota Eldridge just plain needed that. On the opening night of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo at Foster Communications Coliseum, Eldridge flattened his steer to the ground in 3.4 seconds to take the first-round steer wrestling lead and give him an edge as he readies for his second-round run Sunday afternoon. “This is one of those rodeos that I seem to draw good steers when I get here,” said Eldridge, a nine-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Elko, Nevada. “You’ve got rodeos throughout the year that you’ve had some good luck at, and it helps when you get to those. This one is one of those for me. “I have had one of the worst winters I’ve ever had rodeoing, but that’s something you’ve got to go through sometimes. You have to keep a positive attitude.” His mind is right, in spite of having earned less than $8,000 in ProRodeo so far this season. Because of that, he is not among the top 50 in the world standings as of this week, which is rather unusual for the Nevada cowboy. His worst season since he launched his career came in 2018, and he still finished among the top 25. “This rodeo’s bailed me out before,” he said. “The horse I’ve been riding, Benz, has been hurt, so that’s been part of it. “I rode Curtis Cassidy’s horse, Tyson, tonight, and he just makes my job that much easier. When you’ve got a good horse, you just have to worry about yourself.” Tyson has been named the PRCA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year on multiple occasions, including this past season. Benz, owned by fellow steer wrestler Clayton Hass, has also been recognized as one of the elite bulldogging horses in the sport. “That just goes to show you how important horsepower is in our event,” said Eldridge, who won the NFR average championships in 2015 and 2017. “I can’t thank Clayton and Curtis for letting me ride those great horses and giving me a chance to win because of it.”  He jumped on Tyson at The American and had great success there, earning more than $25,000. Even though it’s a large payout, the money earned in Arlington, Texas, does not count toward standings in the PRCA, rodeo’s largest sanctioning body whose members battle all year to advance to the NFR, the sport’s grand finale. Eldridge has capitalized well on his west Texas runs in the past. He’s made the NFR nine out of the last 10 years, and he is the defending San Angelo champion. He has given himself a chance to repeat. The hope is to have a solid run again Sunday and be one of the top 12 through the preliminary rounds to qualify for Championship Night on Friday, April 14. “Winning this rodeo back-to-back would be amazing, because it would shoot me up there not only in the top 50 but close to the top 15,” Eldridge said, pointing out that the rodeo’s big payout offers that opportunity. “I’ve always done well at this rodeo, and I always have good luck a the California rodeos we go to after this. With me being on Tyson out there, I’m super excited about my chances.” First things first, though; he needs to secure as many dollars as he can, and he knows San Angelo is the right place to do it.” “That building has a lot of energy to it, and it reminds me of the Thomas & Mack a little bit,” he said comparing Foster Communications Coliseum to the home of the NFR since 1985. “You’ve got a bunch of fans that really now rodeo, and they’re excited to see you win and do well.”   Rodeo is special in this part of the world, and the cowboys are excited to return every year. San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoMarch 31-April 14Bareback riding leaders: 1. Clayton Biglow, 87 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Knicks; 2. Richmond Champion, 84.5; 3. R.C. Landingham, 84; 4. Chad Rutherford, 81.5; 5. Yance Day, 80; 6. Clay Stone, 79; 7. Will Norstrom, 73; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.5; 3. Jay Williamson, 3.7; 4. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline and Denard Butler, 3.8; 7. Wade Steffen, 4.0; 8. Grant Peterson, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds; 2. Brandon Harrison, 3.8; 3. Stan Branco, 3.9; 4. (tie) Joe Nelson and Talon Roseland, 4.1; 6. (tie) Trey Jackson and Levi Rudd. Average leaders: 1. Cody Devers, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Jay Williamson, 8.4; 3. Talon Roseland, 8.5; 4. Mason Couch, 8.8; 5. Boyd Sawyer, 9.3; 6. Gage Hesse, 9.7. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 3.9 seconds; 2. Cyle Denison/Cody Hogan, 4.0; 3. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoyh Profili and Bubba Buckaloo/Riley Wakefield, 4.3; 5. (tie) Ty Arnold/Kaden Profili, Clint Keller/Morgan Jones and Korbin Rice/Jake South, 4.4; 8. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 4.5. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Billy Bob Brown/Kirby Blankenship, 4.0 seconds; 3. Garett Chick/B.J. Dugger, 4.1; 4. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Reno Stoebner/Whit Kitchens, 4.2; 6. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 4.5. Average leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Green/Caleb Green, 8.7; 3. Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 9.5; 4. Tanner James/Jason Johe, 9.6; 5. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 9.7; 6. Jase Staudt/Jhett Trenary; 9.8. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 83 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Pearl Harbour; 2. Kai Rockhill, 82.5; 3. Carson Bingham, 80; 4. Jacob Benham, 78; 5. (tie) Darcy Radel and Chris Williams76; 7. Lavern Borntreger, 74; 8. Brady Hill, 72. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Hayden Ford and Chase Webster, 7.6 seconds; 3. (tie) Blake Ash, Roan Hudson and Ryan Jarrett, 8.1; 6. Cory Rowland, 8.3; 7. (tie) Austin Thomas Hines, Justin Smith and Sy Felton, 8.4. Second round leaders: 1. Justin Smith, 6.9 seconds, 2. Jerry  Continue Reading »