Author: Ted Harbin

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Sometimes momentum swings in the right direction, and that’s the case for bareback rider Joel Schlegel.

He is having the best season of his career with more than $20,400 in earnings; more than half that came last week when he won the championship in Cody, Wyo., and pocketed $10,500 in the process. On Thursday night, Schlegel matched moves with Cervi Rodeo’s Little Bo Beep for 83.5 points to take the lead in the 90^th edition of Rooftop Rodeo.

“My confidence is pretty sky high,” said Schlegel of Burns, Colo., a three-plus hour drive through the mountain range southwest of Estes Park. “Showing up today and knowing the horse I had, there’s little to no doubt you’d be excited. I’m riding better than I ever have.”

It showed on the gray horse. Now the Colorado cowboy hopes his score holds out through the remaining four performances.

“We came here last year, and it worked out and won the rodeo,” he said. “It’s cool to come back and say you won it again if you have the opportunity. There are still guys that have good horses and guys that ride great (and they could) just as easy bump me down.

“It’s exciting to do good at a good rodeo right in our circuit.”

Rooftop Rodeo has been recognized as one of the best in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, with only 20 events out of more than 600 that receive nominations annually for Rodeo of the Year. Over the last two decades, Estes Park’s rodeo has been in a regular fixture in that field.

Part of that has to do with an crowd that fills the grandstands every night, considering the rodeo part of their Estes Park summertime experience.

“A lot of people that are here are interested to come (and) have the experience, the show, get involved,” Schlegel said. “It’s good to have a bunch of people cheering you on. If you wave at the crowd, everybody cheers and hollers at you. It’s awesome.”

It’s that kind of experience that pushes him to return to Estes Park every July. Now that he sits 27^th in the world standings, he hopes the roller-coaster ride that is ProRodeo will stay on the downhill cycle for a bit longer. Finishing the regular season among the top 15 in the world standings would earn him his first qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which takes place in December in Las Vegas.

“The ball’s been in my favor this year, and I’d like to keep the momentum going,” he said. “Everybody wants to go ride in Vegas.”

 

Rooftop Rodeo
Estes Park, Colo.
July 6-11, 2016
Leaders through second performance
Bareback riding: 1. Joel Schlegel, 83.5 points on Cervi Rodeo’s Little Bo Beep; 2. Blaine Kauffman, 82; 3. Kody Lamb, 80; 4. (tie) Caleb Bennett, Orin Larsen and Tim O’Connell, 79 each; 7. (tie) Tyler Waltz and Tanner Phipps, 78 each.

Steer wrestling: 1.  K.C. Jones, 4.4 seconds; 2. Cody Cabral, 4.6; 3. Ross Mosher, 5.4; 4. Rowdy Parrot, 5.6; 5. Mike McGinn, 5.9; 6. Mike Garcia, 6.0; 7. Tristan Martin, 6.2; 8. Ty Lang, 7.2.

Team roping: 1. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 4.8 seconds; 2. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 5.4; 3. Monty Wood/Brandon Gonzales, 5.8; no other qualified times.

Saddle bronc riding 1. CoBurn Bradshaw, 82 points on Cervi Rodeo’s Exploding Springs; 2. Jesse Bail, 81; 3. Landon Mecham, 80; 4. Rusty Wright, 79; 5. (tie) Jake Watson, Taos Muncy and Andy Clarys, 75; 8. Wyatt Casper, 74.

Tie-down roping: 1. Rhen Richard, 9.0 seconds; 2. Marshall Leonard, 9.1; 3. Braxton Laughlin, 9.6; 4. Travis Lewis, 9.8; 5. Justin Brinkerhoff, 10.5; 6. Chad Finley, 10.6; 7. Cody Collins, 11.8; 8. Paul Carmen, 16.2.

Barrel racing: 1. Jenna Waggoner, 18.07 seconds; 2. Cayla Melby, 18.16; 3. C.J. Vondette, 18.28; 4. Kari Hasler, 18.45; 5. Lesley Chester, 18.56; 6. Kasey Hall, 18.68; 7. Nicole Waggoner, 18.78; 8. Heidi Tillard, 18.94; 9. Pollie Madden, 19.26; 10. Lake Mehalic, 20.52.

Bull riding: 1. Derek Kolbaba, 79 points on Cervi Rodeo’s Wolf Greeley Hat Works; no other qualified rides.

Evan Jayne is living a dream he’s had since he was a child growing up in France. Jayne is a ProRodeo cowboy who has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time in a career that has seen him so close numerous times. He moved to the United States as a junior in high school in the foreign exchange program. He found a way to stay after that and graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He and his family now live in Rockwall, Texas.

 

ROCKWALL, Texas – As a boy growing up in France, Evan Jayne fell in love with rodeo.

He and his father had stopped at a friend’s house, where they watched a recording of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, ProRodeo’s grand championship.

“I saw my first NFR on TV, and I was completely hooked from there,” he said. “All of my energy after that was leaving France and coming to the United States to be a rodeo cowboy.”

It worked, and Jayne has earned his first qualification to the NFR. He parlayed an incredible 2015 season into a No. 4 finish through the regular season, which ended in September. Now he’ll make the rides of his life during the 10-day finale, which takes place Dec. 3-12 in Las Vegas.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Jayne, who lives in Rockwall with his wife, Kristin, and their daughter, Sienna. “It’s everything I’ve been working toward the last 17 years. Ever since I came to the United States, that was my goal and what I’ve trained for.

“When I saw the yellow bucking chutes on TV, this is what I wanted to do. I feel like I’m in an unreal parallel world. When you’ve wanted something so bad for so long, I can imagine my heart is going to be beating outside of my chest in that first round.”

Jayne became interested in the Western world as a youngster when he would follow his father, Jean Pierre Jayne, a trick rider who performed for a rodeo/Wild West show. He even helped his dad. Once he was bitten by the rodeo bug, he found his way across the Atlantic Ocean as an exchange student. He landed in the tiny community of Magnolia, Texas, just outside Houston.

“I moved in with the Rigby family my junior year,” Jayne said. “Within two months of me being there, I had such a good relationship with my American dad that he said, ‘Why don’t we try to get you to come back next year and get you to graduate high school and go to college.’

“It’s all thanks to him that I’m actually still here.”

The cowboy returned to Texas for his senior year. Because he had exhausted the exchange student program, Jayne enrolled in a private school, where he graduated in 2000.

“It was a little school,” he said. “I was eating lunch with 5-year-olds. I had 10 people in my class I was the weird kid, because I wore boots and jeans, and they were all city kids. I won the high school championship that year in bareback riding.”

He then carried over to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where obtained a bachelor’s degree in agriculture. He also chased his gold buckle dreams in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the premier rodeo organization. He’s been a member for 13 years.

Each year, he battled and learned and progressed so that he could eventually make it among the top 15 in the world standings and compete at Las Vegas in December.

“I had to change some things in my riding,” Jayne said. “I wanted to give my rodeo career one more year, but with that, I knew I was going to give myself the tools to succeed. I changed the way I worked out, the way I ate, the way I thought about it.

“I improved the technical aspects of my riding, and it just clicked. It was a little bit rough at first, because I had to adjust some things I was doing. Once I hit San Antonio (in February), it all started being in the right spot.”

As the year progressed, his riding and his self-confidence just continued to improve. By early April, he was among the top five on the bareback riding money list. After a great run over the Fourth of July, he moved to No. 1 and remained atop the world standings for several weeks.

“The big thing this year was consistency,” he said. “It’s always been a problem to utilize your horse. That’s how guys get to the finals, and that’s what worked: Utilizing every horse I had. Even if I wasn’t winning first or second, I was always sneaking in there and catching a check. I didn’t have any huge wins, but I was catching second place a lot. I utilized the horses that I had to the best that I could.”

He also leaned on those closest to him to grow as a professional cowboy. Last December, he and Kristin went to the NFR to cheer on friends Austin Foss and Richmond Champion, and Jayne introduced his bride to the biggest event in the sport.

“When we left, she told me, ‘I know why you want to come here,’ ” he said. “She was pushing me. She said, ‘I’m not holding you back. You quit working three years ago as a school teacher, so just go do it. It’s within your reach. You’re good enough.’

“You don’t have a lot of people that can understand that you have to leave for 200 days a year to be on the road. Rodeo is dangerous on its own, but I think the road is more dangerous. For her to be supportive of me living this lifestyle means the world to me.”

But being on the road means he’s away from Kristin and Sienna, now 3. That makes it tough on anybody, and it’s why he leans on his traveling partner, Clint Cannon, a five-time NFR qualifier from Waller, Texas.

“I’ve had a lot of traveling partners, and they’re just like a wife,” Jayne said. “You’re with them more than you are with your own wife. You’ve got to get a long, and Clint is the guy I will finish my career with. We’re best friends. We tell each other things that nobody else knows.”

It helps, too, that Cannon is a veteran. When Jayne needed a boost, Cannon provided it.

“He’s one of the main reasons I’m at the finals this year,” Jayne said. “He told me that if I stayed healthy and kept going it would come. At one point, he told me, ‘You’re one rodeo away from winning a lot of money.’ The next weekend, I won $22,000.”

He kept adding to it. He finished the regular season with $93,020 in earnings. Now he’ll ride for the biggest purse in the history of rodeo. The NFR will pay out $8.8 million over 10 December nights. Go-round winners will earn more than $26,000.

That will pay a lot of bills, but there’s more to it. In rodeo, dollars also equals championship points. The contestants in each event who finish the year with the most earnings will be crowned world champions.

“I think what drives me is the habit of being competitive and always trying to be the best; that’s just my DNA,” he said. “I’m not going thinking about the gold buckle. If it happens, that’s great. I’m just going to enjoy it every night, have the biggest smile on my face and a warm heart. I’ve always had a fear of being 55 or 60 and thinking that I should’ve kept going.

“That’s one thing I’ll never have to say. That’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.”

He’ll share those emotions with not only his wife and daughter, his American family and a host of family members coming over from France just for this experience. They’ll relish in every moment as Evan Jayne battles for big money in the Nevada desert.

He’s worked awfully hard to be in this position, and he deserves to be there.

 

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Nick Sartain and Rich Skelton had a solid winter and were enjoying a nice spring.
As of the second week of May, they were both fifth in their respective team roping world standings, having earned $26,000. Things changed in a hurry.
Skelton, an eight-time world champion, suffered serious injuries May 15 when he was on the wrong end of a chain-reaction wreck near his Llano, Texas, home. A pickup pulling a livestock trailer slammed into a passenger vehicle, which crashed into the eight-time world champion’s tractor. Skelton and the driver of the passenger vehicle were airlifted to an Austin, Texas, hospital.
He returned to rodeo action in late June. On Friday night, he and Sartain stopped the clock in 5.3 seconds during the third performance of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. Combined with their 5.5-second first-round run, they lead the two-run aggregate heading into the final two days of Kansas’ richest rodeo.
“When I got hurt, I’d only been to 12 rodeos,” said Skelton, who, with Sartain, has pocketed more than $16,000 in a few weeks to move back up into the top 20 in the world standings. “We get to go to 75, so we’re playing catch-up.”
They’re doing it quite well in western Kansas. They are placing in both go-rounds with one day remaining in the preliminary rounds and will return for Sunday’s championship round. Skelton has claimed the coveted Roundup buckle two other times with world champion ropers Tee Woolman and Speed Williams; he’d like to add a third with Sartain.
“It’s been a good partnership,” Skelton said of heeling behind Sartain, the 2009 heading world champ. “We’ve struggled the past couple of weeks.
“Everything’s good, but we’re hoping this will get us kick-started and get us rolling.”
Just two months remain in ProRodeo’s regular season. Only the top 15 contestants in each event qualify for the year-end championship, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which takes place each December in Las Vegas. Doing well in Dodge City will be a great momentum boost. He’d love to return to the Nevada desert for the 22nd time in his storied career.
“I’m pretty fortunate to rope with Nick,” said Skelton, who won all of his gold buckles roping with Williams from 1997-2004. “When I was roping with Speedy, Nick used to come down and practice with us. He knows how I like steers handled, and he’s worked at handling steers like Speed.
“That’s one of the reasons we wanted to rope together.”
It’s working in Dodge City.

Thursday night, Matt Bright, a three-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Fort Worth, Texas, continued his positive momentum Thursday night by riding Frontier Rodeo’s Showdown for 83 points to take the bareback riding lead at Dodge City Roundup Rodeo.
“I’ve been pretty injury plagued the last couple years, and I’m finally feeling healthy,” said Bright, who earned more than $12,000 last week and moved to 28th in the world standings. “It’s amazing what being in good shape and being healthy can do for a guy’s riding. It’s dang sure improved mine a lot, and things have been rolling really well here lately.”
He was one of 19 NFR qualifiers in Thursday’s second performance of Roundup. Injuries have sidelined him enough the last two seasons, the Tennessee-born cowboy has been unable to return to Las Vegas for ProRodeo’s grand finale. He’s battling his way toward the magical top 15 in the world standings by the end of the regular season to secure his fourth trip to the Nevada desert in December.
He knew he had a shot on the Frontier horse.
“Dodge City is one of these rodeos where the horse is going to tell the difference,” said Bright, who finished second at both Cheyenne, Wyo., and Eagle, Colo., last week. “Everybody here are great bareback riders. This is a (Wrangler Million Dollar) Tour rodeo, so you’re going to get the cream of the crop, and I knew (NFR qualifier) Austin Foss had some success on that horse earlier this year.”

March 8, 2015 / Guthrie, Oklahoma – Trevor Brazile is the most decorated cowboy in ProRodeo history.

On Sunday afternoon, he added another prestigious championship to his trophy case, winning the Timed Event Championship of the World for a record seventh time. In the process, he pocketed $116,000 – most came in the form of the average title, which paid $100,000 for the first time ever; the rest he earned by having the two fastest go-rounds of this year’s competition.

“This is the event of the purist in my events,” said Brazile, who scored a 43.7-second second round Friday night and a 45.8 Saturday night. “I’ve always loved it. It means a lot just because of everything entails. It’s 25 head. It’s a fun contest.”

He utilized a steady approach to claim the top prize, outdistancing runner-up Paul David Tierney by 25 seconds.

“You’ve got a game plan when you come here,” he said. “I try not to back off too much. I try to be efficient, but not overly protective.

“I’ve had a two-hour hiatus from here. Coming back, you always question it. I felt like I could do it still, but until you come and do it, you never know.”

He knows very well. Over his nearly two decades of competing in the “Ironman of ProRodeo,” Brazile has earned $751,500.

“Not just the money has made it better,” he said, referring to the winner’s payout doubling from $50,000. “I think it added more excitement and obviously there was more on the line, but I think this is the most even set of stock they’ve had. I think that helped keep it even throughout.

“This is probably the closest field I’ve seen. As a whole, it was keeping the pack together due to the quality of stock that was here. It let a guy do his job. There weren’t as many eliminators here as there has been.”

Still, the top players in this game were challenged.

“It was tough,” said Tierney, the reigning champion who has finished among the top two each of the past three years. “Everybody roped good, and having Trevor come back and being able to compete against him was good. He’s got to come back next year so we can have it out again.”

He was one of two Tierneys to finish atop the standings. Older brother Jess, a four-time qualifier to the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, placed third. Between them, the Tierneys collected $42,000. That’s pretty good for the sons of ProRodeo legend, Paul Tierney, a four-time Timed Event champion.

“This is just a great event, and you get to go up against guys like Trevor, K.C. Jones and Daniel Green,” Jess Tierney said. “It’s the best event all year. I hope I can be like dad and come here until I’m 60.”

 

RESULTS
AVERAGE: 1. Trevor Brazile, 290.7 seconds on 25 runs, $100,000; 2. Paul David Tierney, 305.6, $25,000; 3. Jess Tierney, 331.4, $15,000; 4. Josh Peek, 364.8, $10,000; 5. Clay Smith, 373.1, $7,500; 6. Kyle Lockett, 381.0, $5,000; 7. Erich Rogers, 384.0, $4,500; 8. Russell Cardoza, 407.5, $3,000.
FASTEST ROUND: 1. Trevor Brazile, 43.7, $10,000; 2. Trevor Brazile, 45.8, $6,000; 3. Kyle Lockett, 48.7, $5,000; 4. Russell Cardoza, 51.1, $4,000; 5. Erich Rogers, 51.6, $3,000; 6. Jess Tierney, 52.8, $2,000.
TOTAL MONEY: 1. Trevor Brazile, $116,000; 2. Paul David Tierney, $25,000; 3. Jess Tierney, $17,000; 4. Josh Peek and Kyle Lockett, $10,000 each; 6. Clay Smith and Erich Rogers, $7,500; 8. Russell Cardoza, $7,000.

 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Walt White owns eight International Professional Rodeo Association tie-down roping world championships.

He won’t win No. 9 this year, but he is still happy to be part of the field at International Finals Rodeo 45, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Jim Norick State Fair Arena.

“I’m just going to have fun and try to win as much money as I can,” said White, 43, of Ochelata, Okla., the 15^th ranked tie-down roper. “I’m going to try to go out with a bang. I haven’t won the IFR average since the first one I was at; I think it would be cool to win the average at the last one.”

White figures this will be his last appearance at the IFR. He’s made more than a dozen trips to Oklahoma City for the championship over the years, winning gold buckles in 1992, ’93, ’95, ’97-2000 and ’03.

“I’m going to be the oldest one there this year,” White said of the tie-down roping field of 15 contestants. “It’s time to slow down. Except for the All-Region Finals (in Lexington, Ky.), Marshfield (Mo.) is the furthest one I went to. I didn’t go more than four hours from the house.”

While White is slowing down, Chance Hays is just getting started. This week marks his second qualification to the IFR – he also earned the trip in tie-down roping two seasons ago – and sits 13^th in the world standings.

“It means a lot for me to make the IFR,” said Hays, a Bristow, Okla., cowboy who also makes his living as a Western artist. “I’m from Oklahoma, and having the finals in Oklahoma City and getting to compete against other talent from all over is an honor.”

That talent is quite capable. Four-time reigning world champion Justin Thigpen of Waycross, Ga., leads the race for the gold buckle with more than $20,000 in earnings. He owns a $3,500 lead over Canadian Cody Mousseau of Aylmer, Ontario.

Neither White nor Hays has a shot at the world title, but they have as good a chance as any roper in the game to win the coveted average title.

“My goal is to make the best runs I can make and see how much I can win,” Hays said. “I got a real late start this year. I’m riding a young horse this year, but next year I’ll have my good horse back, and I’m going to try to win the world championship.”

Both titles are something breakaway roper Jenna Lee Hays has her eyes on. The Weatherford, Okla., cowgirl is fourth in the world standings but is about $5,000 behind leader Amanda Stewart of Mt. Ulla, N.C. This is just the fourth IFR that has featured breakaway roping, which is just fine for Hays.

Of course, it helps that the IPRA has financial support from a variety of sponsors, Love’s Country Store, RAM Trucks, Tener’s, Graham’s, Oxbow Tack, OG&E, Langston’s, Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Harrison Manufacturing.

“I think it’s really exciting that they’ve added breakaway roping,” said Hays, who is an assistant coach for the Southwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team in her hometown of Weatherford. “It’s something that all the breakaway ropers really look forward to, to have an association like that to put breakaway roping in their finals.”

This marks the third time in four years she has qualified for the IFR.

“When the season starts, my goal is to make the IFR,” Hays said. “The roping gets pretty fast there. My goal when I get to the IFR is that I focus more on the average than the rounds. I’m more focused on being consistent. I won a round and the average in my first qualification.

“Just being consistent is the key. I just try to rope every calf the same. It doesn’t matter if he’s fast or slow; you just have to do the same things every run to have success.”

Finding a way to be successful inside Jim Norick Arena is the target of every contestant in the field of 126 cowboys and cowgirls. They’ve earned the right to be in Oklahoma City this week, and now they want to show everyone why.

 

 

 

 

January 6, 2015 – (Colorado Springs, CO) – The National Little Britches Rodeo Association Finals is moving to the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla., beginning in 2016.

“We are extremely proud to be selected as the host facility for the NLBRA Finals and look forward to growing our partnership,” said Dan Wall, general manager of Lazy E Arena. “We are excited to welcome NLBRA and its members into the Lazy E family.”

The change in venues comes after an 11-year run at the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, Colo. The NLBRA found a home in Pueblo beginning in 2004 and brought 545 youth rodeo contestants that year. Since the inaugural year, the event has grown to nearly double the contestant base, with nearly 1,000 youth rodeo contestants competing in 2014.

“Moving the NLBRA Finals to Pueblo was a positive for the NLBRA,” executive director Kimber Solberg said. “The Pueblo community provided an opportunity for the NLBRA to produce a quality Finals for many years; however, since moving to Pueblo in 2004, the NLBRA contestant membership base has grown by 33 percent and some of our needs have changed.”

The 2015 NLBRA Finals will be July 20-25, 2015, in Pueblo. It will move to the Lazy E from 2016-2020

Although the National Little Britches Finals Rodeo is relocating, the NLBRA is working with Pueblo and four other communities across the United States to host NLBRA Qualifier Rodeos, where the goal is to have 300-400 contestants competing in a three-day rodeo event.

“Over the years, we’ve built a strong bond with Pueblo,” Solberg said. “I can only compare it to a child going off to college. It’s hard to let them go, but you know it’s the best move. And like kids going off to college, you don’t lose them, the relationship just changes. The NLBRA certainly intends to keep Little Britches Rodeo alive and well in Pueblo, Colorado.”

The Lazy E Arena opened its doors in December 1984 in time for that season’s National Finals Steer Roping to coincide with the National Finals Rodeo, which took place in downtown Oklahoma City. The grand plan orchestrated by then owner E.K. Gaylord III was that the two Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association championships take place at the same time in the same metropolitan area, and the plan worked … for one year.

Since its inception, the building has hosted world champions, world championships and personalities galore. The main arena floor is 440 feet-by-160 feet, making it the largest indoor rodeo arena in the world and home of the Timed Event Championship.

“This is the only indoor arena that allows us, the NLBRA, to produce our finals with three arenas running simultaneously for the viewing audience,” Solberg said.

In October 2013, the property was purchased by the McKinney Family from Midland, Texas. The Family has committed to maintaining the Lazy E as the world’s premier Western entertainment facility. Many updates and renovations are taking place at the arena, which will only enhance the lure of the Lazy E.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Eleven months ago, tie-down roper Trenton Johnson was just getting out of hip surgery that saw him on crutches for eight weeks.

He spent four months going through physical therapy for a repaired hip labrum and a hip microfracture, then he handled the rehabilitation himself while taking care of the business of healing his body. Being on the sidelines because of injury is no place for a world-class athlete to be, but that’s just where Johnson was through much of the 2015 rodeo season.

“I rehabbed on my own for a little while, then I went to three rodeos after the Fourth of July,” said Johnson, 26, a three-time International Finals Rodeo from Centerville, Kan. “Then I got hurt again, so I took two more weeks off.”

He returned to action the final weekend of July and spent next seven weeks on a frantic travel schedule in hopes of returning to the International Professional Rodeo Association’s championship event. It all comes to fruition next week during IFR 45, set for Friday, Jan. 16-Sunday, Jan. 18, at Jim Norick State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City.

“I went pretty hard and was able to accomplish that,” said Johnson, who won tie-down roping titles in Kellyville, Okla.; Haskell, Okla.; Freemont, Ohio; North Washington, Pa.; Charlotte, Mich.; and St. Tite, Quebec, the last of which is the largest regular-season event in the IPRA. “It was good to do good at St. Tite. Without that, I don’t think I could’ve made the IFR.”

That two-month run paid off to the tune of more than $8,600. He rolls into Oklahoma City as the No. 12 tie-down roper in the standings – only the top 15 contestants in each event earn the right to compete at the IFR. He’s had considerable success inside State Fair Arena before, winning the average title during the 2011 championship.

“I’d have to say winning the average at the IFR was my biggest accomplishment so far,” he said. “It was a big roping, a good roping. There were a lot of guys there that roped good. I still wear that buckle today. It was a big win for me, and I’m proud of it.”

He should be. It’s an amazing honor and one he’d like to repeat during this year’s finale. In order to win that title, he’ll have to rope and tie all four calves in a faster cumulative time than the other 14 ropers in the field. That fits perfectly in Johnson’s wheelhouse.

“I’m more of an average roper,” he said. “I’m more consistent than trying to go fast. I try to be a well-rounded roper, but I do feel more comfortable making an average run.”

That’s something he’s learned over the years of roping. Raised on a ranch in eastern Kansas, he is one of two sons born to Jim and Pam Johnson. He and older brother Tyler began roping as youngsters.

“Dad brought home a couple of roping horses,” Trenton Johnson said. “He built us an arena, and we started team roping.”

He also started roping calves with a breakaway rope until he got into junior high. Upon turning 14, he started roping and tying down calves. He started putting in the work to be successful as a sophomore in high school, working with neighbor Wade Wilson and Wilson’s son, Cole.

“My dad raised cows for as long as I can remember,” Johnson said. “He roped a little bit, mostly for fun, and gave my brother and me an opportunity to rodeo. Along the way, I met a lot of people who helped us, and that includes Wade Wilson.”

The Johnson brothers learned a lot roping with the Wilsons. He won the tie-down roping and team roping championships in the Kansas High School Rodeo Association in 2007. That helped Trenton Johnson earn a rodeo scholarship to Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, where he qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in both tie-down roping and steer wrestling in 2009 and 2011.

He’s found success in every area of rodeo in which he’s competed, including the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He aspires to qualify for the PRCA championship, the National Finals Rodeo, and battle for that organization’s world championship.

Of course, it’s the mettle of any true competitor to place themselves among the greatest in the game. It helps to surround oneself with greatness, which is something else Johnson has done most of his life. This past October, he married the former Ayla McCoy, whose uncles, Jet and Cord, own a combined 10 IPRA world championships.

“She comes from a strong rodeo family, and we met at Northwestern,” said Johnson, who began dating his wife in 2009. “She now works for Miller International, which is Cinch.”

Together, they bring a strong pedigree to Oklahoma City for the IFR. They’ll also bring Boone, an 11-year-old sorrel gelding.

“I’ve had him since 2011,” he said. “He’s consistent. He’s a powerful horse. He does everything good, and he’s honest. He understands roping, and he likes his job.”

So does Trenton Johnson. That’s why he’s chasing his gold-buckle dreams.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma’s capital city is much different than it was in January 1991.

There’s an NBA franchise in town, and the 89ers became the RedHawks and are now the Dodgers. Gary Gibbs was in his third season as coach of the Sooners football team, Eddie Sutton was running the Oklahoma State basketball program and Bryant Reeves was a senior at Gans (Okla.) High School.

The downtown landscape has changed dramatically, rising into the heavens. But one thing has remained constant: The International Finals Rodeo is a January staple, now in its 25^th year in Oklahoma City. IFR 45 is scheduled for Jan. 16-18 at the Jim Norick State Fair Arena.

“I actually didn’t qualify for the IFR the last two years in Tulsa,” said Dale Yerigan, general manager of the Oklahoma City-based International Professional Rodeo Association and an 11-time steer wrestling world champion. “When I found out that the IFR was moving to Oklahoma City and that the money was going to increase, that’s one of the things that helped me make the decision to focus on rodeoing in the IPRA.”

It’s a good thing he did. Yerigan won IPRA gold in 1985-86, then regained that championship form in Oklahoma City. Clarence LeBlanc won the 1990 championship at the conclusion of IFR 21 in January 1991, and Yerigan took over the IPRA’s bulldogging world for nine straight years after that, winning the titles for the 1991-1999 seasons – because the IFR is in January, champions care crowned for the previous calendar year; the 2014 champs, for example, will be crowned in a few weeks.

“In the 1990s, I had a streak of winning world titles, and a lot of that was because of the move to Oklahoma City,” he said. “The future was one of the things that helped me make my decision and my focus. It was easier on my family to rodeo together.”

As the IPRA general manager, he shares his time through the weeks between business at the office and his home in Pryor, Okla., which is about 155 miles northeast of the IPRA office.

The 1991 IFR took place in what used to be the Myriad, now the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City. It moved to Jim Norick Arena shortly thereafter and has had a long run in that storied facility at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. In 2004, the IFR took place inside the Ford Center, which is now Chesapeake Energy Arena.

“The move back downtown to the Ford Center was sponsor-driven, but it was a new facility, and you hope it sparks some new interest in your event,” Yerigan said. “Now they host an NBA franchise, which is no small fete in mid-America.

“We’re glad to be back at the fairgrounds, and I believe it’s the best facility for us. We want to grow there.”

Growth has been steady, and it comes with the help of key sponsors like Love’s Country Store, RAM Trucks, Tener’s, Graham’s, Oxbow Tack, OG&E, Langston’s, Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Harrison Manufacturing. Of course, it also helps that fans have come to expect a strong production from the annual January showcase.

“Like most of rodeo, we’ve changed some over the years,” Yerigan said. “The competition part of it is still based on the same things it was founded on, which goes back to ranch competitions. We preserve that really traditional part of it. Us, along with most rodeos, have tried to update with the times with the kind of music and the lights we use.

“Rodeo’s a little bit louder than it was 25 years ago, but people have come to expect that. We try not to go too overboard. We try not to make it a rock concert but try to step it up and liven it up. Production has become faster, and we want to see things quickly.”

At the IFR, the competition is mixed with excellent production to make for a night of family-friendly entertainment.

“We have whittled this down to the top 15 that come compete,” he said. “You get to see the same 15 compete every performance for four performances. Whether it’s Friday night or Sunday afternoon, you get to see the top level of competition.

“When you come to the IFR, the cream will rise to the top. The 15 contestants in each event have earned their way to be there. You’re going to see the top level competition.”

It’s something fans have come to expect over the last 25 years. It’s just as it should be.

 

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Wade Sundell has ridden a lot of great bucking horses in his seven year saddle bronc riding career.

On Sunday night, the Iowa-born cowboy added another storied bronc to his victory list, dancing across the arena dirt with Frontier Rodeo’s Medicine Woman for 92 points to win the championship round and the overall bronc riding title at the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo.

“I’ve been waiting a long, long time to draw that horse,” Sundell said, noting the random draw that matches cowboy vs. animals. “I knew if I kept my chin down and kept pressure on my rein, it would be awesome. That was the buckingest horse I’ve been on.

“When I nodded my head until I got off, I felt like I was bucked off every jump.”

Despite Medicine Woman’s style, Sundell continued the classic spurring motion that has guided him to five-straight qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and within millimeters of that elusive world championship. He finished eighth in his first rodeo trip to Las Vegas in 2009, and since has been a fixture among the top six.

He knew doing well in the Dodge City Rode could make a big difference in the final tally; in rodeo, dollars equal points, so every paycheck is vital. This marks the first time in Sundell’s career that he has found success inside Roundup Arena.

“I’ve done horrible in Dodge City,” said Sundell, who finished tied for seventh in the first round with an 81. “I was coming back to the short round tonight way in the back, so I had to let it all hang out and try to make something happen, and it worked.”

He finished with 173 points on two rides and earned $3,603 at the largest rodeo in Kansas.

“This rodeo has helped a lot of people make the finals and win the world,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to do good at this rodeo, and I’ve done bad at it every year. This is awesome to win it now.”

Sundell was joined in the winner’s circle by bull rider J.W. Harris, a four-time world champion; barrel racer Christine Laughlin; steer roper Tyrel Taton; tie-down roper Cody Ohl, a six-time world champ; bareback rider Richie Champion; team ropers Kaleb Driggers and Patrick Smith; and a trio of steer wrestlers: K.C. Jones, Timmy Sparing and Bray Armes.

In fact, Jones’ horse, Tebow, guided both him and Sparing to the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo title.

“He worked awesome,” Jones said of the sorrel gelding. “Tim and I both got a buckle on him, so our plan worked out.”

Jones, who lives in Decatur, Texas, grew up less than three hours west of Dodge City in Las Animas, Colo.

“I remember coming here for the Dodge City Little Britches Rodeo, so we’ve spent a lot of time in this arena,” he said.

That time has paid off.

 

Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
July 30-Aug. 3

All-around: Landon McClaugherty, $1,050 won in steer roping and team roping.
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Casey Colletti, on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Painted Coast, and Casey Breuer, on Vold’s Hot Valley, 85 points, $2,320 each; 3. Richmond Champion, 84, $1,489; 4. Jared Smith, 83. $963; 5. (tie) Orin Larsen and Steven Dent, 81, $525 each; 7. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Tanner Phipps, 80, $306 each; 9.Tilden Hooper, 78; 10. (tie) Winn Ratliff and Taylor Price, 77. Final round: 1.Tilden Hooper, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Show Stomper, $1,650; 2. (tie) Steven Dent and Richmond Champion, 82, $1,075 each; 4. Winn Ratliff, 81, $600; 5. (tie) Orin Larsen and Casey Breuer, 79, $300 each. Average: 1. Richmond Champion, 166 points on two rides, $2,627; 2. Tilden Hooper, 165, $2,014; 3. Casey Breuer, 164, $1,489; 4. Steven Dent, 163, $963; 5. Orin Larsen, 160, $613; 6. Winn Ratliff, 158, $438; 7. Tanner Phipps, 152, $350; 8. Jared Smith, 83 points on one ride, $263.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Bray Armes, 4.0 seconds, $2,611; 2. Tom Lewis, 4.3, $2,271; 3. Brandon Volker, 4.4, $1,930; 4. (tie) Casey Martin and Tom Duvall, 4.5, $1,419 each; 6. (tie) Jeff Miller, Timmy Sparing and Richy Coats, 4.6, $568 each. Second round: 1. Ty Lang, 3.9 seconds, $2,611; 2. K.C. Jones, 4.0, $2,271; 3. Tooter Silver, 4.1, $1,930; 4. Gabe Burrows, 4.2, $1,590; 5. Tie) Rowdy Parrott, Sean Santucci and Jeff Miller, $908, 4.3; 8. (tie) Timmy Sparing and Stewart Gulager, 4.4, $114. Final round: 1. Sean Stancucci, 3.8 seconds, $1,247; 2. Tom Lewis, 4.2, $1,032; 3. (tie) Cody Devers, Tommy Cook and Casey Martin, 4.3, $602 each; 6. K.C. Jones, 4.4, $215. Average: 1. (tie) K.C. Jones, Timmy Sparing and Bray Armes, 13.5 seconds on three runs, $3,406 each; 4. Sean Stancucci, 14.1, $2,384; 5. Casey Martin, 14.4, $1,873; 6. Tommy Cook, 15.0, $1,362; 7. Tom Lewis, 15.1, $852; 8. Tyler Waguespack, 16.3, $341.

Team roping: First round:1. Arky Rogers/Travis Woodard, 5.0 seconds, $2,577 each; 2. (tie) Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton and Kaleb Driggers/Patrick Smith, 5.1, $2,073 each; 4. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 5.4, $1,569; 5. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.5, $1,233; 6. (tie) Landon McClaugherty/Caleb Twisselman and Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 5.6, $728 each; 8. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 5.7, $224. Second round: 1. Aaron Tsinigine/Ryan Motes, 4.5 seconds, $2,577; 2. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 4.9, $2,241; 3. Dustin Bird/Paul Eaves, 5.0, $1,905; 4. (tie) Keven Daniel/York Gill, Jake Pancost/Austin Rogers and David Key/Kory Koontz, 5.2 each, $1,233 each; 7. Casey Hicks/Jake Pianalto, 5.3, $560; 8. Charly Crawford/Shay Carroll, 5.4, $244. Final round: 1. Charly Crawford/Shay Carrol, 6.2 seconds, $1,044; 2. Joel Bach/Allen Bach, 8.6, $864; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Patrick Smith, 6.7, $684; 4. (tie) Miles Baker/Dustin Searcy and Adam Rose/Billie Saebens, 6.8, $414 each; 6. (tie) Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward and Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 7.8, $90 each. Average: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Patrick Smith, 17.4 seconds on three runs, $3,866; 2. Charly Crawford/Shay Carroll, 18.3, $3,361; 3. Adam Rose/Billie Saebens, 18.8, $2,857; 4. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 19.0, $2,353; 5. Joel Bach/Allen Bach, 20.1, $1,849; 6. Turtle Powell/Dakota Kirchenslager, 23.5; 7. Miles Baker/Dustin Searcy, 23.8, $840; 8. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 24.3, $336.

Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. (tie) Sterling Crawley, on Frontier Rodeo’s Short Stop, and Heith DeMoss, on Frontier Rodeo’s Midnight Delight, 87 points, $2,034 each; 3. Cody Wright, 85, $1,305; 4. (tie) Jesse Wright and Jacobs Crawley, 83, $691 each; 6. (tie) Taos Muncy and Isaac Diaz, 82, $345; 8. (tie) Troy Crowser, Wade Sundell and Ty Thompson, 81, $77; 11. (tie) Doug Aldridge and Steven Dent, 79. Final round: 1. Wade Sundell, 92 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Medicine Woman, $1,650; 2. Jacobs Crawley, 89, $1,250; 3. (tie) Jesse Wright and Cody Wright, 87, $750 each; 5. Isaac Diaz, 85, $350; 6. Heith DeMoss, 84, $250. Average: 1. Wade Sundell, 173 points on two rides, $2,303; 2. (tie) Jacobs Crawley and Cody Wright, 172, $1,535; 4. Heith DeMoss, 171, $844; 5. Jesse Wright, 170, $537; 6. Sterling Crawley, 168, $384; 7. Isaac Diaz, 167, $307; 8. Ty Thompson, 159, $230.

Tie-down roping: First round:1. Scott Kormos, 9.2 seconds, $2,300; 2. Caddo Lewallen, 11.3, $2,000; 3. Jerome Schneeberger, 11.8, $1,700; 4. Cody Ohl, 12.0, $1,400; 5. Ace Slone, 12.7, $1,100; 6. EJ Roberts, 13.0, $800; 7. Reese Riemer, 13.4, $500; 8. (tie) Jake Pratt and Thomas Merritt, 13.5, $100 each. Second round: 1. Justin Macha, 9.0 seconds, $2,300; 2. (tie) L.D. Meier and Marshall Leonard, 9.2, $1,850 each; 4. Marcos Costa, 10.2, $1,400; 5. Ace Slone, 10.3, $1,100; 6. Trent Creager, 10.9, $800; 4. (tie) Cody Ohl and Sterling Smith, 11.0, $350. Final round: 1. Cody Ohl, 8.2 seconds, $1,001; 2. L.D. Meier, 8.5, $828; 3. Ryan W@atkins, 9.3, $656; 4. Cory Solomon, 9.6, $483; 5. (tie) Reese Riemer and Ace Slone, 10.5, $242. Average: 1. Cody Ohl, 31.2 seconds on three runs, $3,450; 2. Ace Sloan, 33.5, $3,000; 3. Marshall Leonard, 34.4, $2,550; 4. Reese Riemer, 35.0, $2,100; 5. Ryan Watkins, 36.0, $1,650; 6. L.D. Meier, 39.4, $1,200; 7. Adam Gray, 41.6, $750; 8. Cory Solomon, 44.3, $300.

Barrel racing: First round:1. Christine Laughlin, 17.24 seconds, $2,117; 2. Mary Walker, 17.53, $1,815; 3. Cheyenne Shipps, 17.57, $1,512; 4. Jeanne Anderson, 17.58, $1,311; 5. Kaley Bass, 17.68, $1,008; 6. Taylor Jacob, 17.72, $807; 7. Shada Brazile, 17.87, $605; 8. Lynette Landis, 17.88, $403; 9. Jean Winters, 17.92, $302; 10. Jessi Fish, 17.96, $202. Second round: 1. Carlee Pierce, 16.92 seconds, $2,117; 2. Kaley Bass, 17.14, $1,815; 3. Christy Loflin, 17.25, $1,512; 4. Cheyenne Shipps, 17.32, $1,311; 5. Christine Laughlin, 17.41, $1,008; 6. Shelby Frasier, 17.50, $807; 4. Lacinda Rose, 17.67, $605; 8. Jeanne Anderson, 17.76, $403; 9. Gretchen Benbenek, 17.78, $302; 10. (tie) Jessi Meadand Lynette Landis, 17.89, $101. Final round: 1. Christine Laughlin, 17.04 seconds, $1,568; 2. Gretchen Benbenek, 17.32, $1,176; 3. Kaley Bass, 17.36, $784; 4. Cheyenne Shipps, 17.42, $392. Average: 1. Christine Laughlin, 51.69 seconds on three runs, $3,176; 2. Kaley Bass, 52.18, $2,722; 3. Cheyenne Shipps, 52.31, $2,268; 4. Gretchen Benbenek, 53.52, $1,966; 5. Jill Beaty, 54.01, $1,512; 6. Jessi Mead, $1,210; 7. Lacinda Rose, 54.22, $907; 8. Jeanne Anderson, 57.82, $605; 9. Shelby Frasier, 58.17, $454; 10. Lynette Landis, 58.59, $302.

Steer roping: First round: 1. (tie) Neal Wood and Travis Mills, 12.7 seconds, $1,705 each; 3. Tony Reina, 13.2, $1,222; 4. Roger Branch, 13.5, $901; 5. Jess Tierney, 13.8, $579; 6. Landon McClaugherty, 14.0, $322. Second round: 1. J.B. Whatley, 11.2 seconds, $1,866; 2. Tuf Cooper, 11.5, $1,544; 3. (tie) Tom Smith and Chet Herren, 12.0, $1,062; 5. Jason Evans, 12.1, $579; 6. Brodie Poppino, 12.2, $322. Third round: 1. Trevor Brazile, 10.3 seconds, $1,866; 2. (tie) J. Tom Fisher and Joe Wells, 12.0, $1,383 each; 4. Corey Ross, 12.2, $901; 5. Mike Chase, 12.3, $979; 6. Rocky Patterson, 12.4, $322. Average: 1. Tyrel Taton, 43.0 seconds on three runs, $2,799; 2. Brodie Poppino, 43.6, $2,316; 3. Jess Tierney, 45.3, $1,834; 4. C.A. Lauer, 46.1, $1,351; 5. Martin Poindexter, 46.3, $869; 6. Tom Smith, 49.4, $483.

Bull riding: First round: 1. Bart Miller, 85 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Sweet Tater, $2,599; 2. Tyler Smith, 84, $1,992; 3. (tie) J.W. Harris and Jacob O’Mara, 83, $$1,213 each; 5. (tie) Clayton Foltyn, Wes Wahlert and Corey Navarre, 81, $462; 8. Sage Kimzey, 80, $260; 9. Josh Koschel, 76; 10. (tie) Dillon Tyler, Lane Wilhelm and Dustin Bowen, 75.  Final round: 1. J.W. Harris, 89 points on Four L and Diamond S Rodeo’s Sandi’s Dream, $1,650; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. J.W. Harris, 172 points on two rides, $2,599; 2. Bart Miller, 85 points on one ride, $1,992; 3. Tyler Smith, 84, $1,473; 4. Jacob O’Mara, 83, $953; 5. (tie) Corey Navarre, Wes Wahlert and Clayton Foltyn, 81, $462 each; 8. Sage Kimzey, $260.

 

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Jesse Wright has a little payback on his mind.

A year ago, the Milford, Utah, cowboy posted a 90-point saddle bronc ride during the championship round of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. Moments later, his older brother – two-time world champion Cody Wright – scored 91 points to win the round and the coveted Roundup title. Jesse was the runner-up.

On Thursday night at Roundup Arena, Jesse matched moves with Frontier Rodeo’s Griz for 83 points for the highest-marked ride of the performance. He’s two points behind Cody and is a virtual lock to return the Sunday short go-round for just the second time in his career, where he knows there will be an opportunity to not only catch his older brother, but surpass him.

“I’m gunning for him, that’s for dang sure,” said Jesse Wright, who won the 2012 world championship. “It’s awesome when you make the short round, because they hold out the buckers. When you make the short round, you know you’ll get the good ones.”

Griz is one of the good ones, and Wright suspects the athletic bay horse may be back in the mix come Sunday night. Only the top 12 contestants from the preliminary rounds qualify for the championship, and roughstock cowboys – bareback riders, bronc riders and bull riders – will be matched with 12 of the best horses in the game. Griz has bucked at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo several times.

“About three years ago, I won Corpus Christi, Texas, on him,” Wright said. “He’s a really good horse, really nice. He takes a lot of rein and is real flashy.”

After winning the gold buckle two seasons ago, Wright returned to the NFR for the fourth straight year this past December, where he earned a little more than $37,000 and finished well off the pace. This season, he sits 16^th in the world standings and still needs to move up at least one spot in order to qualify for the NFR for a fifth time.

“It’s tough,” he said about repeating as the world champion. “You’ve got to keep a good, positive mindset. Staying healthy is the main key; when you can stay healthy for 365 days and ride at the top of your game and win a world championship, it’s something. You’ve earned it.”

Doing well in Dodge City will be a big boost to returning to the No. 1 spot at the conclusion of the season.

“It’s important here, because I’m not sitting right where I want to be, and this is a big, good rodeo,” he said, referring to the competition and the purse. “This’ll get me set up to go back to the finals and possible win another world championship. I’ll keep coming back here for dang sure.”

 

Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
July 30-Aug. 3
Bareback riding: 1. Casey Colletti, on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Painted Coast, and Casey Breuer, on Vold’s Hot Valley, 85 points; 3. Jared Smith, 83; 4. Orin Larsen, 81; 5. Tim O’Connell, 80; 6. Tilden Hooper, 78; 75. Winn Ratliff, 77; 8. (tie) Kyle Brennecke and Joel Schlegel, 76.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders:1. Bray Armes, 4.0 seconds; 2. Brandon Volker, 4.4; 3. Casey Martin, 4.5; 4. Tyler Waguespack, 5.1; 5. Shane Frey, 5.4; 6. (tie) Gary Gilbert and Tait Kvistad, 5.9 each. Second round leaders: 1. Ty Lang, 3.9 seconds; 2. Tooter Silver, 4.1; 3. Levi Rudd, 4.5; 4. (tie) Chance Howard and Tyler Waguespack, 4.8; 6. Bray Armes, 5.0; 7. Kait Kvistad, 5.2; 8. (tie) Ty Talsma and Logan Rudd, 5.3; 7. (tie) Brock White and Casey Martin, 5.6. Average leaders: 1. Bray Armes, 9.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 9.9; 3. Casey Martin, 10.1; 4. Tait Kvistad, 11.1; 5. Denver Berry,12.9; 6. Brock White, 13.1; 7. Orrin Michael Fontenot, 13.9; 8. Brandon Volker, 15.5.

Team roping: First round leaders:1. Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 5.1 seconds; 2. (tie) Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward and Landon McClaugherty/Caleb Twisselman, 5.6 each; 4. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 5.7; 5. Robert Pixley/Joe Mattern, 5.9; 6. (tie) Kyle Linaweaver/Mitch Murray and Tom Richards/Monty Joe Petska, 6.1 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Keven Daniel/York Gill and Jake Pancost/Austin Rogers, 5.2 seconds; 3. Miles Baker/Dustin Searcy, 6.0; 4. (tie) Derrick Begay/Will Woodfin and Tavis Walters/Tyler Worley, 9.9; 6. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 10.9; 7. Trey Harmon/Braden Harmon, 14.6; 8. Bull Austin/Corey Hendrick, 14.8. Average leaders: 1. Andrew Ward/Reagan Warad, 16.5 seconds on two runs. 2. Miles Baker/Dustin Searcy, 17.0; 3. Trey Harmon/Braden Harmon, 21.8; 4. (tie) Landon McClaugherty/Caleb Twisselman and Bull Austin/Corey Hendrick, 22.8; 6. Tavis Walters/Tyler Worley, 26.4; 7. Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 5.1 seconds on one run; 8. (tie) Keven Daniel/York Gill and Jake Pancost/Austin Rogers, 5.2.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cody Wright, 85 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Kate’s Hot Sister; 2. Jesse Wright, 83; 3. (tie) Taos Muncy and Isaac Diaz, 82; 5. (tie) Troy Crowser/Ty Thompson, 81; 6. (tie) Brady Nicholes and Sam Spreadborough, 78.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders:1. Jerome Schneeberger, 11.8 seconds; 2. Cody Ohl, 12.0; 3. Thomas Merritt, 13.5; 4. Fred Whitfield, 13.8; 5. Perry Dietz, 14.1; 6. Adam Gray, 15.7. Second round leaders: 1. Marcos Costa, 10.2 seconds; 2. Cody Ohl, 11.0; 3. Adam Gray, 12.0; 4. Sean O’Neil, 13.8; 5. Blake Barber, 15.7; 7. Clete Scheer, 17.9; 8. Fred Whitfield, 21.6. Average leaders: 1. Cody Ohl, 23.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Adam Gray, 27.7; 3. Sean O’Neil, 30.4; 4. Thomas Merritt, 31.1; 5. Marcos Costa, 33.5; 6. Fred Whitfield, 35.4; 7. Jerome Schneeberger, 11.8 seconds on one run; 8. Perry Dietz, 14.1.

Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Shada Brazile, 17.87 seconds; 2. Jessi Fish, 17.96; 3. Sarah Rose McDonald, 18.19; 4. Jane Melby, 18.37; 5. Jaime Barrow, 18.42; 6. Korrina Lynn Hughes, 18.51. Second round leaders: 1. Jane Melby, 18.43 seconds; 2. Jessi Fish, 18.52; 3. Shelbie Parrish, 18.56; 4. Sara Rose McDonald, 18.61; 5. (tie) Katie Loughran and Alissa Burson, 18.71; 7. Peyton Mentzer, 18.83; 8. (tie) Callie Gray and Kris Hanson, 18.92; 10. Angie Thompson, 19.07. Average leaders: 1. Jessi Fish, 36.48 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Sarah Rose McDonald and Jane Melby, 36.80; 4. Katie Loughran, 37.38; 5. Korrina Lynn Hughes, 37.72; 6. Shelbie Parrish, 37.75; 7. Alissa Burson, 38.03; 8. Sandi Brandli, 38.14; 9. Angie Thompson, 38.33; 10. Peyton Mentzer, 38.50.

Bull riding: 1. Tyler Smith, 84 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Elise Said What; 2. J.W. Harris, 83; 3. (tie) Dillon Tyler and Dustin Bowen, 75; 5. Tag Elliott, 74; 6. Elijah Mora, 64; 7. Casey Huckabee, 53; no other qualified rides.