(PRCA release)
DENVER – Opening day of the National Western Stock Show has featured three action-packed rodeo performances that have had fans on the edge of their seats for the last seven years.
Known as Super Saturday, the first performance features contestants representing rodeos across the country for the Cinch Jeans World Team. Beginning at 11 a.m., 10 bareback riders, steer wrestlers, saddle bronc riders, barrel racers and bull riders competed to represent the “World” in the semifinals.
The second performance kicked off at 3:30 with the same events, but these contestants were part of CenturyLink’s Colorado Team. The top four in each event for each team advanced to the semifinals which started at 8 p.m.
The tournament format narrowed the field from 10 to four, then one from each team. The best world contestant competed against the best from the Colorado team, going head-to-head for an $8,000 winner-take-all purse in each event.
To be part of the World team, contestants were invited to represent rodeos in North Platte, Nebraska.; Guymon, Oklahoma; Rapid City, South Dakota; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Austin, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; Calgary, Alberta; Dodge City, Kansas; San Angelo, Texas; and Houston, Texas.
For the Colorado team, three contestants represented the National Western Stock Show Rodeo in each event. Additionally, the following rodeos participated: Loveland; Pueblo, Greeley; Estes Park; Elizabeth; and Colorado Springs. To complete the 10-person roster, a contestant was invited as a wildcard.
In the final round of bareback riding it was rising star Mason Clements that got the championship. Clements had an 87.5-point ride to take the first event for the world team.
The steer wrestling got exciting as Timmy Sparing, of the world team, stopped the clock in under four seconds to take the lead, then officials signaled that he got a 10-second penalty for not giving the steer a head start. The ball was in Dru Melvin’s court who was the top gunner for the Colorado team.
Getting a handle on the steer proved to be a challenge for Melvin who was underneath the four-footed bovine at one point. However, Melvin prevailed and got the 600-pound animal layed down just in time to beat Sparing and win for Colorado.
Cody DeMoss is a familiar name at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo having won the saddle bronc riding championship in Denver on multiple occasions. He added another notch to his rodeo belt with a win here on Saturday night for the world team beating Colorado team’s CoBurn Bradshaw.
Carly Richardson had a mere tenth-of-a-second edge to win the barrel racing title for the world team over Colorado team’s Sydni Blanchard. Richardson stopped the clock in 15.745 seconds aboard her 11-year-old gelding named Money. Richardson will be back here to compete in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel race during the rodeo on January 19th and 20th.
“I’m pretty excited about this,” Richardson said. “Today was good practice for us. After making three runs in one day, I think we will all sleep good tonight.”
Colorado got the final win of the night when Riker Carter won the bull riding with an outstanding 88-point effort representing the National Western Stock Show. Carter rode all three of his bulls and added $9,700 to his checking account. Reid Barker represented the world team in the bull riding but an early buck off saw him leave the arena with no score.
The 111th National Western Stock show will see a cross-cultural event in the Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza in the Denver Coliseum on Sunday. Performances are at 2 and 6:30 p.m.
Cinch Jeans World Team Performance – contestant, hometown, rodeo represented
Bareback Riding: 1, Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, (Calgary Stampede) 85 points, $1,000. 2, Devan Reilly, Sheridan, Wyoming, (Fort Worth, Texas) 80, $700. 3, Mason Clements, Springville, Utah, (Austin) 77.5, $500. 4, David Peebles, Redmond, Oregon, (Cheyenne, Wyoming) 77.5, $200.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Timmy Sparing, Helena, Montana, (Houston) 4.95 seconds, $1,000. 2, Cody Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, (Calgary) 5.25, $700. 3, Taz Olson, Prairie City, South Dakota, (North Platte, Nebraska) 6.34, $600. 4, Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah, (Dodge City, Kansas) 6.96, $500.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, (Austin), 86 points, $1,000. 2, Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, (Fort Worth, Texas) 83.5, $700. 3, Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., (Houston) 82, $600. 4, Tate Owens, Dublin, Texas, (Rapid City, South Dakota) 81, $500.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Tracy Nowlin, Nowata, Oklahoma, (Guymon, Oklahoma) 15.475 seconds, $1,000. 2, Carly Richardson, Pampa, Texas, (Houston) 15.506, $700. 3, Laura Lambert, Wiggins, Colorado, (Calgary) 15.675, $600. 4, Christine Laughlin, Pueblo, Colorado, (San Angelo, Texas) 15.747, $500.
Bull Riding: 1, Clayton Savage, Yoder, Wyoming, (Guymon, Oklahoma) 86 points, $1,000. 2, Reid Barker, Comfort, Texas, (Dodge City, Kansas) 84.5, $700. 3, Trevor Kastner, Sulphur, Oklahoma, (North Platte, Nebraska) 80.5, $600. 4, Wyatt Edwards, Sulphur, Oklahoma, (Cheyenne, Wyoming) no score, $500 – made it back based on time rode.
Century Link’s Colorado Team Performance – contestant, hometown, Colorado rodeo represented
Bareback Riding: 1, Kody Lamb, Sherwood Park, Alberta, (Denver) 86.5, $1,000. 2, Jared Keylon, Union Town, Kansas, (Colorado Springs) 82, $700. 3, Anthony Thomas, Palestine, Texas, (Denver) 81.5, $600. 4, (tie) Hunter Carlson, Sheridan, Wyoming, (Elizabeth) and Seth Hardwick, Ranchester, Wyoming, (Loveland) 81 and $350 each. Carlson advanced based on tie-breaker.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas, (Denver) 4.13, $1,000. 2, Dru Melvin, Hebron, Nebraska, (Greeley) 4.65, $700. 3, Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nevada, (Denver) 5.14, $600. 4, Chisum Docheff, Longmont, Colorado, (Colorado Springs) 6.35, $500.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Audy Reed, Spearman, Texas, (Denver) 84.5, $1,000. 2, CoBurn Bradshaw, Milford, Utah, (Pueblo) 84, $700. 3, Jade Blackwell, Piedmont, South Dakota, (Colorado Springs) 76, $600. 4, Ty Manke, Piedmont, South Dakota, (Denver) 75, $500.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Sydni Blanchard, Albuquerque, New Mexico, (Loveland) 15.551, $1,000. 2, Kim Schulze, Larkspur, Colorado, (Elizabeth) 15.904, $700. 3, Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, (Denver) 15.977, $600. 4, Amberley Snyder, Elk Ridge, Utah, (wildcard) 16.129, $500.
Bull Riding: 1, Brody Yeary, Weatherford, Texas, (Greeley) 85.5, $1,000. 2, Riker Carter, New Plymouth, Idaho, (Denver) 81.5, $700. 3, Trey Kimzey, Strong City, Oklahoma, (Denver) 80, $600. 4, Jake Smith, LaSalle, Colorado, (wildcard) 79, $500.
Showdown – Colorado Vs. The World
Bareback Riding: (semifinals) 1 Jared Keylon, Colorado, 85 points. 2, Mason Clements, World, 84.5. (champion) Clements, 87.5 points, $8,000.
Steer Wrestling: (semifinals) 1, Timmy Sparing, World, 4.36 seconds. 2, Dru Melvin, 4.71. World, 5.70, $1,000. (champion) Melvin, $8,000.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (semifinals) 1, Cody DeMoss, World, 85.5. 2, CoBurn Bradshaw, (Colorado) 83. (champion) DeMoss, 90.5, $8,000.
Women’s Barrel Race: (semifinals) 1, Carly Richardson, World, 15.450. 2, Sydni Blanchard, Colorado, 15.8. (champion) Richardson, 15.745, $8,000.
Bull Riding: (semifinals) 1, (tie) Reid Barker, World, and Riker Carter, Colorado, 84.5 points each. (champion) Carter, 88 points, $8,000.
