Editor’s Note: Last Chance Stampede Press Release
HELENA — The 58th annual Last Chance Stampede in Helena, Mont. wrapped up, and the bareback title went to a cowboy from Texas.
Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas, rode the Kesler Rodeo horse Up Ur Alley for 88 points to win the Montana Silversmith spurs.
He had seen the horse at the Calgary Stampede in early July, when Jake Vold had ridden her for 82.5 points, so “I knew I had a good chance, coming here,” he said. “She had some good moves right out (of the chute), she angled off to the left, had a lot of timing, and we were able to get along good.”
Brown rode with a swollen hand, after having mashed it in the bucking chute while it was in his rigging. It’s not broken, he figures, and athletic trainers told him to ice it twice a day. “I wrapped it a little bit different today than I usually do, and I didn’t even notice it.”
His hand will be a little swollen tonight, but a first place finish in Helena will take away a lot of the pain. “It’ll puff up pretty good today, I imagine. But I won’t feel it.”
He is ranked fifth in the world standings and is on his way to his fourth qualification for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR), having competed there in 2015-2017.
Bull rider Garrett Smith’s first trip to Helena was a successful one.
The Rexburg, Idaho cowboy had the high score in the bull riding for the weekend to win his event.
He scored 88 points on the Kesler Rodeo bull Everyday Hustler, a bull he had seen at other rodeos. “He’s been around forever,” Smith said. “I’ve always wanted to get on him. He was just right there, (bucking) into my hand, and it felt just right.”
Smith has competed at the last two WNFRs but this year has been slow due to two injuries. He tore the ACL in his left knee in the third round of last year’s WNFR, had surgery in January for it, and then re-injured it at the Corpus Christi, Texas rodeo in late April. He had surgery for a second time and has been back to rodeo for the last couple weeks.
At last year’s WNFR, Smith continued to ride, even with the torn ACL, and it caused him some pain. “I braced it, taped it, and tried to hold on,” he said. “It hurt quite a bit, and the running away part (after the ride) isn’t very good. I can hobble pretty fast, when I’m scared,” he laughed.
Smith is 23 years old; he won the all-around title at the National High School Finals Rodeo a record three times (2011-2013) and the Idaho High School Rodeo all-around title four times.
Other 2018 Last Chance Stampede champions include steer wrestler Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas (3.7 seconds); saddle bronc rider Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alb. (87 points); tie-down roper Jack Graham, Lakeview, Ore. (8.6 seconds); team ropers Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas and Tyler McKnight, Wells, Texas (4.0 seconds); and barrel racer Jessi Fish, Franklin, Tenn. (17.39 seconds).
For the second year in a row, the all-around title went to Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas. He won the custom designed elk ivory ring valued at over $2,600.
The 2018 Miss Last Chance Stampede Queen was crowned tonight.
Kayla Seaman, originally of Kalispell, was crowned. The twenty-four-year old cowgirl is a graduate of the University of Montana and is currently working towards her master’s degree in business administration. She now lives in Gallatin Gateway. This is the first year the Stampede has had a queen in 22 years.
The 59th annual Last Chance Stampede and Fair will be July 24-27, 2019.
Cutline: Jake Brown wins the bareback riding title at the 2018 Last Chance Stampede. The Texas cowboy scored 88 points on the Kesler Rodeo horse Up Ur Alley. Photo by Josh Homer, Burning Ember Photography.
Final Results
Bareback riding champion: Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas
1. Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas 88 points on Kesler Rodeo’s Up Ur Alley; 2. Cache Hill, Baker, Mont. 83.5; 3. (tie) Luke Creasy, Hobbs, N.M., Jessy Davis, Power, Mont. and Zach Hibler, Wheeler, Texas 83 each; 6. Trevar McAllister, Polson, Mont. 82.5; 7. Jake Vold, Ponoka, Alb. 81.5; 8. J.R. Vezain, Cowley, Wyo. 81.
Steer wrestling champion: Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas
1. Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas 3.7 seconds; 2. Denver Roy, Dalemead, Alb. 4.0; 3. Bear Pasco, Morro Bay, Calif. 4.1; 4. Josh Boka, Dillon, Mont. 4.2; 5. Newt Novich, Twin Bridges, Mont. 4.3; 6. Riley Joyce, Geraldine, Mont. 4.5; 7. Bode Scott, Pryor, Mont. 4.7; 8. (tie) Rowdy Parrott, Mamou, La. and Kolby Bignell, Helena, Mont. 4.8 each.
Team Roping champions: Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas (header) and Tyler McKnight, Wells, Texas (heeler)
1. Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas/Tyler McKnight, Wells, Texas 4.0 seconds; 2. Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alb./Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. 4.1; 3. (tie) Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas/Junior Nogueira, Burleson, Texas and Jack Graham, Lakeview, Ore./Sam Levine, Wolf Creek, Mont. 4.3 each; 5. Delon Parker, Worden, Mont./Ryan Zurcher, Powell, Wyo. 4.5; 6. (tie) Cody Tew, Belgrade, Mont./Nano Garza, Las Cruces, N.M. and Brady Tryan, Huntley, Mont./Kasper Roy, Mossleigh, Alb. 4.7 each; 8. Pace Freed, Chubbuck, Idaho/Jade Anderson, Genola, Utah 4.8; 9. Shawn Bessette, Great Falls, Mont./Sid Sporer, Cody, Wyo. 5.1; 10. (tie) Kal Fuller, Bozeman, Mont./Jerren Johnson, Casper, Wyo. and Jason Carlson, Two Dot, Mont./Zachary Schweigert, Livingston, Mont. 5.4 each.
Saddle bronc riding champion: Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta
1. Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alb. 87 points on Kesler Rodeo’s Bookmark; 2. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb. 84.5; 3. Chase Brooks, Deer Lodge, Mont. 81.5; 4. Jesse Kruse, Great Falls, Mont. 80.5; 5. Colt Gordon, Comanche, Okla. 80; 6. Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alb. 79.5; 7. (tie) Dawson Hay, Wildwood, Alb. and Ross Griffin, Tularosa, N.M. 78 each.
Tie-down roping champion: Jack Graham, Lakeview, Oregon
1. Jack Graham, Lakeview, Ore. 8.6 seconds; 2. Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, Idaho 9.7; 3. Treg Schaack, Canyon, Texas 9.8 seconds; 4. Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 10.2; 5. Shay Keller, Rockglen, Sask. 10.6; 6. (tie) Cy Eames, Gooding, Idaho and Tyler Prcin, Alvord, Texas 10.9 each; 8. Hank Hollenbeck, Molt, Mont. 11.8.
Barrel racing champion: Jessi Fish, Franklin, Tenn.
1. Jessi Fish, Franklin, Tenn. 17.39 seconds; 2. Hannah Sharon, Dillon, Mont. 17.69; 3. Carmel Wright, Roy, Mont. 17.74; 4. Tia Murphy, Cut Bank, Mont. 17.76; 5.Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas 17.78; 6. Shai McDonald, Gardiner, Mont. 17.88; 7. Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas 17.92; 8. (tie) Callie Wollenburg, Red Lodge, Mont. and Cally Goyins, Helena, Mont. 17.94; 10. Rene Cloninger, Helena, Mont. 17.97.
Bull riding champion: Garrett Smith, Rexburg, Idaho
1. Garrett Smith, Rexburg, Idaho 88 points on Kesler Rodeo’s Everyday Hustler; 2. Riker Carter, Stone, Idaho 84.5; 3. Brett Fitzpatrick, Polson, Mont. 75; no other qualified rides.
** All results are unofficial.
