(Editor’s note: Story by Johna Cravens/PRCA)
MANDAN, N.D. –The final night of the 140th anniversary Mandan Rodeo Days Celebration gave a capacity crowd a chance to see winners compete in three of the eight rodeo contests.
Cole Elshere of Faith, South Dakota, rodeo Dakota Rodeo’s horse Bartender for 87.5 points to win the saddle bronc riding in a field that that included two former world champions and four other National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifiers.
Bartender has been selected for the NFR in the saddle bronc riding and in the bareback riding. Elshere, a three-time NFR bronc rider, scored 4.5 points more than his closest challenger, collegiate cowboy Ryder Sanford of Beaumont, Texas.
Elshere, who also competes in bull riding, starred as legendary cowboy Casey Tibbs in the 2017 documentary film “Floating Horses.”
Team ropers Coy and Colton Brittain, a pair of brothers from Rockwall, Texas, caught their steer in 5.5 seconds to tie for the win, matching the time set by South Dakotans Jade Schmit and Jace Engesser two nights earlier.
The Independence Day crowd also watched American Freestyle Bullfighter (AFB) Riley McKettrick of Arcadia, Florida, win his third consecutive match to earn the overall championship. The event made its debut in Mandan and bullfighters earned points toward the AFB World Championships in November in Las Vegas.
The event winners were spread over all three rodeo performances and Tuesday’s timed event slack. Three event winners competed on July 3 -the steer wrestling champ Cody Devers of Balko, Oklahoma, bull riding champion Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Oklahoma, and tie-down roping champion Quay Howard of Canyon, Texas.
The bareback riding champions Kaycee Feild and Wyatt Denny got the 140th Mandan Rodeo off to a great start with 87-point rides on opening night, followed by team roping co-champs Schmit and Engesser.
Barrel racing winner Jessica Routier of Buffalo, South Dakota, competed on Tuesday, July 2 during timed event slack. Toby Collins of Stephenville, Texas, who competed in saddle bronc and bull riding on July 3, was named all-around cowboy.
Mandan Rodeo Days, presented by Dakota Community Bank & Trust, will celebrate 141 years July 2-4, 2020.
Unofficial winners:
Bareback bronc riding: 1, (tie) Kaycee Feild, Genola, Utah, on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Miss Dunny and Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev., on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Cactus Black, 87 points each, $4,838.76 each. 3, Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., 85, $3,104.11. 4, Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 84, $2,008.54. 5, (tie) Clint Laye, Cadogan, Alberta, and Mason Clements, Draper, Utah, 83, $1,095.56 each. 7, (tie) Tyler Berghuis, Atwater, Minn., and Dantan Bertsch, Eastend, Sask., 82, $639.06 each.
Steer wrestling: 1, Cody Devers, Balko, Okla., 3.5 seconds, $2,637.64. 2, Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., $2,293.60. 3, Reed Kraeger, Elwood, Neb., 4.2, $1,949.56. 4 (tie) , Tyler Thorson, Manning, N.D., and Cameron Morman, Glen Ullin, N.D., 4.3, $1,433.50 each. 6, Devan Porter, Moosomin, Saskatchewan, 4.6, $917.44. 7, Riley Scott Reiss, Manning, N.D., 4.7, $573.40. 8 (tie), Sam Olson, Buffalo, S.D., and Ben Kilburg, LaMotte, Iowa, 4.8, $114.68 each.
American freestyle bullfighting: July 4 round – 1, Riley McKettrick, Arcadia, Fla., 81 points. No other qualified fights. Overall champion: McKettrick
Team roping: 1 (tie), Jade Schmidt, Box Elder, S.D., and Jace Engesser, Spearfish, S.D., and Coy and Colton Brittain, Rockwall, Texas, 5.6 seconds, $2,356.62 each. 3, Cale Markham, Vinita, Okla., and Brye Crites, Alva, Okla., 5.9, $1,863.37 each. 4, Brandon Webb, Big Wells, Texas, and Kollin VonAhn, Blanchard, Okla., 6.0, $1,534.54 each. 5, Butch Levell, Fort Calhoun, Neb., and J.W. Beck, Moville, Iowa, 6.1, $1,205.71 each. 6, Kellan and Carson Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 7.0, $876.88 each. 7, Nelson Wyatt, Clanton, Ala., and Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D., 7.4, $548.05 each. 8, Chance Rosencrans, Jamestown, S.D., and Jesse Frederickson, Upham, N.D., 8.2, $219.22 each.
Saddle bronc riding: 1, Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D., 87.5 on Dakota Rodeo’s Bartender, $5,527.20. 2, Ryder Sanford, Beaumont, Texas, 83, $4,237.52. 3, Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D., 82.5, $3,132.08. 4 (tie) Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, and Tegan Smith, Winterset, Iowa, 82, $1,658.16 each. 6, (tie) Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, and Bradley Harter, Loranger, La., 80.5, $829.08 each. 8, Wyatt Casper, Pampa, Texas, 79, $552.72.
Tie-down roping: 1, Quay Howard, Canyon, Texas, 8.4 seconds, $2,529.54. $2,199.60. 2, Caddo Lewallen, Morrison, Okla., 8.9 $2,199.60. 3, Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D., 9.1, $1,869.66. 4 (tie), Seth Cook, Millsap, Texas, and Wyatt Treeby, Hecla, S.D., 9.4, $1,374.75 each. 6, Jason Vohs, Dickinson, N.D., 9.8, $879.84. 7 (tie), Trey Young, Dupree, S.D.; Clint Kindred, Oral, S.D., and Rex Treeby, Hecla, S.D., 9.9, $256.62.
Barrel racing: 1, Jessica Routier, Buffalo, S.D., 15.38 seconds, $3,384.00. 2, DeAnn Morgan, Hulett, Wyo., 15.57, $2,707.20. 3. Carey Rivinius, Carson, N.D., 15.68, $2,199.60. 4, Allene Nelson, Grassy Butte, N.D., 15.76, $1,692. 5, Hallie Hanssen, Hermosa, S.D., 15.81, $1,353.60. 6, Hallie Fulton, Wessington Springs, S.D., 15.85, $1,015.20. 7, (tie) Ivy Conrado, Nowata, Okla., and Kristi Steffes, Vale, S.D., 15.89, $803.70 each. 9, Jessica Leach, Rockville, Neb., 15.92, $676.80. 10, Caroline Kelly, Auburn, Ala., 15.95, $592.20. 11, Ahnna Peterson, Velva, N.D., 15.96, $507.60. 12, Lacy Maher, Eagle Butte, S.D., 16.00, $423.00.
Bull riding: 1, Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., 88.5 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Sitting Bull, $5,950.80. 2, Koby Radley, Montpelier, La., 87.5, $,562.28. 3, (tie) Wyatt Rogers, Tahlequah, Okla.; Jeff Bertus, Avon, S.D., and Toby Collins, Stephenville, Texas, 83, $2,314.20 each. 6, Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, 83, $991.80. 7, Chase Dougherty, Canby, Ore., 81.5, $793.44. 8, Ruger Piva, Challis, Idaho, 80.5, $595.08.
All-Around Cowboy: Toby Collins, Stephenville, Texas
Total prize money: $121,627.50
