(San Antonio Rodeo release)
SAN ANTONIO – When the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo committee decided to give more contestants opportunities to earn a paycheck at their rodeo, they added another performance and will have 11 competitors in the Championship Finals instead of their customary 10.
The Wildcard round was held in the AT&T Center on Friday night. In the bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding, the contestants in the semifinals that didn’t advance to the finals got one more opportunity. In the timed events, the top 10 out of the qualifiers held in the Expo Hall got to compete in the AT&T Center.
At the end of the Wildcard, the highest score or fastest time started making plans for one more round on Saturday night. Three-time world champion bareback rider Tim O’Connell of Zwingle, Iowa, was one of the contestants to utilize the new opportunity well. O’Connell rode the horse named Pendleton Whisky’s Bar Talk from Beutler and Son Rodeo for 87-points. Not only did that give him the Wildcard win, it added $5,000 to his earnings here and gives him a chance to ride for the championship on Saturday.
One year ago, he was on the injured reserve and couldn’t compete in San Antonio. It is a buckle that he has always wanted to win, so to have another chance at it was especially gratifying.
“The finals here have been some of the best bareback riding I’ve ever seen,” O’Connell said. “Three years ago, I made the finals here, was 90 points and placed second. That kind of competition gets your blood pumping. I’m looking forward to being part of that caliber of competition again this year.”
Brody Cress, from Hillsdale, Wyoming had the high-marked saddle bronc ride. Cress rode Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s horse named Buck Owens for 85.5 points and the win. He edged out South Dakota’s Cole Elshere by one half of a point. Three bull riders were successful Friday night with Weiser, Idaho’s Dalee Mason at the top of the board. He was 89 points on Powder River Rodeo’s bull XO for the win.
In the steer wrestling, newlywed Trevor Nelson from Kiowa, Oklahoma stopped the clock in 3.5 seconds for the win. Blake Teixeira from Reno, Nevada and Dillon Wingereid from Stephenville, Texas, were the top team ropers on Friday with a 4.1-second run.
Cody Quaney from Fort Worth got the win in the tie-down roping with an 8.5-second time and Columbus, Kansas barrel racer Wenda Johnson had the fastest time at 13.96 seconds. Each of the winning competitors earned $5,000 and will be hoping for another first-place finish on Saturday where $15,000 is up for grabs.
Wildcard, first place winner advances to Final round –
Bareback Riding: 1, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, IA, 87 points on Pendleton Whisky’s Bar Talk BU, $5,000. 2, Winn Ratliff, Leesville, LA., 82, $4,000. 3, Kody Lamb, Sherwood Park, AB, 79, $2,500. 4, Tyler Berghuis, Atwater, Minn., 78, $1,500.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Trevor Nelson, Kiowa, Okla., 3.5 seconds, $5,000. 2, Kodie Jang, Stephenville, Texas, 3.9, $4,000. 3, Rowdy Parrott, Bellville, Texas, 4.1, $2,500. 4, Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La., 4.6, $1,500.
Team Roping: 1, Blake Teixeira, Reno, Nev., and Dillon Wingereid, Stephenville, Texas, 4.1 seconds, $5,000. 2, Curry Kirchner, Ames, Okla., and Chad Mathes, Grantville, Kan., 4.4, $4,000. 3, Andrew Livingston, Llano, Texas, and Eddie Medina, Weatherford, TX, 4.5, $2,500. 4, Doyle Thomas Hoskins, San Juan Bautista, Calif., and monty Joe Petska, Turlock, Calif., 5.6, $1,500.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo., 85.5 points on Stace Smith ProRodeo’s Buck Owens, $5,000. 2, Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D., 85, $4,000. 3, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 80.5, $2,500. 4, Sterling Crawley, Huntsville, Texas, 80, $1,500.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Cody Quaney,, Fort Worth, TX, 8.5 seconds, $5,000. 2, Josh Eirikson, Bandera, Texas, 9.0, $4,000. 3, Reid Zapalac, Smithville, TX, 9.6, $2,500. 4, Stetson Vest, Childress, TX, 10.7, $1,500.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Wenda Johnson, Columbus, Kan., 13.96, $5,000. 2, (tie) Michelle Alley, Madisonville, Texas, and Kim Schulze, Larkspur, Colo., 14.14 and $3,250 each. 4, Sarah Rau, Weatherford, Texas, 14.19, $1,500.
Bull Riding: (three rides) 1, Dallee Mason, Weiser, Idaho, 89 points on Powder River Rodeo’s XO, $5,500. 2, Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas, 82, $4,500. 3, Riker Carter, Stone, ID, 75, $3,000.
