BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Cowboys from both North and South Dakota battled it out for nearly $200,000 in prize money at the State Fair Center in Minot, North Dakota for the Badlands Circuit Finals.
The rodeo was highlighted by standout performances from Ty Breuer, Austin Hulburt and Lisa Lockhart.
Breuer won all three rounds to win the bareback riding Average by 17.5 points. It is the sixth time he has won the Badlands Circuit Finals.
Hulburt cashed checks in both steer wrestling and tie-down roping to win over $8,000 and a majority came in the tie-down roping, where he won two of three rounds and the Average by three seconds.
Lockhart, who made a mad dash at the end of the 2022 regular season to qualify for her 16th NFR, picked up where she left off in 2023 by winning two of three rounds and the Average.
Other Badlands Circuit Finals champions were Cameron Morman in steer wrestling, Jade Schmidt/Jade Nelson in team roping, Shorty Garrett in saddle bronc riding, Chance Schott in bull riding and Syerra Christensen in tie-down roping.
BAREBACK RIDING
First round: 1. Ty Breuer, 87 points on Muddy Creek Pro Rodeo’s Pejuta Haka, $2,149; 2. Clay Jorgenson, 81.5, $1,612; 3. Andy Gingerich, 80, $1,074; 4. Ben Kramer, 79, $537.
Second round: 1. Ty Breuer, 86 points on Sutton Rodeos’ Dirty Dance, $2,149; 2. (tie) Whitten Hoover and Shane O’Connell, 82, $1,343 each; 4. Ben Kramer, 79, $537.
Third round: 1. Ty Breuer, 85.5 points on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Red Face, $2,149; 2. Shane O’Connell, 83.5, $1,612; 3. Ben Kramer, 83, $1,074; 4. Clay Jorgenson, 81, $537.
Average: 1. Ty Breuer, 258.5 points on three head, $3,223; 2. Ben Kramer, 241, $2,417; 3. Shane O’Connell, 239.5, $1,612; 4. Andy Gingerich, 236.5, $806.
STEER WRESTLING
First round: 1. Eli Lord, 3.8 seconds, $2,149; 2. (tie) Austin Hurlburt and Logan Lemmel, 4.1, $1,343 each; 4. (tie) Reed Kraeger and Cameron Morman, 4.4, $269 each.
Second round: 1. Cameron Morman, 4.1 seconds, $2,149; 2. (tie) Eli Lord and Parker Sandstrom, 4.2, $1,343 each; 4. Cyler Dowling, 4.3, $537.
Third round: 1. (tie) Reed Kraeger and Cameron Morman, 3.9 seconds, $1,880 each; 3. (tie) Logan Lemmel and Kody Woodward, 4.4, $806 each.
Average: 1. Cameron Morman, 12.4 seconds on three head, $3,223; 2. Logan Lemmel, 13.6, $2,417; 3. Cyler Dowling, 14.2, $1,612; 4. Reed Kraeger, 14.5, $806.
TEAM ROPING
First round: 1. Tucker McDaniel/Clint Cobb, 5.3 seconds, $2,149 each; 2. Clay Ullery/Matt Zancanella, 6.5, $1,612; 3. (tie) Shaw Loiseau/Dylan Hart and Braden Pirrung/Trevor Schnaufer, 6.6, $806 each.
Second round: 1. Clay Ullery/Matt Zancanella, 5.1 seconds, $2,149 each; 2. Jade Schmidt/Jade Nelson, 5.7, $1,612; 3. Clay Holz/Ty Talsma, 6.4, $1,074; 4. Shaw Loiseau/Dylan Hart, 6.5, $537.
Third round: 1. Cooper White/Tucker White, 4.7 seconds, $2,149 each; 2. Braden Pirrung/Trevor Schnaufer, 5.3, $1,612; 3. Cameron Irwin/Cash Hetzel, 5.4, $1,074; 4. Jade Schmidt/Jade Nelson, 6.1, $537.
Average: 1. Jade Schmidt/Jade Nelson, 18.5 seconds on three head, $3,223 each; 2. Cameron Irwin/Cash Hetzel, 19.3, $2,417; 3. Clay Ullery/Matt Zancanella, 23.5, $1,612; 4. Cooper White/Tucker White, 26.6, $806.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
First round: 1. Shorty Garrett, 82 points on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Big Casino, $2,149; 2. Lane Schuelke, 81, $1,612; 3. (tie) Cole Elshere and Chuck Schmidt, 79.5, $806 each.
Second round: 1. (tie) Jade Blackwell, on Sutton Rodeos’ South Point, and Shorty Garrett, on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Capone, 81.5 points, $1,880 each; 3. Lane Schuelke, 80, $1,074; 4. Taygen Schuelke, 78.5, $537.
Third round: 1. Shorty Garrett, 78.5 points on Muddy Creek Pro Rodeo’s Thunderstruck, $2,149; 2. Chuck Schmidt, 78, $1,612; 3. Cole Elshere, 77, $1,074; 4. (tie) Jake Foster and Lane Schuelke, 76, $269 each.
Average: 1. Shorty Garrett, 242 points on three head, $3,223; 2. Lane Schuelke, 237, $2,417; 3. Jade Blackwell, 235, $1,612; 4. Taygen Schuelke, 229, $806.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
First round: 1. Austin Hurlburt, 8.5 seconds, $2,149; 2. Myles Kenzy, 9.1, $1,612; 3. Trey Young, 9.2, $1,074; 4. Ty Moser, 10.7, $537.
Second round: 1. Austin Hurlburt, 8.2 seconds, $2,149; 2. Clint Kindred, 9.3, $1,612; 3. Ty Moser, 10.4, $1,074; 4. Joe Schmidt, 10.9, $537.
Third round: 1. Clint Kindred, 8.0 seconds, $2,149; 2. Ty Moser, 8.7, $1,612; 3. Rex Treeby, 8.8, $1,074; 4. Trey Young, 9.5, $537.
Average: 1. Austin Hurlburt, 26.8 seconds on three head, $3,223; 2. Ty Moser, 29.8, $2,417; 3. Trey Young, 30.2, $1,612; 4. Clint Kindred, 17.3 on two head, $806.
BARREL RACING
First round: 1. Nikki Hansen, 13.91 seconds, $2,149; 2. Cydney Peterson, 14.04, $1,612; 3. Fonda Melby, 14.05, $1,074; 4. Lisa Lockhart, 14.07, $537.
Second round: 1. Lisa Lockhart, 13.72 seconds, $2,149; 2. Molly Otto, 13.81, $1,612; 3. Hallie Fulton, 13.82, $1,074; 4. Nikki Hansen, 13.91, $537.
Third round: 1. Lisa Lockhart, 13.60 seconds, $2,149; 2. Jessica Routier, 13.73, $1,612; 3. Cydney Peterson, 13.80, $1,074; 4. Nikki Hansen, 13.82, $537.
Average: 1. Lisa Lockhart, 41.39 seconds on three head, $3,223; 2. Nikki Hansen, 41.64, $2,417; 3. Cydney Peterson, 41.77, $1,612; 4. Hallie Fulton, 46.99, $806.
BULL RIDING
*First round: 1. Jeff Bertus, 81 points on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Candy Man, $5,372; no other qualified rides.
Second round: 1. Chance Schott, 88.5 points on Sutton Rodeos’ Crystalyx, $2,149; 2. Mason Moody, 86, $1,612; 3. Jeff Bertus, 83.5, $1,074; 4. Jestyn Woodward, 82, $537.
Third round: 1. (tie) Chance Schott, on Muddy Creek Pro Rodeo’s Watergate, and Jestyn Woodward, on Muddy Creek Pro Rodeo’s Gold Medal, 84 points, $1,880 each; 3. Corey Maier, 83, $1,074; 4. Mason Moody, 78, $537.
Average: 1. Chance Schott, 172.5 points on two head, $3,223; 2. Jestyn Woodward, 166, $2,417; 3. Jeff Bertus, 164.5, $1,612; 4. Mason Moody, 164, $806. *(all totals include ground money).
BREAKAWAY ROPING
First round: 1. Sloan Anderson, 2.2 seconds, $938; 2. Syerra Christensen, 2.3, $703; 3. Samantha Fulton, 2.7, $469; 4. (tie) Rickie Engesser, Brandy Schaack and Tanegai Zilverberg, 2.8, $78 each.
Second round: 1. Syerra Christensen, 2.3 seconds, $938; 2. Sawyer Gilbert, 2.5, $703; 3. Misti Brown, 3.0, $469; 4. Samantha Fulton, 3.3, $234.
Third round: 1. Samantha Fulton, 1.9 seconds, $938; 2. Codi Sebastian, 2.2, $703; 3. (tie) Syerra Christensen and Rickie Engesser, 2.4, $352 each.
Average: 1. Syerra Christensen, 7.0 seconds on three head, $1,407; 2. Samantha Fulton, 7.9, $1,055; 3. Sawyer Gilbert, 8.9, $703; 4. Sloan Anderson, 18.0, $352.