BY BRETT NIERNGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
In a Short Round that saw cowboys ride for 90 or more points, no one put on a show quite like the No. 3 saddle bronc rider in the world, Brody Cress.
Cress entered the Short Round in seventh place, but got every point he could out of Sutton Rodeo’s South Point, ending up with a score of 93.5 and an arena record.
“The ball’s been rolling a little slow for me, so this is dang sure gonna jump start it into the end of the season,” he said.
Cress finished the rodeo with an Average score of 180 points on two to beat out Lefty Holman and Ryder Wright by 1.5 points each. Wright was marked 91.5 in the Short Round and Holman went 90 on the number.
“This is bronc riding country right here,” Cress said of the host state, South Dakota. “They bring the best horses, the best guys and the best atmosphere. You couldn’t ask for anything better. You gotta step up to the plate and compete and do your job every time if you want to win.”
XTREME BRONCS FINALS RESULTS
First round: 1. Sage Newman, 90 points on Burch Rodeo’s Bubble Bath, $8,629; 2. Zeke Thurston, 89.5, $6,616; 3. Lefty Marvel Holman, 88.5, $4,890; 4. Dawson Hay, 87.5, $3,164; 5. (tie) Kolby Wanchuk and Ryder Wright, 87, $1,726 each; 7. (tie) Brody Cress and Wade Sundell, 86.5, $1,007 each.
Finals: 1. Brody Cress, 93.5 points on Sutton Rodeos’ South Point, $7,670; 2. Ryder Wright, 91.5, $5,753; 3. Kolby Wanchuk, 90.5, $3,835; 4. Lefty Marvel Holman, 90, $1,918.
Average: 1. Brody Cress, 180 points on two head, $14,382; 2. (tie) Ryder Wright and Lefty Marvel Holman, 178.5, $9,588 each; 4. Sage Newman, 178, $5,273; 5. Kolby Wanchuk, 177.5, $3,356; 6. Zeke Thurston, 176, $2,397; 7. Dawson Hay, 174, $1,918; 8. Wade Sundell, 86.5 on one head, $1,438.
