BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The inaugural Cinch Playoffs paid out $1 million at sold out the final two days at the Washington State Fair Grounds in Puyallup.
The rodeo featured the Top 23 in the NFR Playoff Series Standings as well as one in each event who qualified via the NFR Open. The competitors were separated by into two groups of 12 with the Top 4 on a two-head Average advancing to Championship Sunday, which featured a Semifinal before a winner-take-all Finals.
Here’s a run through the winners.
In bareback riding, Leighton Berry won won the Average in Playoff 1 and then proceeded to win the title with a 90-point ride in the Finals. Berry, who entered the weekend No. 12 in the PRCA World Standings, won a total of $18,325 to move to No. 9.
Jordi Edens won the breakaway roping with a sweep of the Semifinals and Finals after qualifying third in Playoff 1. She was 3.0 in the Semis and 2.8 in the Finals.
Stetson Jorgensen is the new No. 1 in the PRCA Steer Wrestling World Standings after stopping the clock at 3.9 seconds to win a Short Round that saw him, Kyle Irwin, Dakota Eldridge and Ty Erickson all make runs of 4.3 seconds or faster.
In team roping, Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin were 6 seconds flat in the Finals to win after being the fourth of four to advance from Sunday’s Semifinals.
Saddle bronc riding was won by Layton Green, who placed in the Top 2 in three of four rounds. He is now No. 9 in the world after being outside the Top 10 to start the weekend.
Shad Mayfield won the Finals in tie-down roping and in doing so lived up to his nickname. The man they call “Money” has cleared $199,000 in PRCA earnings in 2022, breaking Tuf Cooper’s regular season record set in 2017.
Barrel racing belonged to Margo Crowther, who was second in the Semifinals and first in the Finals after qualifying with the longest two-head time in in Playoff 2.
And in bull riding, Trey Holston was named the champion due to having the highest score, 77.5 points, in the Semifinals. No one covered their bull in the Short Round.
BAREBACK RIDING
Playoff 1 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Leighton Berry, 171.5 points; 2. Caleb Bennett, 165.5; 3. Will Lowe, 161.5; 4. Dean Thompson, 158.5.
Playoff 2 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. (tie) Mason Clements and Keenan Hayes, 165 points on two head; 3. Ty Pope, 160; 4. (tie) Cole Reiner and Tilden Hooper, 158.5.
Semifinals: 1. Leighton Berry, 86.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Arbitrator Joe; 2. Dean Thompson, 85.5; 3. Mason Clements, 83.5; 4. Caleb Bennett, 82.5; 5. Keenan Hayes, 82.5, $1,500; 6. Tilden Hooper, 81.5, $1,500; 7. Ty Pope and Will Lowe, NS, $1,500.
Finals: Leighton Berry, 90 points on Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies, $13,000; 2. Dean Thompson, 89, $9,750; 3. Mason Clements, 82.5, $6,500; 4. Caleb Bennett, 79.5, $3,250.
BREAKAWAY ROPING
Playoff 1 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. (tie) Tacy Webb and Beau Peterson, 6.3 seconds; 3. Jordi Edens, 6.4; 4. Hope Thompson, 26.3.
Playoff 2 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Joey Williams, 5.9 seconds on two head; 2. J.J. Hampton, 7.0, 3. Shelby Boisjoli, 8.1; 4. Gianna Cianfichi, 8.3.
Semifinals: 1. Jordi Edans, 3.0 seconds, 2. Beau Peterson, 3.2; 3. Tacy Webb, 3.6; 4. Gianna Cianfichi, 4.0; 5. Hope Thompson, Shelby Boisjoli, J.J. Hampton and Joey Williams, NT, $1,500 each.
Finals: 1. Jordi Edens, 2.8 seconds, $13,000; 2. Beau Peterson, 3.7, $9,750; 3. (tie) Gianna Cianfichi and Tacy Webb, NT, $4,875.
STEER WRESTLING
Playoff 1 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 8.7 seconds on two head; 2. Ty Erickson, 10.1; 3. Kyle Irwin, 18.3; 4. Justin Shaffer, 18.5.
Playoff 2 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Will Lummus, 8.6 seconds on two head; 2. Stetson Jorgensen, 8.8, 3. Jesse Brown, 9.0; 4. Bridger Anderson, 9.9.
Semifinals: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.7 seconds; 2. (tie) Kyle Irwin and Dakota Eldridge, 3.9 seconds; 4. Ty Erickson, 4.1; 5. Justin Shaffer, 4.1, $1,500; 6. Will Lummus, 5.0, $1,500; 7. Jesse Brown, 5.1, $1,500; 8. Bridger Anderson, 13.7, $1,500.
Finals: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.9 seconds, $13,000; 2. (tie) Kyle Irwin and Dakota Eldridge, 4.0, $8,125 each; 4. Ty Erickson, 4.3, $3,250.
TEAM ROPING
Playoff 1 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 10.7 seconds; 2. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 14.8; 3. Quinn Kesler/Caleb Hendrix, 19.6; 4. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.6 seconds on one head.
Playoff 2 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 11.30 seconds on two head; 2. Cory Kidd V/Lane Mitchell, 6.3; 3. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 13.9; 4. Jake Clay/Billy Jack Saebens, 17.8.
Semifinals: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 6.1 seconds; 2. Cory Kidd V/Lane Mitchell, 6.8; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 7.2; 4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 8.0; 5. Quinn Kesler/Caleb Hendrix, 10.1, $1,500; 6. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 10.4, $1,500; 7. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 10.5, $1,500; 8. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, NT, $1,500.
Finals: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 6.0 seconds, $13,000 each; 2. Cory Kidd V/Lane Mitchell, 6.9, $9,750; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 8.9, $6,500; 4. Clay Smith/Jake Long, NT, $3,250.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Playoff 1 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Layton Green, 171 points on two head; 2. Mitch Pollock, 167; 3. Kole Ashbacher, 166.5; 4. Spencer Wright, 160.
Playoff 2 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Jake Finlay, 169.5 points on two head; 2. (tie) Kade Bruno and Lefty Marvel Holman, 167.5 each; 4. Statler Wright, 165.5.
Semifinals: 1. Kole Ashbacher, 86.5 points on Big Stone Rodeo Inc. Rubbels; 2. (tie) Spencer Wright and Lefty Marvel Holman, 85.5; 4. Layton Green, 82; 5. (tie) Kade Bruno and Jake Finlay, 81.5, $1,500 each; 7. Statler Wright, 80, $1,500; 8. Mitch Pollock, NS, $1,500.
Finals: 1. Layton Green, 87.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Zoaria Hills, $13,000; 2. Kole Ashbacher, 85, $9,750; 3. Lefty Marvel Holman, 83, $6,500; 4. Spencer Wright, 81.5, 81.5, $3,250.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Playoff 1 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Shad Mayfield, 16.7 seconds on two head; 2. Hunter Herrin, 17.0; 3. Taylor Santos, 17.9; 4. Haven Meged, 18.5.
Playoff 2 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. John Douch, 16.4 seconds on two head; 2. Blane Cox, 16.5, 3. Zack Jongbloed, 17.4; 4. Chance Thiessen, 17.8.
Semifinals: 1. Haven Meged, 7.6 seconds; 2. John Douch, 8.3; 3. Shad Mayfield, 9.4; 4. Blane Cox, 10.2; 5. Taylor Santos, 10.8, $1,500; 6. Chance Theissen, 11.2, $1,500; 7. Zack Jongbloed and Hunter Herrin, NT, $1,500 each.
Finals: 1. Shad Mayfield, 8.8 seconds, $13,000; 2. Haven Meged, 12.5, $9,750; 3. Blane Cox, 17.2, $6,500; 4. John Douch, NT, $3,250.
BARREL RACING
Playoff 1 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Shelley Morgan, 27.52 seconds on two head; 2. Leslie Smalygo, 27.72; 3. Michelle Darling, 28.15; 4. Jessica Routier, 28.24.
Playoff 2 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 27.46 seconds on two head; 2. Andrea Busby, 27.89; 3. Katie Pascoe, 27.95; 4. Margo Crowther, 28.00.
Semifinals: 1. Shelley Morgan, 13.85 seconds; 2. Margo Crowther, 13.90; 3. Leslie Smalygo and Hailey Kinsel, 13.96 each; 5. Andrea Busby, 13.97, $1,500; 6. Katie Pascoe, 14.07, $1,500; 7. Jessica Routier, 14.12, $1,500; 8. Michelle Darling, 19.04, $1,500.
Finals: 1. Margo Crowther, 13.96 seconds, $13,000; 2. Shelley Morgan, 14.15, $9,750; 3. Hailey Kinsel, 14.37, $6,500; 4. Leslie Smalygo, 18.89, $3,250.
Playoff 2 Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Ky Hamilton, 163.5 points on two head; 2. Connor Murnion, 155.5; 3. Josh Frost, 154.5; 4. Reid Oftedahl, 82 points on one head. *(all totals include ground money).
Semifinals: 1. Trey Holston, 77.5 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Louisiana Lightning; 2. Garrett Smith, 72.5; 3. Ky Hamilton, NS; 4. Conner Murnion, NS; 5. Reid Oftedahl, Canyon Bass, Jared Parsonage and Josh Frost, NS, $1,500 each.
Finals: Bull riding: **1. Trey Holston, NS, $13,000; 2. Garrett Smith, NS, $9,750; 3. (tie) Conner Murnion and Ky Hamilton, NS, $4,875. **(Payout is determined by semifinal results).