BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Mississippi’s only PRCA Playoff Rodeo, the Dixie National, wrapped up in Jackson on Feb. 17 and it featured a one-header in every event except steer wrestling and tie-down roping, which were determined on a two-head Average.
Cole Franks and Bill Tutor got things started by splitting the win in the bareback riding. Both cowboys rode on Feb. 10 and saw their scores hold up for the entire week. It was a tight leaderboard, with nine bareback riders marked between 86.5 and 84 points.
In steer wrestling, five-time NFR qualifier JD Struxness was first with a 9.7-second aggregate time to best Eli Lord and Cash Robb by two tenths of a second. A total of five cowboys were faster than 10 flat on a pair.
Team roping brought another tie, this one between Brady Tryan/Calgary Smith and Dalton Turner/Just Delagarza. It was Tryan and Smith’s second career Playoff win as partners and Turner/Delagarza’s first.
Saddle bronc riding was won by the scorching hot Aussie, Fort Worth Champion Damian Brennan. He added a second PRCA Playoff win in the month of February by going for 87.5 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Richie’s High. He is currently No. 2 in the World by a mere $72.
There were plenty of fast times in the tie-down roping in Mississippi - Ty Harris was 6.6, Shad Mayfield was 6.8 and Cory Solomon was 7.0 - however you need two to get the job done, and the best on two was Randall Carlisle. The 37-year-old’s aggregate time of 15.6 seconds won it by one tenth.
In barrel racing, it was a loaded Top 3 with five-time NFR qualifier Emily Beisel getting the win with an arena record 13.45-second run. Fort Worth Champion Sara Winkelman was not far behind at 13.49 seconds and four-time World Champion Hailey Kinsel was third.
Speaking of loaded, the bull riding was as good as its ever been at the Dixie National. Brody Yeary won it with 90 on Harper and Morgan’s Rondo, making it the second time since 2020 he has gone 90+ to win the event. Overall, five bull riders beat JB Mauney and T Parker’s 87-point winning score from a year ago.
BAREBACK RIDING
First Round: 1. (tie) Cole Franks, on Harper & Morgan Rodeo Co’s Sweet Tequila, and Bill Tutor, on Brookman Rodeo’s Super Dave, 86 points, $4,453 each; 3. (tie) Waylon Bourgeois, Deuds Deudney and Dean Thompson, 85, $1,960 each; 6. Kyle Bloomquist, 84.5, $840; 7. (tie) Clay Jorgenson, Jacob Lees and Clayton Hibler, 84, $392 each.
STEER WRESTLING
First Round: 1. Ryan Nettle, 4.3 seconds, $2,384; 2. Joe Cook, 4.4, $2,073; 3. Jake Nelson, 4.5, $1,762; 4. Riley Westhaver, 4.6, $1,451; 5. (tie) Riley Duvall, Trisyn Kalawaia and Winsten McGraw, 4.7, $829 each; 8. Eli Lord, 4.8, $207.
Second Round: 1. Tyler Pearson, 4.1 seconds, $2,384; 2. Clayton Hass, 4.2, $2,073; 3. Cash Robb, 4.3, $1,762; 4. J.D. Struxness, 4.5, $1,451; 5. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, Dylan Schroeder and Jacob Talley, 4.6, $829 each; 8. Ty Erickson, 4.8, $207.
Average: 1. J.D. Struxness, 9.7 seconds on two head, $3,577; 2. (tie) Eli Lord and Cash Robb, 9.9, $2,877 each; 4. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Ryan Nettle, 10.0, $1,944 each; 6. Jake Nelson, 10.1, $1,244; 7. Gus Franzen, 10.6, $778; 8. Kaden Greenfield, 10.8, $311.
TEAM ROPING
First Round: 1. (tie) Brady Tryan/Calgary Smith and Dalton Turner/Justin Delagarza, 4.4 seconds, $5,554 each; 3. Quinton Parchman/Garrett Smith, 4.5, $4,760; 4. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, Bradley Massey/Zack Mabry, Kolton Schmidt/Landen Glenn, Kreece Thompson/Rance Doyal and Nelson Wyatt/Lane Mitchell, 4.6, $3,173 each; 9. Hagen Peterson/Chase Tryan, 4.7, $1,983; 10. Pedro Egurrola/JC Flake, 5.0, $1,587; 11. Jhett Trenary/Jake South, 5.1, $1,388; 12. Tee Luttrell/Cody Hogan, 5.2, $1,190; 13. Marcus Theriot/Cole Curry, 5.3, $793; 14. Cory Kidd V/Clay Futrell, 5.5, $595; 15. (tie) Jesse Boos/Jace Steenhoek and Blaine Turner/Trent Vaught, 5.7, $198 each.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
First Round: 1. Damian Brennan, 87.5 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Richie’s High, $5,894; 2. Kade Bruno, 87, $4,519; 3. (tie) Logan Cook, Bailey Small and Ryder Wright, 85.5, $2,292 each; 6. (tie) Kole Ashbacher and Ian Forbes McGivney, 84.5, $884 each; 8. Brady Hill, 84, $589.Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Cory Solomon, 7.0 seconds, $2,520; 2. (tie) Randall Carlisle, Kincade Henry and Marty Yates, 7.4, $1,927 each; 5. Quade Hiatt, 7.5, $1,483; 6. (tie) Garrett Elmore and Macon Murphy, 7.6, $1,260 each; 8. (tie) Blane Cox, Jarvis Demery and Ike Fontenot, 7.7, $840 each.
Second Round: 1. Ty Harris, 6.6 seconds, $2,520; 2. Shad Mayfield, 6.8, $2,224; 3. (tie) Bart Brunson and Glenn Jackson, 7.3, $1,779 each; 5. Bo Pickett, 7.6, $1,483; 6. Neil Dove, 7.7, $1,334; 7. Hagen Houck, 7.9, $1,186; 8. (tie) Ike Fontenot and Tanner Green, 8.0, $964 each; 10. Trenton Smith, 8.1, $593.
Average: 1. Randall Carlisle, 15.6 seconds on two head, $3,780; 2. Ike Fontenot, 15.7, $3,336; 3. Trenton Smith, 15.9, $2,891; 4. Cory Solomon, 16.0, $2,446; 5. Quade Hiatt, 16.4, $2,224; 6. (tie) Marty Yates and Garrett Elmore, 16.5, $1,890 each; 8. Kincade Henry, 16.9, $1,557; 9. (tie) Ty Harris, King Pickett and Chantz Webster, 17.1, $741 each.
BARREL RACING
First Round: 1. Emily Beisel, 13.45 seconds, $6,144; 2. Sara Winkelman, 13.49, $4,915; 3. Hailey Kinsel, 13.59, $3,993; 4. Katie Halbert, 13.60, $3,072; 5. Ryann Pedone, 13.66, $2,458; 6. Sissy Winn, 13.69, $1,843; 7. Ari-Anna Flynn, 13.75, $1,536; 8. Sadie Wolaver-Troyer, 13.77, $1,382; 9. (tie) Cassidy Deen, Sable Emerson, Jodee Miller, Liz Pinkston and Tiany Schuster, 13.80, $922 each; 14. (tie) Stevi Hillman, Alex Jones and Kaycee Killingsworth, 13.84, $256 each.
BULL RIDING
First Round: 1. Brody Yeary, 90 points on Harper & Morgan Rodeo Co’s Rondo, $5,809; 2. Hayden Harris, 89.5, $4,454; 3. Trey Benton III, 88, $3,292; 4. (tie) Deuds Deudney and Caleb McCaslin, 87.5, $1,743 each; 6. Hayes Weight, 87, $968; 7. (tie) Ernie Courson Jr and Clayton Sellars, 86.5, $678 each.
