BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The Ellensburg Rodeo is a Labor Day Weekend special since 1923 and every year, it marks the beginning of one last push to solidify NFR position before Oct. 1.
This year’s rodeo paid out $369,000 total with the winners of each event taking home anywhere between $7,000 and $11,000.
Rocker Steiner added to his impressive rookie season by winning the Short Round to win the rodeo with 175.5 points on two. Wyatt Denny was second with 171.5.
J.D. Struxness placed in all three rounds and won two of them to win the steer wrestling title with a time of 12.7 seconds on aggregate.
In team roping, Clay Smith/Jake Long won both the First Round and the Short Round to give them yet another rodeo win, all while Smith has a broken leg.
In saddle bronc riding, Stetson Wright emerged victorious in both rounds with 89.5 points in Round 1 and 88.5 in the Short Round.
Hunter Herrin edged Westyn Hughes by two tenths of a second to win the tie-dow roping. Herrin placed in all three rounds while Hughes won the Short Round.
Barrel racing was won by Hailey Kinsel who had a time of 51.51 seconds on three head.
And in bull riding, Tristen Hutchings was one of two cowboys to ride two and notched 86 points in the Short Round. He was 165.5 on two while second place Ouncie Mitchell totaled 124.
BAREBACK RIDING
First round: 1. Mason Clements, 88 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail, $3,304; 2. (tie) Wyatt Denny and Rocker Steiner, 86, $2,202 each; 4. Orin Larsen, 85, $1,211; 5. Tilden Hooper, 84.5, $771; 6. (tie) Cole Franks and Cole Reiner, 83, $496 each; 8. Clayton Biglow, 81.5, $330.
Finals: 1. Rocker Steiner, 89.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Agent Linx, $1,650; 2. Wyatt Denny, 85.5, $1,250; 3. Cole Reiner, 85, $900; 4. Tilden Hooper, 84.5, $600; 5. Cole Franks, 82, $350; 6. Orin Larsen, 81.5, $250.
Average: 1. Rocker Steiner, 175.5 points on two head, $3,304; 2. Wyatt Denny, 171.5, $2,533; 3. (tie) Tilden Hooper and Mason Clements, 169, $1,542 each; 5. Cole Reiner, 168, $771; 6. Orin Larsen, 166.5, $551; 7. Cole Franks, 165, $441; 8. Chad Rutherford, 158, $330.
STEER WRESTLING
First round: 1. Dirk Tavenner, 4.0 seconds, $3,291; 2. (tie) Nick Guy and Stetson Jorgensen, 4.1, $2,647 each; 4. (tie) Rowdy Parrott and J.D. Struxness, 4.2, $1,789 each; 6. (tie) Bridger Anderson, Stan Branco and Tanner Milan, 4.5, $715 each.
Second round: 1. J.D. Struxness, 3.8 seconds, $3,291; 2. Tanner Brunner, 3.9, $2,862; 3. Justin Shaffer, 4.0, $2,432; 4. Stan Branco, 4.1, $2,003; 5. (tie) Bridger Chambers and Ryan Shuckburgh, 4.2, $1,359 each; 7. (tie) Riley Duvall, Justin Kimsey, Payden McIntyre and Blake Mindemann, 4.3, $250 each.
Finals: 1. (tie) Tanner Brunner and Landris White, 4.2 seconds, $928 each; 3. J.D. Struxness, 4.7, $665; 4. Dirk Tavenner, 4.9, $490; 5. Dalton Massey, 5.0, $315; 6. Bridger Anderson, 5.9, $175.
Average: 1. J.D. Struxness, 12.7 seconds on three head, $4,936; 2. Tanner Brunner, 13.4, $4,293; 3. Landris White, 13.5, $3,649; 4. Dirk Tavenner, 13.9, $3,005; 5. Dalton Massey, 15.1, $2,361; 6. Bridger Anderson, 15.8, $1,717; 7. Justin Kimsey, 16.3, $1,073; 8. Stan Branco, 19.0, $429.
TEAM ROPING
First round: 1. (tie) Clay Smith/Jake Long and Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.6 seconds, $2,962 each; 3. (tie) Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves and Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.8, $2,135 each; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.0, $1,515; 6. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 5.1, $1,102; 7. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 5.2, $482 each.
Second round: 1. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 4.2 seconds, $3,168 each; 2. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Quinn Kesler/Caleb Hendrix, 4.3, $2,549 each; 4. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.4, $1,929; 5. (tie) Brandon Beers/Daniel Braman IV, Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens and Hagen Peterson/Dylin Ahlstrom, 4.6, $1,102 each; 8. Rhett Anderson/Junior Zambrano, 4.7, $276.
Finals: 1. (tie) Clay Smith/Jake Long, Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 5.4 seconds, $780 each; 4. Jake Stanley/Bucky Campbell, 6.4, $455; 5. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 6.7, $293; 6. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 7.0, $163.
Average: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 14.9 seconds on three head, $4,753 each; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 16.3, $4,133; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 16.6, $3,513; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 17.1, $2,893; 5. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 18.3, $2,273; 6. Jake Stanley/Bucky Campbell, 18.5, $1,653; 7. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 22.1, $1,033; 8. Doyle Hoskins/Stoney Boy Joseph, 23.2, $413.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
First round: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, 89.5 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Majorhuckleberry, $3,706; 2. (tie) Dawson Hay and Statler Wright, 87, $2,470 each; 4. Brody Cress, 84, $1,359; 5. (tie) Kole Ashbacher and Shorty Garrett, 83.5, $741 each; 7. Chase Brooks, 83, $494; 8. (tie) Allen Boore and Ryder Wright, 82.5, $185 each.
Finals: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, 88.5 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Cypress Toddy, $1,650; 2. (tie) Shorty Garrett and Zeke Thurston, 86.5, $1,075 each; 4. (tie) Brody Cress and Dawson Hay, 86, $475 each; 6. (tie) Kole Ashbacher, Allen Boore and Statler Wright, 85.5, $83 each.
Average: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, 178 points on two head, $3,706; 2. Dawson Hay, 173, $2,841; 3. Statler Wright, 172.5, $2,100; 4. (tie) Brody Cress and Shorty Garrett, 170, $1,112 each; 6. Kole Ashbacher, 169, $618; 7. Zeke Thurston, 168.5, $494; 8. Allen Boore, 168, $371.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
First round: 1. Kincade Henry, 8.0 seconds, $3,585; 2. Hunter Herrin, 8.1, $3,117; 3. (tie) Tom Crouse, Shane Hanchey and Marty Yates, 8.5, $2,182 each; 6. Westyn Hughes, 8.6, $1,247; 7. (tie) Marcos Costa and Jake Pratt, 8.7, $546 each.
Second round: 1. Macon Murphy, 7.6 seconds, $3,585; 2. (tie) Ty Harris and Haven Meged, 8.0, $2,884 each; 4. (tie) Colton Farquer, Hunter Herrin and Ryan Thibodeaux, 8.1, $1,715 each; 7. (tie) Adam Gray and Riley Pruitt, 8.2, $546 each.
Finals: 1. (tie) Shane Hanchey and Westyn Hughes, 8.1 seconds, $1,087 each; 3. Jake Pratt, 8.3, $779; 4. (tie) Marcos Costa, Hunter Herrin, Zack Jongbloed and Riley Mason Webb, 8.8, $287 each.
Average: 1. Hunter Herrin, 25.0 seconds on three head, $5,378; 2. Westyn Hughes, 25.2, $4,676; 3. Shane Hanchey, 25.8, $3,975; 4. Adam Gray, 26.2, $3,273; 5. (tie) Jake Pratt and Marcos Costa, 26.3, $2,221 each; 7. (tie) Macon Murphy and Riley Mason Webb, 26.6, $818 each.
BARREL RACING
First round: 1. Stevi Hillman, 17.14 seconds, $2,582; 2. Emily Beisel, 17.19, $2,213; 3. Lisa Lockhart, 17.28, $1,844; 4. Chelsie Stodghill, 17.29, $1,598; 5. Paige Jones, 17.31, $1,230; 6. Jennifer Kalafatic, 17.32, $984; 7. (tie) Cheyenne Allan, Hailey Kinsel and Leslie Smalygo, 17.34, $533 each; 10. Ashley Castleberry, 17.37, $246.
Second round: 1. Summer Kosel, 16.97 seconds, $2,582; 2. Hailey Kinsel, 16.99, $2,213; 3. Katie Pascoe, 17.22, $1,844; 4. (tie) Stevi Hillman and Lisa Lockhart, 17.26, $1,414 each; 6. Leslie Smalygo, 17.31, $984; 7. Shelley Morgan, 17.38, $738; 8. (tie) Michelle Alley and Tarryn Lee, 17.41, $430 each; 10. (tie) Randi Holliday, Molly Otto and Steely Steiner, 17.44, $82 each.
Finals: 1. Katie Pascoe, 17.04 seconds, $1,913; 2. Leslie Smalygo, 17.13, $1,435; 3. (tie) Hailey Kinsel and Lisa Lockhart, 17.18, $717 each.
Average: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 51.51 seconds on three head, $3,873; 2. Stevi Hillman, 51.62, $3,320; 3. Lisa Lockhart, 51.72, $2,767; 4. Leslie Smalygo, 51.78, $2,398; 5. Katie Pascoe, 51.96, $1,844; 6. Summer Kosel, 52.05, $1,476; 7. (tie) Molly Otto and Jennifer Kalafatic, 52.16, $922 each; 9. Tarryn Lee, 52.23, $553; 10. Shelley Morgan, 52.24, $369.
BULL RIDING
First round: 1. Bubba Greig, 88 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s No. 648, $3,607; 2. (tie) Colby Demo and Stetson Dell Wright, 84.5, $2,405 each; 4. Ernie Courson Jr, 83, $1,323; 5. (tie) Tristen Hutchings and Hayes Weight, 79.5, $721 each; 7. (tie) Ouncie Mitchell and Gavin Michel, 78, $421 each.
*Finals: 1. Tristen Hutchings, 86 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Peace Out, $2,700; 2. Ouncie Mitchell, 46, $2,300; no other qualified rides.
Average: 1. Tristen Hutchings, 165.5 points on two head, $3,607; 2. Ouncie Mitchell, 124, $2,765; 3. Bubba Greig, 88 on one head, $2,044; 4. (tie) Colby Demo and Stetson Dell Wright, 84.5, $1,082 each; 6. Ernie Courson Jr, 83, $601; 7. Hayes Weight, 79.5, $481; 8. Gavin Michel, 78, $361. *(all totals include ground money).