BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Each January, the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo marks the unofficial beginning for another mad dash to the NFR.
With a total payoff of more than $500,000, cowboys and cowgirls who do well in Denver often double their season earnings and pick up critical momentum heading into the Texas Swing.
This year at the National Western, the athletes were split into eight pools with the Top 3 in each event on a two-head Average moving on to the Semifinals. From there, 24 was dwindled down to 12 for the winner-take-all Finals, which came with a paycheck of at least $4,000 for the winners.
BAREBACK RIDING
Semifinal 1: 1. Rocker Steiner, 87.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Banger Main, $2,472; 2. (tie) Garrett Shadbolt and Jacob Lees, 84.5, $1,545 each; 4. Tanner Aus, 82.5, $618; 5. Tim O’Connell, 81; 6. Dean Thompson, 77.
Semifinal 2: 1. Taylor Broussard, 87 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Midnight Snack, $2,472; 2. Yance Day, 85, $1,854; 3. Sam Petersen, 84, $1,236; 4. (tie) Richmond Champion and Bradlee Miller, 82, $309 each; 6. Strawbs Jones, 81.
Semifinal 3: 1. Keenan Hays, 84 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Mesquite Thorn, $2,472; 2. Bodee Lammers, 83.5, $1,854; 3. Trenton Montero, 79, $1,236; 4. Waylon Bourgeois, 78, $618; 5. Will Lowe, 76.5; no other qualified rides.
Finals: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 89.5 points on The Cervi Brothers’ On Second Thought, $4,635; 2. Waylon Bourgeois, 88, $3,554; 3. (tie) Taylor Broussard and Richmond Champion, 86.5, $2,163 each; 5. Sam Petersen, 85.5, $1,082; 6. Tanner Aus, 84.5, $773; 7. Trenten Montero, 82.5, $618; 8. Yance Day, 81.5, $464
STEER WRESTLING
Semifinal 1: 1. Gus Franzen, 3.9 seconds, $2,820; 2. Denver Berry, 4.5, $2,115; 3. (tie) Cal Wolfe and Don Payne, 4.9, $1,234; 5. Landis White, 5.0; 6. Kyler Dick, 5.1.
Semifinal 2: 1. Curtis Cassidy, 4.0 seconds, $2,820; 2. Jaret Whitman, 4.3, $2,115; 3. Stan Branco, 4.4, $1,410; 4. Jace Melvin, 4.6, $705; 5. Ty Everson, 5.9; 6. Shane Frey, 14.1.
Semifinal 3: 1. Hoyt Kraeger, 4.9 seconds, $2,820; 2. Jace Logan, 5.4, $2,115; 3. Justin Kimsey, 5.7, $1,410; 4. Cody Mumma, 14.9, $705; 5. Trey Jackson, 15.1; no other qualified runs.
Finals: 1. Jace Melvin, 4.2 seconds, $4,054; 2. (tie) Jaret Whitman and Curtis Cassidy, 4.6, $3,251 each; 4. Gus Franzen, 4.7, $2,468; 5. Don Payne, 4.9, $1,939; 6. Justin Kimsey, 5.6, $1,410; 7. Stan Branco, 8.9, $881; 8. Cal Wolfe, 10.0, $352.
TEAM ROPING
Semifinal 1: 1. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 4.0 seconds, $2,799 each; 2. Ty Arnold/Kaden Profili, 4.9, $2,099; 3. Cooper White/Tucker White, 5.2, $1,399; 4. Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn, 6.0, $699; 5. Tyler Waters/Cutter Thomison, 9.9; 6. Clayton Van Aken/Rich Skelton, 10.9.
Semifinal 2: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 4.3 seconds, $2,799 each; 2. Rhett Anderson/Chris Young, 4.8, $2,099; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.9, $1,399; 4. Hayes Smith/Jason Duby, 5.6, $699; 5. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 8.7; no other qualified runs.
Semifinal 3: 1. Hagen Peterson/Caleb Hendrix, 4.3 seconds, $2,799; 2. Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 5.3, $2,099; 3. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 5.7, $1,399; 4. Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 16.1, $699; no other qualified runs.
Finals: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.9 seconds, $4,023 each; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.1, $3,499; 3. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 4.3, $2,974; 4. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 4.8, $2,449; 5. Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 5.4, $1,924; 6. Hayes Smith/Jason Duby, 9.9, $1,299; no other qualified runs.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Semifinal 1: 1. Houston Brown, 83.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Rev Runner, $2,472; 2. Tanner Butner, 83, $1,854; 3. (tie) Ben Andersen and Cash Wilson, 82.5, $927 each; 5. Kole Ashbacher, 81; 6. Jake Clark, 78.5.
Semifinal 2: 1. Layton Green, 86.5 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Sippin’ On Fire, $2,472; 2. (tie) Shorty Garrett and Shea Fournier, 84.5, $1,545 each; 4. Leon Fountain, 84, $618; 5. Jacobs Crawley, 83.5; 6. Brody Cress, 80.5.
Semifinal 3: 1. Sage Newman, 86.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Blood Angel, $2,472; 2. Stetson Wright, 85, $1,854; 3. Logan Cook, 84.5, $1,236; 4. Jesse Wright, 82.5, $618; 5. Sterling Crawley, 81.5; 6. Statler Wright, 80.
Finals: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, 90 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Ed Bishop, $4,635; 2. Tanner Butner, 88, $3,554; 3. Layton Green, 87.5, $2,627; 4. Sage Newman, 87, $1,700; 5. Shorty Garrett, 85.5, $1,082; 6. Cash Wilson, 85, $773; 7. Logan Cook, 84, $618; 8. Ben Andersen, 83, $464.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Semifinal 1: 1. Blaine Cox, 7.7 seconds, $2,820; 2. Preston Pederson, 8.3, $2,115; 3. Dylan Hancock, 8.5, $1,410; 4. Riley Wakefield, 8.7, $705 5. Trever Hale, 8.9; 6. Zaine Mikita, 9.0.
Semifinal 2: 1. Shad Mayfield, 7.8 seconds, $2,820; 2. Jody Green, 8.2, $2,115; 3. Chet Weitz, 9.0, $1,410; 4. Hayden Ford, 9.6, $705 5. Bryce Derrer, 9.0; 6. Hayden Ford, 9.6.
Semifinal 3: 1. Riley Webb, 8.0 seconds, $2,820; 2. Kincaide Henry, 8.7, $2,115; 3. Ben Richardson, 8.9, $1,410; 4. Cash Enderli, 9.1, $705 5. Ryan Belew, 9.4; 6. Joel Harris, 10.4.
Finals: 1. Riley Webb, 7.2 seconds, $4,054; 2. Kincade Henry, 7.4, $3,625; 3. Shad Mayfield, 7.5, $2,999; 4. Chet Weitz, 8.0, $2,465; 5. Jody Green, 8.2, $1,939; 6. Blane Cox, 9.1, $1,410; 7. Cash Enderli, 10.3, $881; 8. Preston Pederson, 14.3, $353.
BARREL RACING
Semifinal 1: 1. Kalli McCall, 15.07 seconds, $2,834; 2. Timber Allenbrand, 15.20, $2,126; 3. Kelly Yates, 15.30, $1,417; 4. Kristi Steffes, 15.33, $709; 5. Jamie Olsen, 15.37; 6. Shali Lord, 15.40.
Semifinal 2: 1. Sophie Nolen, 14.92 seconds, $2,834; 2. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.97, $2,126; 3. Lisa Lockhart, 15.00, $1,417; 4. Jimmie Smith-Tew, 15.28, $709; 5. Garrison Hailey, 15.36; 6. Rachelle Riggers, 15.40.
Semifinal 3: 1. Darby Fox, 15.04 seconds, $2,834; 2. Katie Pasco, 15.17, $2,126; 3. Sara Winkleman, 15.22, $1,417; 4. Taycie Matthews, 15.29, $709; 5. Emma Charleston, 15.41; 6. Sierra Scott-Williams, 15.42.
Finals: 1. Jimmie Smith-Tew, 14.83, $4,074; 2. Kalli McCall, 14.95, $3,543; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.96, $3,011; 4. Lisa Lockhart, 15.04, $2,480; 5. Darby Fox, 15.06, $1,948; 6. Kristi Steffes, 15.18, $1,417; 7. Timber Allenbrand, 15.21, $886; 8. Sophie Nolen, 15.25, $354.
BULL RIDING
Semifinal 1: 1. Trey Holston, 86 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Mean Mug, $2,647; 2. Stetson Wright, 84.5, $2,036; 3. Trey Benton III, 82, $1,425; no other qualified rides.
Semifinal 2: 1. Cullen Telfer, 88 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Keep Talkin, $3,359; 2. JC Mortensen, 69, $2,749; no other qualified rides.
Semifinal 3: 1. Bryce Burnell, 88 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Legal Action, $6,108; no other qualified rides.
Finals: 1. Bryce Burnell, 91 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s White Trash, $4,759; 2. Stetson Dell Wright, 90.5, $3,690; 3. Tyler Taylor, 87, $2,774; 4. JC Mortensen, 86.5, $1,858; 5. Trey Holston, 86, $1,247; 6. Cullen Telfer, 81, $942; no other qualified rides. *(all totals include ground money).