BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
The Oakley Independence Day Rodeo in Utah was the last of the ProRodeo Tour events over the 4th of July as it concluded on July 5.
The rodeo featured a big win from Stetson Wright, who won the saddle bronc riding on the final day, and saw a PRCA record get tied by Dustin Egusquiza and Travis Graves. The pair was 3.3 seconds in the team roping, matching the mark of Chad Masters and Jade Corkill at the Wrangler NFR.
“Dustin and I talked about it, and he said he was going to go for it all. We had the perfect steer and everything just came together really well,” Graves said.
Going for it all like that was something the 25-year-old header Egusquiza has wanted to do for a long time.
“I was 13 when I witnessed Chad Masters and Jade Corkill go 3.3 at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (2009), ever since then that’s been a life goal of mine,” Egusquiza told ProRodeo.com. “I obviously want to ultimately be a world champion, but I also wanted to be 3.3 before my career was over. It really hasn’t sunk in yet.”
The rodeo was a one-header across the baord.
2021 OAKLEY INDEPENDENCE RODEO FULL RESULTS
Bareback riding
First round: 1. Jess Pope, 89 points on Bar T Rodeo’s Outlaw, $4,547; 2. (tie) Tilden Hooper, Jake Brown and Caleb Bennett, 87, $2,577 each; 5. Kaycee Feild, 86.5, $1,061; 6. (tie) Wyatt Bloom and Tim O’Connell, 85, $682 each; 8. (tie) Wyatt Denny, Garrett Shadbolt and Orin Larsen, 84.5, $152 each.
POPE’S RIDE
Steer wrestling
First round: 1. Dirk Tavenner, 3.3 seconds, $4,175; 2. Tyler Pearson, 3.5, $3,735; 3. Clayton Hass, 3.6, $3,296; 4. (tie) Gavin Soileau and Dylan Schroeder, 3.8, $2,637 each; 6. (tie) Chance Howard and Blare Romsa, 4.0, $1,758 each; 8. (tie) Jace Melvin and Kodie Jang, 4.1, $879 each; 10. Blake Mindemann, 4.2, $220.
Team roping
First round: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 3.3 seconds, $5,202 each; 2. Derrick Begay/Cory Petska, 3.6, $4,654; 3. Lightning Aguilera/Shay Dixon Carroll, 3.7, $4,107; 4. Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 3.8, $3,559; 5. Britt Smith/Jake Smith, 3.9, $3,012; 6. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.0, $2,464; 7. (tie) Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp and Tucker Menz/Cole Curry, 4.1, $1,643 each; 9. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 4.2, $821; 10. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.3, $274.
EGUSQUIZA/GRAVES’ RUN
Saddle bronc riding
First round: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, 89 points on Bar T Rodeo’s Son Of Sadie, $4,286; 2. Spencer Wright, 88, $3,286; 3. Wyatt Casper, 87.5, $2,429; 4. Ryder Wright, 87, $1,572; 5. (tie) Jesse Wright and Lefty Holman, 86.5, $857 each; 7. (tie) K’s Thomson, Sterling Crawley and Jacob Lewis, 86, $333 each.
STETSON WRIGHT’S RIDE
Tie-down roping
First round: 1. Tuf Case Cooper, 7.2 seconds, $8,037; 2. (tie) Justin Smith and Cody Huber, 7.3, $6,768 each; 4. (tie) Westyn Hughes, Sterling Smith and Andrew Burks, 7.4, $4,653 each; 7. (tie) John Douch and Spencer Moulton, 7.5, $2,538 each; 9. Tyler Prcin, 7.7, $1,269; 10. (tie) Chance Thiessen, Monty Lewis and Tatum Miller, 7.8, $141 each.
COOPER’S RUN
Barrel racing
First round: 1. Sarah Rose Waguespack, 17.24 seconds, $5,763; 2. Terri Wood Gates, 17.32, $4,611; 3. Carly Taylor, 17.42, $3,746; 4. Kathy Petska, 17.45, $2,882; 5. (tie) Ashley Castleberry and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.47, $2,017 each; 7. Wenda Johnson, 17.50, $1,441; 8. Keyla Polizello Costa, 17.52, $1,297; 9. (tie) Stevi Hillman and Ari-Anna Flynn, 17.53, $1,081 each; 11. Brittney Barnett, 17.54, $864; 12. Loni Lester, 17.56, $720; 13. Cassidy Champlin, 17.61, $576; 14. Kelly Bruner, 17.63, $432; 15. (tie) Amberley Snyder and Ericka Nelson, 17.66, $144 each.
WAGUESPACK’S RUN
Bull riding
First round: 1. JC Mortensen, 87.5 points on Western Rodeos’ Droptine, $4,371; 2. Trey Kimzey, 87, $3,351; 3. Creek Young, 85.5, $2,477; 4. Josh Frost, 85, $1,603; 5. McCoy Morton, 83.5, $1,020; 6. Briggs Madsen, 83, $729; 7. Sage Kimzey, 81.5, $583; 8. Payton Dean Nelson, 78, $437.
MORTENSEN’S RUN