BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Super Series IV of RodeoHouston featured a veteran and a young gun battling it out in the bareback riding, a pair of past World Champions at the top of the tie-down roping, and a barrel racer and a bull rider each claiming $8,000 in prize money.
Let’s start with those big money earners, Paige Jones and Trey Benton III. The two became athletes No. 3 and 4 to make $8,000 or more, joining barrel racer Stevi Hillman from Super Series III and bull rider Ky Hamilton from Super Series I. Both Jones and Benton III won two rounds and finished second in another. Benton III also added the highest marked ride of the rodeo with 89 points on Big Rafter’s Indigenous.
In the bareback riding the three rounds were won by either 40-year-old Will Lowe or 19-year-old Rocker Steiner. Lowe, a 15-time NFR qualifier, ultimately topped Steiner by earning $6,250 to his $4,750.
In tie-down roping, it was 2016 World Champion Marcos Costa and four-time World Champion Tuf Cooper coming away with the most cash from the Super Series. Costa, who placed in the Top 3 of all three rounds, made $6,500 and Cooper made $4,875.
Other winners in Super Series IV were Josh Garner in steer wrestling, Kreece Thompson/Caleb Hendrix in team roping, Ryder Wright in saddle bronc riding and Samantha Fulton in breakaway roping.
BAREBACK RIDING
First Round: 1. (tie) Will Lowe, on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Bandana Babe and Orin Larsen, on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Patches, 85.5 points, $2,500 each; 3. Rocker Steiner, 84, $1,000; 4. Jayco Roper, 82, $750; 5. (tie) Cooper Cooke and Jacob Lees, 80, $375 each.
Second Round: 1. Rocker Steiner, 86 points on Big Rafter Rodeo’s Rose Valley, $3,000; 2. Jayco Roper, 83, $2,000; 3. Cooper Cooke, 82.5, $1,000; 4. Will Lowe, 81, $750; 5. Orin Larsen, 77, $500; 6. Evan Betony, 75.5, $250.
Third Round: 1. Will Lowe, 87 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Dream Machine, $3,000; 2. Bronc Marriott, 86.5, $2,000; 3. Cooper Cooke, 85, $1,000; 4. Rocker Steiner, 84.5, $750; 5. Evan Betony, 82, $500; 6. (tie) Jayco Roper and Jacob Lees, 81, $125 each.
Semifinal Qualifiers: 1. Will Lowe, $6,250; 2. Rocker Steiner, $4,750; 3. Orin Larsen, $3,000; 4. Jayco Roper, $2,875.
STEER WRESTLING
First Round: 1. Trell Etbauer, 6.1 seconds, $3,000; 2. (tie) Tyler Ravenscroft and Tyler Pearson, 18.1, $1,500; each; 4. Josh Garner, 22.5, $750; 5. K.J. Carmon Jr., 27.3, $500; no other qualified runs.
Second Round: 1. Josh Garner, 4.7 seconds, $3,000; 2. Blake Knowles, 9.0, $2,000; 3. Nick Guy, 11.2, $1,000; 4. Tyler Pearson, 13.4, $750; 5. Trell Etbauer, 20.3, $500; 6. Cameron Morman, 22.7, $250.
Third Round: 1. Nick Guy, 6.1 seconds, $3,000; 2. Josh Garner, 6.9, $2,000; 3. Blake Knowles, 7.0, $1,000; 4. Cameron Morman, 7.4, $750; 5. Tyler Pearson, 15.4, $500; 6. K.J. Carmon Jr., 16.6, $250.
Semifinal Qualifiers: 1. Josh Garner, $5,750; 2. Nick Guy, $4,000; 3. Trell Etbauer, $3,500; 5. Blake Knowles, $3,000.
TEAM ROPING
First Round: 1. Kreece Thompson/Caleb Hendrix, 7.3 seconds, $3,000 each; 2. Kolton Schmidt/Jake Minor, 11.1, $2,000; 3. Quinn Kesler/Max Kuttler, 11.9, $1,000; no other qualified runs.
Second Round: 1. (tie) Bubba Buckaloo/Cole Davison and Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 6.6 seconds, $2,500 each; 3. Jeff Flenniken/Douglas Rich, 7.6, $1,000; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Jake Minor, 8.6, $750; 5. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 11.1, $500; 6. Jaxson Tucker/Wyatt Cox, 11.5, $250.
Third Round: 1. Kreece Thompson/Caleb Hendrix, 5.7 seconds, $3,000 each; 2. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 6.2, $2,000; 3. Quinn Kesler, 6.4, $1,000; no other qualified runs.
Semifinal Qualifiers: 1. Kreece Thompson/Caleb Hendrix, $6,000 each; 2. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, $4,500; 3. Kolton Schmidt/Jake Minor, $2,750; 4. Bubba Buckaloo/Cole Davison, $2,500.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
First Round: 1. Wade Sundell, 86.5 points on Big Rafter’s Doughboy, $3,000; 2. Ryder Wright, 84, $2,000; 3. Rusty Wright, 83, $1,000; 4. (tie) Ryder Sanford and Cole Elshere, 81.5, $625 each; 5. Jacobs Crawley, 80, $250.
Second Round: 1. Jacobs Crawley, 81.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Boom Baby, $3,000; 2. (tie) Rusty Wright and Jake Finlay, 78, $1,500 each; 4. Wade Sundell, 77, $750; 5. Ryder Sanford, 76.5, $500; 6. Logan Cook, 75, $250.
Third Round: 1. Ryder Wright, 85 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s San Luis, $3,000; 2. Ryder Sanford, 84, $2,000; 3. Jake Finlay, 83.5, $1,000; 4. Rusty Wright, 81.5, $750; 5. Cole Elshere, 80, $500; 6. Wade Sundell, 77, $250.
Semifinal Qualifiers: 1. Ryder Wright, $5,000; 2. Wade Sundell, $4,000; 3. (tie) Rusty Wright and Jacobs Crawley, $3,250 each.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
First Round: 1. Marcos Costa, 9.8 seconds, $3,000; 2. Beau Cooper, 10.6, $2,000; 3. Tuf Cooper, 12.3, $1,000; 4. Shane Hanchey, 14.3, $750; 5. Reese Riemer, 18.4, $500; 6. Bruston Minton, 19.1, $250.
Second Round: 1. (tie) Marcos Costa and Beau Cooper, 9.6 seconds, $2,500 each; 3. (tie) Brushton Minton and Tuf Cooper, 10.2, $875 each; 5. Reese Riemer, 11.3, $500; 6. Shane Hanchey, 13.5, $,250.
Third Round: 1. Tuf Cooper, 8.6 seconds, $3,000; 2. Reese Riemer, 9.7, $2,000; 3. Marcos Costa, 9.9, $1,000; 4. (tie) Luke Potter and Brushton Minton, 10.0, $625 each; 6. Beau Cooper, 10.1, $250.
Semifinal Qualifiers: 1. Marcos Costa, $6,500; 2. Tuf Cooper, $4,875; 3. Beau Cooper, $3,000; 4. Reese Riemer, $3,000.
BARREL RACING
First Round: 1. Paige Jones, 14.85 seconds, $3,000; 2. (tie) Summer Kosel and Emma Charleston, 15.03, $1,500 each; 4. Emily Beisel, 15.04, $750; 5. Sarah Rose Waguespack, 15.30, $500; 6. Bryanna Halupzok, 15.61, $250.
Second Round: 1. Summer Kosel, 14.68 seconds, $3,000; 2. Paige Jones, 14.78, $2,000; 3. Emma Charleston, 15.05, $1,000; 4. Sarah Rose Waguespack, 15.37, $750; 5. Bryanna Holupzok, 15.53, $500; 6. Michelle Alley, 15.60, $250.
Third Round: 1. Paige Jones, 14.67 seconds, $3,000; 2. Emma Charleston, 14.80, $2,000; 3. Sarah Rose Waguespack, 15.08, $1,000; 4. Bryanna Halupzok, 15.31, $750; 5. Summer Kosel, 15.52, $500; 6. Michelle Alley, 16.43, $250.
Semifinal Qualifiers: 1. Paige Jones, $8,000; 2. Summer Kosel, $5,000; 3. Emma Charleston, $4.500; 4. Sarah Rose Waguespack, $2,250.
BULL RIDING
First Round: *1. Brady Portenier, 84 points on Big Rafter’s 879, $3,500; 2. Trey Benton III, 83.5, $2,500; 3. Trey Holston, 80, $1,500; no other qualified rides.
Second Round: *1. Trey Benton III, 86 points on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s Money Talks, $3,050; 2. Jace Trosclair, 82, $2,050; 3. Brady Portenier, 81.5, $1,050; 4. Roscoe Jarboe, 76, $800; 5. Trey Holston, 60, $300; no other qualified rides.
Third Round: *1. Trey Benton III, 89 points on Big Rafter Rodeo’s Indigenous, $3,188; 2. Cole Wagner, 84.5, $2,188; 3. Roscoe Jarboe, 83.5, $1,188; 4. Scottie Knapp, 70.5, $938; no other qualified rides.
Semifinal Qualifiers: 1. Trey Benton III, $8,000; 2. Brady Portenier, $4,000; 3. (tie) Cole Wagner and Jace Trosclair, $2,000 each.
BREAKAWAY ROPING
First Round: 1. (tie) Samantha Fulton and Rickie Engesser, 3.20 seconds, $2,500 each; 3. (tie) Taylor Engesser and Macy Young, 3.30, $875 each; 5. Shai Schaefer, 3.50, $500; 6. Jordi Edens, 3.80, $250.
Second Round: 1. McKenna Hickson, 2.80 seconds, $3,000; 2. Rickie Engesser, 3.30, $2,000; 3. Macy Young, 3.40, $1,000; 4. Jordi Edens, 3.50, $750; 5. Taylor Engesser, 12.50, $500; 6. Braylee Shepherd, 13.20, $250.
Third Round: 1. Samantha Fulton, 2.90, $3,000; 2. Shai Schaefer, 3.40, $2,000; 3. McKenna Hickson, 3.60, $1,000; 4. Rickie Engesser, 3.70, $750; 5. Jordi Edens, 12.70, $500; no other qualified runs.
Semifinal Qualifiers: 1. Samantha Fulton, $5,500; 2. Rickie Engesser, $5,250; 3. McKenna Hickson, $4,000; 4. Shai Schaefer, $2,500.