Denver team wins Fort Worth Rodeo X title

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A team representing Denver’s National Western Stock Show and Rodeo snapped Rodeo Houston’s five-year win streak at Rodeo X in Fort Worth on Thursday night.

Rodeo X is a team event with teams representing Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Calgary Stampede, Rodeo Houston, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, the San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo, Rodeo Austin, the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo in Denver and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The teams competed in a tournament-style format in bareback riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing and bull riding.

Eight contestants competed in each event with the top four moving onto the second and final round. Whichever athlete has the top score in the second round, wins the event and $10,000.

In Bareback Riding, Clint Laye got Denver off to a good start as he scored 89 points on his first ride.

In the second round, Laye had the top score once again, notching 91 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Cactus Black.

“I just got in the zone and let it fly,” he said.

Ty Erickson made it two wins for the Denver team in two events when he stopped the clock at 3.99 seconds in the Steer Wrestling finals.

Erickson, the 2019 World Champion, had the slowest of the four finals-qualifying times in the first round.

In the Saddle Bronc, there were eight rides between 84 and 88.5 points in the first round.

In the finals, it was Ryder Wright who rose to the top, scoring 92 points on Korkow Rodeos’ Onion Ring to win the event for San Angelo. Sterling Crawley was second with a 90-point ride on Stace Smith’s Cow Camp.

Barrel Racing was won by Emily Miller, who represented Rodeo Austin. She and her horse Chongo had a run of 16.4 seconds in the final round to claim the victory.

Miller also had the fastest time in the first round.

Jordan Spears won the Bull Riding event for San Angelo after barely making the finals. He scored 71 points in his first round but it was enough to make the finals and in the finals, he had the only 8-second ride, scoring an 86 Andrews Rodeo’s bull Breaking Records.

Overall, two events were won by Denver, two by San Angelo and one by Austin.

The Denver team won the title with $25,500. San Angelo was second with $22,000 and Rodeo Austin took third with $20,500.