BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
The Southeastern Livestock Exposition in Montgomery, Alabama paid out more than $150,000 over the weekend, with the winners taking home between $2,700 and $4,800 apiece.
The bareback riding and saddle bronc riding were won by a pair of World Champions who both went 88.5 points. In bareback, it was 2019 Gold Buckle winner Clayton Biglow and in saddle bronc, two-time World Champion Ryder Wright was No. 1. In the final roughstock event, 2021 NFR Average Champion Josh Frost shared the win with Ernie Courson Jr.
As for the timed events, Justin Kimsey won the steer wrestling with a 4.0 second run, Dustin Eguisquiza/Travis Graves were an impressive 3.6 to claim the team roping and Riley Istre got his first professional win since 2018, and second of his career, in the tie-down roping. In barrel racing, Elizabeth Schmid was the champion with a time of 15.18 seconds.
Bareback riding
First round: 1. Clayton Biglow, 88.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Painted Smoke, $3,737; 2. (tie) Cole Franks, Trenten Montero and Cole Reiner, 86.5, $2,117 each; 5. (tie) Wyatt Denny and Dean Thompson, 85.5, $747 each; 7. Ty Pope, 85, $498; 8. Jacob Raine, 83, $374.
Steer wrestling
First round: 1. Justin Kimsey, 4.0 seconds, $2,746; 2. Cody Miller, 4.1, $2,457; 3. (tie) Kalane Anders and Kyle Irwin, 4.2, $2,023 each; 5. Gavin Soileau, 4.3, $1,590; 6. J.W. Ery, 4.4, $1,301; 7. Tucker Allen, 4.5, $1,012; 8. Stephen Culling, 4.6, $723; 9. Gary Gilbert, 4.8, $434; 10. Troy Orr, 4.9, $145.
Team roping
First round: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 3.6 seconds, $3,619 each; 2. Clint Keller/Morgan Jones, 3.7, $3,361; 3. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Clint Summers/Ross Ashford, 4.0, $2,973 each; 5. (tie) Keven Daniel/Adam Plyler and Tee Luttrell/Cole Curry, 4.3, $2,456 each; 7. (tie) Cory Kidd V/Lane Mitchell and Justin Yost/Garrett Smith, 4.4, $1,939 each; 9. Kaston Peavy/Shane Edmonson, 4.5, $1,551; 10. (tie) Shay Dixon Carroll/Evan Arnold and Coy Rahlmann/Douglas Rich, 4.6, $1,034 each; 12. Jake Cooper/Sid Sporer, 4.8, $517.
Saddle bronc riding
First round: 1. Ryder Wright, 88.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big News, $4,174; 2. Lefty Marvel Holman, 87, $3,200; 3. (tie) Riggin Smith, Stetson Dell Wright and Spencer Wright, 86.5, $1,623 each; 6. Damian Brennan, 84.5, $696; 7. (tie) Houston Brown and Kolby Wanchuk, 84, $487 each.
Tie-down roping
First round: 1. Riley Istre, 9.1 seconds, $4,733; 2. (tie) Thomas Conway, Austin Davis, Booker McCutchen, Michael Otero and Tim Pharr, 9.2, $3,238 each; 7. Zac Wilson, 9.4, $1,744; 8. Andrew Burks, 9.5, $1,246; 9. (tie) Blake Ash and Justin Thigpen, 10.2, $498 each.
Barrel racing
First round: 1. Elizabeth Schmid, 15.18 seconds, $4,469; 2. Christine DeRenzo, 15.25, $3,575; 3. Jimmie Smith, 15.26, $2,905; 4. Ilyssa Riley, 15.29, $2,234; 5. Bugg Beeler, 15.32, $1,788; 6. Nicole Love, 15.38, $1,341; 7. Taycie Matthews, 15.42, $1,117; 8. (tie) Chloe Gray and BryAnna Haluptzok, 15.43, $950 each; 10. (tie) Lindsey Hayes-Banks, Ericka Nelson and Ashley Rogers, 15.45, $670 each; 13. Billie Harmon, 15.47, $447; 14. Sissy Winn, 15.50, $335; 15. Abby Phillips, 15.52, $223.
Bull riding
First round: *1. (tie) Ernie Courson Jr, on Frontier Rodeo’s Glory Days, and Josh Frost, on Frontier Rodeo’s Little Eddy, 88 points, $3,645 each; 3. Levi Schonebaum, 85.5, $2,359; 4. Jacob O’Mara, 84.5, $1,547; 5. Cutter Kaylor, 84, $1,006; 6. Stetson Dell Wright, 83, $735; 7. Tristen Hutchings, 81.5, $599; no other qualified rides. *(all totals include ground money).