BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The inaugural Cowboy Channel Rookie Roundup presented by Resistol paid out $100,000 and crowned champions who can always say they were the first to ever win it.
The tournament-style format featured 12-15 rookies competing in a Long Round on Friday afternoon. The Top 8 in each event made it back to Saturday’s performance, where it was cut down to four for a winner-take-all Shootout in every event.
Waylon Bourgeious won the bareback riding, capping a week in which he won the Long Round on the first out in Rookie Roundup history. He won almost $4,000 for the event.
Kaden Greenfield snuck into Saturday’s Semifinals with a 16.8 in the Long Round, but immediately proved he belonged by winning the Round of 8 with a 5.2 second run. He matched that time in the Finals to win the steer wrestling.
In what was by far the fastest round of the rodeo, Bodie Mattson/Trae Smith emerged victorious in the Shootout with a time of 5.5 seconds. The next two pairs were both within two tenths of a second of the champs.
Statler Wright looked poised to one day join brothers Rusty, Ryder and Stetson at the NFR one day as the youngest Wright brother rode for 88.5 points in the Finals to win a title no one else in his family has. All three of Wright’s rides were marked 84 points or higher.
In tie-down roping, Tom Crouse turned in time of 8.2 seconds to beat Riley Webb, who on the first two rounds, in the Finals. Crouse and Webb were the only two with qualified times.
Presley Smith impressed in the barrel racing by clocking two 13.82 second times in Cowtown Coliseum Saturday. Jordan Driver was second in the Shootout with a time of 13.96 seconds.
In bull riding, Wade Berg was the only cowboy to ride two, covering White Diamond for 85 points in the Long Round and Punchline for 80 points in the Shootout. Because of ground money, Berg won more than $11,000 at the Rookie Roundup.
In breakaway roping, Gianna Cianfichi got the biggest check of her professional career by winning the Shootout with a 3.4 second run.
Bareback riding
First round: 1. Waylon Bourgeois, 83 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Jungle Cat, $1,329; 2. Bodee Lammers, 80, $1,156; 3. Calder Peterson, 79, $982; 4. Rickey Williams, 78, $809; 5. Shannon Warren, 77, $636; 6. Matt Tuni, 75.5, $462; 7. Troy Kirkpatrick, 75, $289; 8. Cooper Cooke, 74, $116.
Finals: 1. Waylon Bourgeois, 85.5 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Faded Night, $2,500; 2. Ricky Williams, 83.5, $1,500; 3. Bodee Lammers, 79, $1,000; 4. Matt Tuni, 71, $500.
BOURGEOIS’ RIDE
Steer wrestling
First round: 1. Joshua Hefner, 4.6 seconds, $1,329; 2. Sterling Walton, 5.2, $1,156; 3. Adam Musil, 5.7, $982; 4. Landris White, 7.6, $809; 5. Kyler Dick, 7.7, $636; 6. Bryn Roy, 9.8, $462; 7. Kaden Greenfield, 16.8, $289; no other qualified runs.
Finals: Kaden Greenfield, 5.2, $2,667; 2. Landris White, 7.4, $1,667; 3. Quentin Wheeler, $1,167; no other qualified times.
GREENFIELD’S RUN
Team roping
First round: 1. Logan Currie/Clay Green, 6.2 seconds, $1,329 each; 2. Jason Burson/Garrett Smith, 6.8, $1,156; 3. Peter Bennett/Brandt Ross, 8.6, $982; 4. (tie) Wyatt Lacey/Junior Zambrano and Kreece Thompson/Zack Woods, 11.3, $722 each; 6. Trevor Hale/Levi Walter, 11.5, $462; 7. Bodie Mattson/Trae Smith, 11.6, $289; 8. Tyler Hobert/Kolton Good, 11.7, $116.
Finals: 1. Bodie Mattson/Trae Smith, 5.5, $2,500; 2. Wyatt Lacey/Junior Zambrano, 5.6, $1,500; 3. Logan Currie/Clay Green, 5.7, $1,000; 4. Jason Burson/Garrett Smith, 9.6, $500.
MATTSON/SMITH’S RUN
Saddle bronc riding
First round: 1. Cree Minkoff, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Daisy Duke, $1,329; 2. (tie) Damian Brennan and Statler Wright, 85, $1,069 each; 4. (tie) Bailey Bench and Brody Wells, 82.5, $722 each; 6. Dylan Schofield, 79, $462; 7. Chris Williams, 76, $289; 8. Triston Eklund, 75, $116.
Finals: 1. Statler Wright, 88.5 on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Border Town, $3,250; 2. Damian Brennan, 84.5, $2,250; no other qualified rides.
WRIGHT’S RIDE
Tie-down roping
First round: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 9.1 seconds, $1,329; 2. Tate Thomas, 9.4, $1,156; 3. Zaine Mikita, 9.6, $982; 4. Austin Davis, 10.0, $809; 5. Tom Crouse, 11.6, $636; 6. Dallen McIntire, 11.9, $462; 7. Kase Bacque, 13.5, $289; 8. Cash Hooper, 13.8, $116.
Finals: 1. Tom Crouse, 8.2, $3,250; 2. Riley Webb, 10.5, $2,250; no other qualified times.
CROUSE’S RUN
Barrel Racing
First round: 1. Hannah Forsythe, 14.03 seconds, $1,329; 2. Presley Smith, 14.05, $1,156; 3. Jamie Olsen, 14.12, $982; 4. Kailee Murdock, 14.26, $809; 5. Jordan Driver, 14.27, $636; 6. Teneille Angland, 14.29, $462; 7. Taycie Matthews, 14.34, $289; 8. Jessica Anderson, 14.42, $116.
Finals: Presley Smith, 13.82, $2,500; 2. Jordan Driver, 13.96, $1,500; 3. Hannah Forsythe, $18.87, $1,000; 4. Taycie Matthews, 23.92, $500.
SMITH’S RUN
Bull riding
First round: 1. Wade Berg, 85 points on United Pro Rodeo’s White Diamond, $5,778; no other qualified rides. *(all totals include ground money).
Finals: Wade Berg, 80 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Punchline, $5,500; no other qualified rides.
BERG’S RIDE
BREAKAWAY ROPING
First round: First round: 1. McKaitlin McKee, $1,329; 2. Josie Conner, $1,156; 3. (tie) Gianna Cianfichi and Lauren Hopkins, $896 each; 5. Aspen Miller, $636; 6. Addie Weil $462; 7. Jordan Driver $289; no other qualified runs.
Finals: 1. Gianna Cianfichi, 3.4, $3,250; 2. Paige Stout, 3.6, $2,250; no other qualified times.
CIANFICHI’S RUN