BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The Calgary Stampede has completed its first of two pools and Championship Sunday has begun to take shape.
The Top 4 athletes based on money earned through four performances advanced, while those who finished in positions 5-8 will compete in Saturday’s Wild Card.
The bareback riding in Pool A was dominated by a pair of World Champions. Tim O’Connell was first in the pool with $15,500 and Clayton Biglow was second with $13,000. O’Connell won two of the first three rounds and made four rides of 84.5 points or more. Biglow won two rounds as well and three of his four rides were marked 86 points or more.
A World Champion lead the way in steer wrestling as well as 2019 Gold Buckle winner Ty Erickson had three times of 4.3 seconds or faster to bank $14,000. Cody Cassidy and Will Lummus split second in the pool with $10,500 apiece.
Three-time Calgary Stampede Zeke Thurston is obviously comfortable in his home country and it showed again in 2022 as he won the first three performances of Pool A in the saddle bronc riding to cruise to the lead $16,500. World No. 1 Sage Newman ended up second with $9,000 and four-time NFR qualifier Chase Brooks made a clutch 88.5 point ride to win Round 4 and advance in third place with $8,500.
Reigning World Champion Caleb Smidt was the man to beat in the tie-down roping as he raked in $17,000 and made two 7.1 second runs. He earned $17,000 total.
Stevi Hillman has made more money than any other athlete at the rodeo so far with $17,500. On Monday, she stopped the clock at 17.39 seconds, which is the fastest time of the rodeo. Cowboy Channel Female Athlete of the Week Dona Kay Rule was second in Pool A with $13,500.
Clayton Sellars was a perfect 4-for-4 in the bull riding and won $17,000 in Pool A. Reid Oftendahl, Cody Coverchuk and Jared Parsonage all advanced as the only other cowboys to ride multiple. They were all 2-for-4.
Bareback Riding
First round: 1. Clayton Biglow, 90.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Yipee Kibitz, $5,500; 2. Tim O’Connell, 87.5, $4,500; 3. R.C. Landingham, 87, $3,500; 4. Anthony Thomas, 86.5, $2,500; 5. Kody Lamb, 85.5, $1,500; 6. (tie) Orin Larsen and Cole Franks, 82.5 each.
Second round: 1. (tie) R.C. Landingham, on Calgary Stampede’s Disco Party, Clint Laye, on Calgary Stampede’s Soap Bubbles, and Tim O’Connell, on Calgary Stampede’s Rum Flavoured, 86 points, $4,500 each; 4. Kody Lamb, 84, $2,500; 5. Cole Franks, 83, $1,500; 6. Anthony Thomas, 75.
Third round: 1. (tie) Clayton Biglow, on Calgary Stampede’s Simply Marvellous, and Tim O’Connell, on Calgary Stampede’s Coffee Express, 86 points, $5,000 each; 3. (tie) Anthony Thomas and R.C. Landingham, 85.5 $3,000 each; 5. Cole Franks, 83.5, $1,500; 6. Orin Larsen, 82.
Fourth round: 1. Orin Larsen, 88.5 points on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s True Grit, $5,500; 2. Clint Laye, 88, $4,500; 3. Cooper Cooke, 86.5, $3,500; 4. Clayton Biglow, 86, $2,500; 5. Tim O’Connell, 84.5, $1,500; 6. Kody Lamb, 83.5.
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Tim O’Connell, $15,500; 2. Clayton Biglow, $13,000; 3. R.C. Landingham, $11,000; 4. Clint Laye, $9,500.
BIGLOW’S 90.5 POINT RIDE
Steer wrestling
First round: 1. Ty Erickson, 4.0 seconds, $5,500; 2. Stephen Culling, 4.4, $4,500; 3. Will Lummus, 4.6, $3,500; 4. Cody Cassidy, 4.7, $2,500; 5. Payden McIntyre, 4.8, $1,500; 6. Stetson Jorgensen, 4.9.
Second round: 1. Dirk Tavenner, 4.2 seconds, $,5,500; 2. (tie) Cody Cassidy and Stetson Jorgensen, 4.3, $4,000 each; 4. Hunter Cure, 4.4, $2,500; 5. Will Lummus, 4.5, $1,500; 6. Nick Guy, 5.7.
Third round: 1. Will Lummus, 4.1 seconds, $5,500; 2. (tie) Cody Cassidy and Ty Erickson, 4.3, $4,000 each; 4. Stetson Jorgensen, 4.5, $2,500; 5. Justin Miller, 4.7, $1,500; 6. Stephen Culling, 4.8.
Fourth round: 1. Justin Miller, 3.8 seconds, $5,500; 2. Ty Erickson, 3.9, $4,500; 3. Stetson Jorgensen, 4.1, $3,500; 4. Hunter Cure, 4.3, $2,500; 5. Stephen Culling, 4.5, $1,500; 6. Nick Guy, 5.2.
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Ty Erickson, $14,000; 2. (tie) Cody Cassidy and Will Lummus, $10,500 each; 4. Stetson Jorgensen, $10,000.
ERICKSON’S 4.0 SECOND RUN
Saddle bronc riding
First round: 1. Zeke Thurston, 89.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Baby Kibitz, $5,500; 2. Ross Griffin, 89, $4,500; 3. Chase Brooks, 84.5, $3,500; 4. Sage Newman, 84, $2,500; 5. Kolby Wanchuk, 83, $1,500; 6. Lucas Macza, 81.5.
Second round: 1. Zeke Thurston, 85 points on Calgary Stampede’s Yuppie Bubbles, $5,500; (tie) Kole Ashbacher and Sage Newman, 84, $4,000 each; 4. Leon Fountain, 83.50, $2,500; 5. Ross Griffin, 82, $1,500. 6. Chase Brooks, 81.50.
Third round: 1. Zeke Thurston, 89 points on Calgary Stampede’s Urgent Delivery, $5,500; 2. Leon Fountain, 86.5, $4,500; 3. Kole Ashbacher, 85.5, $3,500; 4. (tie) Layton Green and Kolby Wanchuk, 84, $2,000 each; 6. Sage Newman, 82.
Fourth round: 1. (tie) Chase Brooks, on Ward Macza’s Little Sister, and Dawson Hay, on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s Alberta Moon, 88.5 points, $5,000 each; 3. Kolby Wanchuk, 86, $3,500; 4. Sage Newman, 84.5, $2,500; 5. Ross Griffin, 83.5, $1,500; 6. Zeke Thurston, 83.
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Zeke Thurston, $16,500; 2. Sage Newman, $9,000; 3. Chase Brooks, $8,500; 4. (tie) Ross Griffin and Kole Ashbacher, $7,500.
THURSTON’S 89.5 POINT RIDE
Tie-down roping
First round: 1. Zack Jongbloed, 7.2 seconds, $5,500; 2. Tyler Milligan, 7.4, $4,500; 3. Logan Bird, 8.4, $3,500; 4. Westyn Hughes, 8.6, $2,500; 5. Caleb Smidt, 9.0, $1,500; 6. Cooper Martin, 10.2.
Second round: 1. Caleb Smidt, 7.1 seconds, $5,500; 2. Tyler Milligan, 8.6, $4,500; 3. (tie) Haven Meged and Logan Bird, 9.6, $3,000 each; 5. Westyn Hughes, 9.8, $1,500; 6. Zack Jongbloed, 10.3.
Third round: 1. Haven Meged, 7.6 seconds, $5,500; 2. Caleb Smidt, 8.0, $4,500; 3. Logan Bird, 8.2, $3,500; 4. Shane Smith, 8.6, $2,500; 5. Clayton Smith, 9.1, $1,500; 6. Zack Jongbloed, 10.6.
Fourth round: 1. Caleb Smidt, 7.1 seconds, $5,500; 2. Zack Jongbloed, 7.2, $4,500; 3. (tie) Westyn Hughes and Morgan Grant, 7.7, $3,000 each; 5. Clayton Smith, 8.0, $1,500; 6. Shane Smith, 8.4.
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Caleb Smidt, $17,000; 2 (tie) Zack Jongbloed, $10,000 and Logan Bird, $10,000; 4. Tyler Milligan, $9,000.
SMIDT’S FOURTH ROUND RUN
Barrel racing
First round: 1. Emily Beisel, 17.62 seconds, $5,500; 2. Dona Kay Rule, 17.69, $4,500; 3. Bertina Olafson, 17.72, $3,500; 4. (tie) Stevi Hillman and Shelby Spielman, 17.76, $2,000 each; 6. Bayleigh Choate, 17.96.
Second round: 1. Dona Kay Rule, 17.54 seconds, $5,500; 2. Stevi Hillman, 17.55, $4,500; 3. Bertina Olafson, 17.61, $3,500; 4. Justine Elliott, 17.63, $2,500; 5. Cheyenne Wimberley, 17.67, $1,500; 6. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.74.
Third round: 1. Stevi Hillman, 17.51 seconds, $5,500; 2. Shelby Spielman, 17.52, $4,500; 3. Dona Kay Rule, 17.68, $3,500; 4. Emily Beisel, 17.76, $2,500; 5. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.78, $1,500; 6. Bertina Olafson, 17.81.
Fourth round: 1. Stevi Hillman, 17.39 seconds, $5,500; 2. Shelby Spielman, 17.48, $4,500; 3. Emily Beisel, 17.54, $3,500; 4. Cheyenne Wimberley, 17.58, $2,500; 5. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.62, $1,500; 6. Justine Elliott, 17.66.
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Stevi Hillman, $17,500; 2. Dona Kay Rule, $13,500; 3. Emily Beisel, $11,500; 4. Shelby Spielman, $11,000.
HILLMAN’S 17.39 SECOND RUN
Bull riding
First round: *1. Josh Frost, 88 points on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s Big Bird, $5,875; 2. Clayton Sellars, 85.5, $4,875; 3. Jordan Hansen, 82, $3,875; 4. Cole Fischer, 78.5, $2,875; no other qualified rides.
Second round: *1. Reid Oftedahl, 87 points on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s Jayded, $6,833; 2. Jared Parsonage, 84.5, $5,833; 3. Clayton Sellars, 67, $4,833; no other qualified rides.
Third round: *1. Clayton Sellars, 88.5 points on Outlaw Buckers’ Afraid To Nod, $5,875; 2. (tie) Cody Coverchuk, Tyler Taylor and Edgar Durazo, 81.5, $3,875 each; no other qualified rides.
Fourth round: 1. Cody Coverchuk, 86 points on Ward Macza’s Black Panther, $5,500; 2. Reid Oftedahl, 85.5, $4,500; 3. Clayton Sellars, 85, $3,500; 4. Jared Parsonage, 84.5, $2,500; 5. Connor Murnion, 84, $1,500; 6. Tyler Taylor, 80.5. *(all totals include ground money).
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Clayton Sellars, $17,000; 2. Reid Oftedahl, $10,000; 3. Cody Coverchuk, $9,000; 4. Jared Parsonage, $7,000.
SELLARS’ 88.5 POINT RIDE