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1/23/2007
The Pharr Family wins big in Denver...
Courtesy of the PRCA...
Jake Hannum from Utah won the tie down roping at
the National Western in Denver which ended
January 21...But the newly formed Pharr Family
from Texas and Georgia took home the rodeo's
biggest payday.
Tie Down Roper Doug Pharr from Georgia married
Reserve World Champion barrel racer Brittany
Pozzi the Saturday after the 2006 WNFR ended. In
Denver they teamed up to win more than $20,000
between them.
Hannum, of Ogden, Utah, placed in all three
rounds, edging out Pharr for first in the
tie-down roping average. Pozzi-Pharr won the
first round of the barrel racing with a rodeo
best 15.16 second run, but finished out of the
money in the second round. The second round was
won by Kelly Kennedy of Berthoud, Colo., in a
time of 15.28 seconds. Pozzi-Pharr returned in
the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Round stopping the
clock in 15.37 seconds, finishing second behind
Lakelsi Dansie of Heber City, Utah, with a
15.18-second run. However, Pozzi-Pharr’s time
was quick enough to give her the average title
and the newlyweds left Denver with a combined
total of $20,399.
No cowboy was hotter than steer wrestler Joey
Bell Jr. of Malakoff, Texas, who took home a
rodeo-best $16,777 after placing in all three
rounds and winning the average with a three-head
total of 12.2 seconds. Ryan Richardson of Long
Valley, S.D., won the round with a time of 3.9
seconds.
Bell, a New Jersey cowboy who now resides in
Texas, had the quickest run in the second round,
stopping the clock in 3.7 seconds. He entered
Sunday’s round, the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour
Round, atop the leaderboard with a two head
total of 7.9 seconds. In the final round, he
took care of business and turfed his steer in
4.3 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for
third place with world champion Mickey Gee and
Casey McMillen. Richardson and Wade Sumpter of
Fowler, Colo., won the round with identical
times of 4.2 seconds. Sumpter, who qualified for
his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last
year, finished second in the average with a
total time of 12.9 seconds on three head.
The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo marked
the second stop on the 2007 Wrangler ProRodeo
Tour. This year’s Wrangler ProRodeo Tour will
consist of 21 rodeos from January to August.
Contestants will choose 15 out of the 21 rodeos
to count toward their official Tour Rodeo count
and will compete for money this year versus
points like in years past.
At the conclusion of the 21st rodeo, the top 35
contestants in total Tour money and the “wild
card”, event champions from the Dodge National
Circuit Finals Rodeo, will move on to the first
Tour Championship event. From there, the top 22
in total Tour money, as well as the Wild Card
from the DNCFR and the champion from the first
Tour Championship event will advance to the
field of 24 to the second Tour Championship
event. At the conclusion of that rodeo, the
field will be cut to 12, then to eight and
finally to four. The Championship sites will be
released at a later date. Fox Sports Network and
CBS are scheduled to televise the Championship
events only.
While Bell was turning up the heat on the timed
event end, bull rider Tate Stratton of Stanley,
N.M., was keep things warm on the roughstock
end. Stratton, who barely missed qualifying for
the 2006 Wrangler NFR, placed in the first
round, won the second round and the Tour Round
en route to the average title and a paycheck
worth $15,419.
Stratton, who is pursuing an animal science
degree at Texas A&M University in College
Station, was one of four riders to have three
successful rides in Denver. In the first round,
he finished in a tie for eighth with a score of
82 points. He returned in the second round to
turn in a rodeo-best 91-point ride on David
Bailey Rodeo’s Big and Rich, giving him the
average lead heading into the final day. During
the Tour Round he rode Cervi Championship
Rodeo’s Victoria’s Secret for 89 points to win
the round and pick-up the average title with 262
points on three head.
Taking top honors in the saddle bronc riding in
Denver was Bradley Harter of Weatherford, Texas.
Harter finished out of the money in the first
round with a 75-point ride, but rebounded in the
second round, posting an 81 to finish in a tie
for third. It was his winning 85-point ride on
Calgary Stampede’s Lynx Mountain in the Wrangler
ProRodeo Tour Round that helped him secure the
average title with 241 points on three head and
a paycheck totaling $11,412.
Anthony Bello of Oakley, Utah, was second in the
average with 238 points after winning the first
round with an 84-point ride on Brookman Rodeo’s
Night Time and finishing third in the Tour Round
with a 79 point ride.
Consistency was the key for bareback rider Cleve
Schmidt as he picked up the average title from
the National Western and checks totaling
$11,006. Schmidt, of Belle Fourche, S.D., turned
in three 80-plus rides to easily win the average
title with 250 points on three head. His closest
competitor was Bo Casper with 240 points.
In the first round, Schmidt finished in a
seven-way tie for fifth place with a score of 82
points. In the second round, he moved up the
leaderboard and finished in a tie for second
with an 84-point ride. Knowing he needed a solid
ride in the final round to secure his first
National Western title, Schmidt finished in a
three-way tie for second place with a score of
84 points. James Boudreaux of Jasper, Texas, won
the Tour round with an 86-point ride on Burch
Rodeo’s Multi-Chem Hostage.
In the team roping, it was the Montana duo of
John Robertson and Dustin Bird taking home the
average title with a total time of 17.9 seconds
on three head, despite not placing in the first
two rounds. Robertson, of Augusta, and Bird, of
Cut Bank, won the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Round
in a time of 5.5 seconds to secure the average
title over Shane Schwenke and Marty Becker, who
finished with a time of 18.3 seconds. Robertson
and Bird each pocketed $6,680 for their effort.
The next Wrangler ProRodeo Tour stop will be the
Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo on Feb. 4 in
Rapid City, S.D.
National Western Stock Show and Rodeo
Tour, Average Champions
Bareback Riding
T: James Boudreaux (Jasper, Texas), 86 points
A: Cleve Schmidt (Belle Fourche, S.D.), 250
points on three head, $11,006
Steer Wrestling
T: (tie) Ryan Richardson (Long Valley, S.D.) and
Wade Sumpter (Fowler, Colo.), 4.2 seconds
A: Joey Bell Jr. (Malakoff, Texas), 12.2 seconds
on three head, $16,777
Team Roping
T: John Robertson (Augusta, Mont.)/Dustin Bird
(Cut Bank, Mont.), 5.5 seconds
A: Robertson/Bird, 17.9 seconds on three head,
$6,680 each
Saddle Bronc Riding
T: Bradley Harter (Weatherford, Texas), 85
points
A: Harter, 241 points on three head, $11,412
Tie-Down Roping
T: Stephen Reagor (Tulsa, Okla.), 9.2 seconds
A: Jake Hannum (Ogden, Utah), 27.9 seconds on
three head, $13,968
Barrel Racing
T: Lakelsi Dansie (Heber City, Utah), 15.18
seconds
A: Brittany Pozzi-Pharr (Victoria, Texas), 46.16
seconds on three runs, $10,356
Bull Riding
T: Tate Stratton (Stanley, N.M.), 89 points
A: Stratton, 262 points on three head, $15,419
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