|
|
If you would like to receive Steve
Kenyon's Rodeo Profiles weekly Newsletter delivered straight
to your inbox,
click here.
2/6/2007
"Elshere Wins Bronc Riding in Rapid City..."
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Courtesy of the PRCA –
While most of America was watching the Super
Bowl on Sunday, ProRodeo’s finest were competing
for top money in their quest for rodeo’s super
bowl – the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in
December. The Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo
in Rapid City, S.D., was the stop this past
weekend where competitors were hoping to score
some big bucks.
2006 Wrangler NFR saddle bronc riding average
champion J.J. Elshere dominated his event in his
home state to take home the average title.
Elshere, of Quinn, won the first round, posting
an 84-point ride on Burch Rodeo’s Bath Bubbles.
In the Tour Round, he finished in a three-way
tie for first with 2005 World Champion Jeff
Willert and Willert’s traveling partner, Chet
Johnson, with scores of 83 points. In the end,
Elshere finished with a two-head total of 167
points, outdistancing both Johnson, of Gillette,
Wyo., with 161 points and Willert, of Belvidere,
S.D., with 160. Elshere won $7,125 en route to
the title.
The Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo marked the
third stop on the 2007 Wrangler ProRodeo Tour.
This year’s Wrangler ProRodeo Tour consists 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.
Jess Davis took top honors in the bareback
riding after a hard fought competition. Davis,
of Payson, Utah, finished second in the first
round with an 83-point score behind Nathan
Graves of Kaycee, Wyo., who rode Kesler’s Star’s
Alive for 86 points. In the Tour Round, Davis
finished atop the leaderboard with an 85 on
Kesler’s Alley Trail, which was just enough to
give him the average title with a two-head score
of 168. Davis finished ahead of Wrangler NFR
qualifiers Heath Ford with 165 points and Paul
Jones with 164. Davis pocketed $6,178 while in
Rapid City.
Steer wrestlers Levi Wisness and Justin Thompson
couldn’t seem to separate themselves on the
leaderboard even after three runs. Wisness, of
Keene, N.D., and Thompson, of North Platte,
Neb., tied for the average win with identical
times of 16.2 seconds on three head and they
each pocketed checks totaling $3,961. In the
first round, they finished in a tie for fourth
with times of 4.5 seconds. They finished out of
the money in the second round, but again posted
the same time of 7.1 seconds. In the Tour Round,
they finished once again in a tie with runs of
4.6 seconds, which was good for a second place
finish. Bill Boyce of Lewistown, Mont., won the
round in a time of 4.0 seconds.
Consistency was the key for tie-down roper
Michael Otero en route to the average title in
Rapid City. Otero, of Foley, Ala., finished in a
tie for seventh in the first round with a time
of 9.8 seconds, but finished out of the money in
the second round with a 10.2-second run. He
returned in the Tour Round on Sunday, posting an
8.0-second run to finish in a tie for second
with Trent Creager and just one-tenth of a
second off the winning run turned in by Boe
Brown with a 7.9. In the end, it was Otero atop
the leaderboard with a total time of 28.0
seconds on three head, followed by Brown, of
Harrold, S.D., with a 28.7. Otero won $3,304 for
his efforts.
Colorado team ropers Nick Pullara and C.L.
Morgan took top honors over the weekend in Rapid
City after roping three-head in a time of 16.6
seconds. Pullara, of Pueblo, and Morgan, of
Avondale, won the first round with a time of 4.7
seconds, and finished second in the Tour Round
with run totaling 5.7 seconds. Shane Schwenke
and Marty Becker won the Tour Round with a
5.5-second run. Pullara and Morgan each picked
up $4,903 in Rapid City.
Brenda Seeley of Lander, Wyo., won the barrel
racing average title by one one-hundredth of a
second over Mel Bachand of Belle Fourche, S.D.
Seeley finished with 25.04 seconds on two runs,
while Bachand turned in a 25.05. Bachand also
won the Tour Round in a time of 12.46 seconds.
Seeley won $4,372, while Bachand picked up
$3,480.
Bull rider Seth Glause reigned supreme in Rapid
City winning the two head average with 169
points. Glause, of Rock Springs, Wyo., won the
first round with an 87-point ride on Burch
Rodeo’s Magic Man and then finished second in
the Tour Round behind South Dakota’s Jesse Bail.
Bail, of Camp Crook, rode Southwick, Robertson
and Wilson’s Jimmy Ray for 87 points to win the
round, while Glause finished second with an 82.
When the dust had settled it was Glause who
finished atop the leaderboard followed closely
by Bail with 168 points. Glause picked up
$6,277, while Bail won $3,610.
The next Wrangler ProRodeo Tour stop will be the
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo on Feb. 17, which
is offering a $1 million payout. San Antonio
marks the first regular season rodeo to offer a
$1 million purse.
Black Hills Stock Show Rodeo Tour, Average
Champions
Bareback Riding
T: Jess Davis (Payson, Utah), 85 points
A: Davis, 168 points on two head, $6,178
Steer Wrestling
T: Bill Boyce (Lewistown, Mont.), 4.0 seconds
A: (tie) Levi Wisness (Keene, N.D.) and Justin
Thompson (North Platte, Neb.), 16.2 seconds on
three head, $3,961 each
Team Roping
T: Shane Schwenke (Harlem, Mont.)/Marty Becker
(Edmonton, Alberta), 5.5 seconds
A: Nick Pullara (Pueblo, Colo.)/C.L. Morgan
(Avondale, Colo.), 16.6 seconds on three head,
$4,903 each
Saddle Bronc Riding
T: (tie) Jeff Willert (Belvidere, S.D.) and Chet
Johnson (Gillette, Wyo.), 83 points
A: J.J. Elshere (Quinn, S.D.), 167 points on two
head, $7,125
Tie-Down Roping
T: Boe Brown (Harrold, S.D.), 7.9 seconds
A: Michael Otero (Foley, Ala.), 28.0 seconds on
three head, $3,304
Barrel Racing
T: Mel Bachand (Belle Fourche, S.D.), 12.46
seconds
A: Brenda Seely (Lander, Wyo.), 25.04 seconds on
two runs, $4,372
Bull Riding
T: Jesse Bail (Camp Crook, S.D.), 87 points
A: Seth Glause (Rock Springs, Wyo.), 169 points
on two head, $6,277
|
|
