1. Bownds gets comeback started in Odessa
ODESSA, Texas – Chandler Bownds had a big grin on his face when he completed his ride on the Andrews Rodeo’s bull Jaw Bender, and it got even bigger when announcer Randy Corley called out that it had earned a score of 89 points.
It proved enough to get Bownds the win at the SandHills Stock Show & Rodeo, but that was almost beside the point after the injury-plagued season he suffered through a year ago. The main thing was that he was riding well and pain-free.
No, the main thing was the hope this ride imbued in him.
“What a great confidence boost,” Bownds said. “I know I’m not all the way back to riding shape yet – I’m probably 80-90 percent there – but it’s coming and to be able to have a ride like that really means a lot.”
A year ago, Bownds went from being the Resistol PRCA Bull Riding Rookie of the Year and a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier, to being a surgical patient and a rehab warrior.
He suffered a groin injury at the Crockett (Texas) Lions Club PRCA Rodeo last spring, took a month off and then aggravated the injury at the Sisters (Ore.) Rodeo, in June.
After a consultation with Dr. Tandy Freeman, Bownds underwent surgery in Philadelphia on June 28, where doctors reattached his groin muscle to his pelvis. He was sidelined for another two months.
“When I did come back in late August I was still pretty weak,” Bownds said. “I worked out a lot, including underwater therapy, but it’s a long process. You think you are in shape, but you aren’t really in riding shape. That’s going to take a while.”
Bownds’s 89 points on Jaw Bender (“a bull I’ve wanted to have the chance to ride for a while”) was one better than Bobby Welsh, and it paid the 21-year-old Texan $5,672.
The other champions in this $270,136 rodeo at Ector County Coliseum were bareback riders Bobby Mote and Jake Halverson (86 points each), steer wrestler Todd Suhn (10.9 seconds on two head), team ropers Erich Rogers and Cory Petska (9.8 seconds on two head), saddle bronc rider Cody Wright (85 points), tie-down roper Blair Burk (16.1 seconds on two head), steer roper Cody Lee (50.7 seconds on four head) and barrel racers Kenna Squires and Fallon Taylor (14.14 seconds).
It was Wright’s third consecutive win at Odessa and fourth in the last six years. The first two wins there, in 2008 and 2010, got Wright started toward world championships and this one lifted him into first place in the 2013 standings, $1,451 ahead of his brother Spencer in second place.
2. Hill proves insurmountable in Great Falls
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – It doesn’t appear that Beau Hill is prepared to surrender his status as Montana’s greatest bull rider any time soon.
Hill, who turns 34 next month, was utterly dominating – again – in winning the Jan. 11-13 Ram Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo and along the way equaled Dave Wagner’s circuit record with a fifth year-end championship.
How dominating are we talking? For the second year in a row, Hill was the only bull rider to have qualified rides in all three rounds and he got better day by day at the $147,413 rodeo.
Hill, of West Glacier, Mont., tied for second place behind Luke Gee in the first round with a 79-point ride, then won the second round with an 85-pointer and closed out with a 92-point win on Kesler Rodeo’s Whiskey Jack to finish with 256 points.
“I won on that same bull in Kalispell (Mont., last summer),” Hill told the Daily Inter Lake of Kalispell. “I got a 91 (there) and a 92 today. He was the bull of the year for our circuit. You always want to draw one you can win on and he was the best one here. That gives you a chance to prove yourself … show that you’re one of the best.
“He bucks super hard. If you mess up for a split second, he’ll throw you off. He’s also got a little fear factor about him. He’ll come after you, try to hook you. He has a little attitude.”
The $6,742 Hill banked over the weekend lifted his season total to $13,003 and allowed him to wipe out a $5,602 deficit in the season standings and edge Parking Breding by $303 to claim that fifth year-end title.
Hill had previously won year-end titles in 2003-05 and 2010.
“It was a really good weekend,” Hill said. “I couldn’t ask for much better. It never gets old (being a circuit champion). The older I get the more I appreciate everything. You never know when it will be the last one. It’s year-to-year for now.”
The other champions at the Four Seasons Arena were bareback rider Chase Erickson (249 points on three head), steer wrestler Nolan Conway (16.7 seconds on three head), team ropers Miles Kobold and Matt Robertson (19.0 seconds on three head), saddle bronc rider Jesse Kruse (223 points on three head), tie-down roper Bryant Mikkelson (32.5 seconds on three head) and barrel racer Chloe Hoovestal (40.61 seconds on three runs).
Apart from Hill, Erickson was the only other repeat champion at the RMCFR.
3. Nastri, Rimes going back to the RNCFR
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Carmine Nastri has been to so many circuit finals – both at the regional and national level – that he’s lost count. The 52-year-old can add another notch to his belt after taking the team roping average title with partner Lewis Rimes Jr. at the Jan. 10-12 Ram First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo.
Nastri – who has roped at the RNCFR with Rimes Jr. at both Pocatello, Idaho, and Oklahoma City – missed the party last year and is eager to go back.
“I’m thrilled to be going back; we came here knowing we needed to win the average and we were able to pull it off,” said the Ballston, N.Y., native. “The RNCFR is as good as it gets for cowboys like us because we don’t rodeo enough to get to Vegas (for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo).”
The win on Jan. 12 at the Farm Show didn’t come without some good fortune. Going into the final round, Nastri and Rimes Jr. needed to have a fast time and they also needed some help.
The pair had a time of 6.6 seconds, which was good for second in the round. They then watched as Frankie Fernandez and Brice Stafford had trouble with their steer, earning a time of 10.8, allowing Nastri and Rimes Jr. to win the average by 0.9 seconds.
“We had a steer that was a bit tricky, but we were able to handle him and we lucked out when Frankie and Brice had problems,” Nastri said. “You always feel the pressure at circuit finals, but I think we had practiced enough to make good runs.”
Nastri was the all-around champion at the RNCFR in 2003, and showed why on Saturday. On top of winning the team roping average, he also came in second in the tie-down roping average.
“I was really hoping to be able to go back to Oklahoma City for both events, but I just missed it,” Nastri said. “But coming into this weekend, the goal was to win the team roping average, so I’m very happy.”
Other winners at the $101,601 rodeo were bareback rider Clovis Crane (220 points on three head), steer wrestler Tom Farrelly (16.5 seconds on three head), saddle bronc rider Mike Johnson (220 points on three head), tie-down roper Tim Naylor (32.5 seconds on three head), barrel racer Jennifer Oberg (43.55 seconds on three runs) and bull rider Mike Adams (236 points on three head). Adams, a 20-year-old competing on his permit, also won the year-end championship by winning all three rounds at the RFFCFR and earning a career-best $5,198.
4. News and notes from the rodeo trail
Sankey Rodeo Company’s Turtle Dove is being retired to the family ranch in Joliet, Mont., after two decades as one of the sport’s top saddle bronc horses. Turtle Dove was selected six times to compete at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and was the Montana Circuit’s Horse of the Year in 2010. “Turtle Dove is a horse that definitely had everyone’s respect,” ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee Dan Mortensen told the Billings Gazette. “He was an ideal horse for the eliminator pen at the NFR because he was hard to ride and bucked every single time.” … Wyoming bull rider Seth Glause, who finished second in the Wrangler NFR average standings and earned more than $98,000 in Vegas, paid a steep price for his December heroics. He suffered a broken nose, a dislocated left shoulder and torn knee cartilage during the 10 days in Vegas. The worst injury was the shoulder, which required surgery on Jan. 9 and will sideline him for four months … Bareback rider Steven Peebles had hip surgery shortly after completing his labors at the Wrangler NFR and is expected to return to action by April … Six-time Wrangler NFR qualifier Chris Harris fractured his left hip while competing in the bareback riding at the Ram Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo earlier this month in Waco and is out indefinitely … Oscar “Butch” Bode, a PRCA Gold Card member who qualified for the 1976 National Finals Rodeo as a tie-down roper – one of only six lefthanders ever to do so – died Jan. 6 in San Antonio, Texas. He was 60. Memorial gifts may be made to Joe Beaver Junior Superstars Roping, 1329B University Ave., Huntsville, TX 77340 … Cutoff date to qualify for the Oct. 6-12 All American ProRodeo Finals in Waco, Texas, will be Sept. 9. Any All American rodeo ending on or prior to that date will count for this season … The contract to stage the Ram Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo at the Cascade County-owned ExpoPark in Great Falls was extended two years through 2015, it was announced by Circuit President Jim Croff during last week’s 34th annual edition of the event … A combination of state, county and city funding would provide $200,000 for the design of an indoor arena at the Santa Fe (N.M.) Rodeo Grounds, according to a report in the Santa Fe New Mexican. The city is currently on track to approve a bill introduced by Mayor David Coss that would give $100,000 to the project. A precursor to the measure was approved 13 months ago, but that money was to be given only if Rodeo Property Inc., the owner of the property and a subsidiary of Rodeo de Santa Fe, was able to match the $100,000. The group secured funding from the Legislature for $81,000, and another $19,000 from the county, according to Rodeo de Santa Fe’s lobbyist, Pilar Faulkner … Former University of Southern Mississippi baseball player Mickey Harrington, who was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1963, has been selected to serve as the grand marshal of the Feb. 15-16 Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo in his hometown of Hattiesburg. Harrington, 78, returned to USM after his playing days were over and worked there for 28 years as an assistant basketball coach and then as manager of the school’s Equestrian Center … Calgary’s beloved radio broadcaster Arnie Jackson, who just covered his 40th Wrangler NFR in December, has been nominated for the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“They don’t pay them enough. I was a little dazed from hitting the ground and the bull grazed (my helmet with his horn) a little and the next thing I saw was (bullfighter) Andy Burelle jumping between us.”
– Bull rider Shawn Hogg, a 2010 Wrangler NFR qualifier, after a scary moment at his hometown rodeo in Odessa, Texas.
5. Next Up
Jan. 17 National Western Stock Show & Rodeo, Denver, begins
Jan. 18 Amicus Club PRCA Rodeo, Alexandria, La., begins
Jan. 18 Lakeland (Fla.) ProRodeo Classic begins
Jan. 22 PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour Division 2 event, Fort Worth, Texas, begins
Jan. 24 Southwestern Exposition & Livestock Show, Fort Worth, Texas, begins
Jan. 25 PRCA Championship Rodeo, Lincoln, Neb., begins
Jan. 25 PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour event, Rapid City, S.D., begins
Jan. 25 New Mexico Stampede, Rio Rancho, N.M., begins
Jan. 25 Mississippi Championship Rodeo, Tupelo, begins
Jan. 25 Williston (Fla.) ProRodeo begins
Jan. 25 Homestead (Fla.) Championship Rodeo begins
Jan. 26 Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo, Rapid City, S.D., begins
6. 2013 PRCA WORLD STANDINGS
Through Jan. 14, 2013
Bareback Riding
1. George Gillespie IV, Placerville, Calif. $5,263
2. Jake Halverson, Decatur, Texas 5,240
3. Matthew Smith, Leesville, La. 4,999
4. Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore. 4,651
5. Jake Brown, Hillsboro, Texas 4,273
6. Orin Larsen, Twin Falls, Idaho 3,611
7. Chris Harris, Itasca, Texas 3,444
8. Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D. 3,004
9. Clint Cannon, Waller, Texas 2,984
Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo. 2,984
11. Tray Chambliss III, Waller, Texas 2,913
12. D.V. Fennell, Lake Charles, La. 2,675
13. Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La. 2,619
14. Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D. 2,523
15. Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn. 2,362
16. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas 2,334
17. Steven Anding, Athens, Texas 2,272
18. Jared Smith, Cross Plains, Texas 2,217
19. Chase Erickson, Helena, Mont. 2,138
20. Tyson Thompson, Bradley, Calif. 2,048
Steer Wrestling
1. Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont. $5,509
2. Cooper Shofner, Huntsville, Texas 5,000
3. Shayde Etherton, Borden, Ind. 4,844
4. Derek Stewart, Hearne, Texas 4,163
5. Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La. 3,729
6. Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan. 3,664
7. Weston Taylor, Perryton, Texas 3,661
8. Justin Thigpen, Waycross, Ga. 3,050
9. Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla. 3,033
10. Jason Miller, Lance Creek, Wyo. 2,936
11. Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alberta 2,859
12. Ethen Thouvenell, Napa, Calif. 2,801
13. Morgan Grant, New Waverly, Texas 2,690
14. Chance Howard, Cedarville, Ark. 2,639
15. Juan Alcazar Jr., Kissimmee, Fla. 2,530
16. Jason Schaffer, Broadus, Mont. 2,475
17. Bill Pace, Stephenville, Texas 2,417
18. Brad McGilchrist, Marysville, Calif. 2,413
19. Todd Suhn, Hermosa, S.D. 2,349
Stan Branco, Chowchilla, Calif. 2,349
Kyle Broce, La Junta, Colo. 2,349
Team Roping (header)
1. B.J. Campbell, Aguila, Ariz. $6,589
2. Justin Van Davis, Madisonville, Texas 5,881
3. Landon McClaugherty, Tilden, Texas 5,068
4. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz. 4,750
5. Bradley Massey, Perry, Fla. 4,505
6. Turtle Powell, Stephenville, Texas 4,410
7. Logan Olson, Flandreau, S.D. 4,357
8. Zayne Dishion, Bishop, Calif. 4,183
9. Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore. 3,913
10. Clay White, Shandon, Calif. 3,876
11. Clayton Hass, Terrell, Texas 3,762
12. Justin Lovell, Grapeland, Texas 3,736
13. Brad Hamilton, Pollok, Texas 3,587
14. Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M. 3,282
15. Levi Simpson, Claresholm, Alberta 3,229
16. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla. 3,135
17. Blaine Vick, Dublin, Texas 3,106
18. Bryce Palmer, Milton-Freewater, Ore. 3,078
19. Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas 2,944
20. Nathan McWhorter, Telephone, Texas 2,767
Team Roping (heeler)
1. Kory Koontz, Sudan, Texas $6,071
2. JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Texas 5,389
3. Tommy Zuniga, Centerville, Texas 5,068
4. Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz. 4,750
5. Shane Hester, Lakeland, Fla. 4,505
6. Matt Kasner, Cody, Neb. 4,357
7. Jim Ross Cooper, Monument, N.M. 3,913
8. John Chaves, Los Alamos, Calif. 3,876
9. Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas 3,762
10. Travis Graves, Jay, Okla. 3,736
11. Michael Fortenberry, Groveton, Texas 3,736
12. Tyler McKnight, Wells, Texas 3,646
13. Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo. 3,504
14. Randall Richards, Bedias, Texas 3,491
15. John Robertson, Polson, Mont. 3,229
16. Jake Pianalto, Rose, Okla. 3,135
17. Jake Minor, Ellensburg, Wash. 3,078
18. Twister Cain, Gonzales, Texas 2,767
19. Tim Ross, Lipan, Texas 2,755
20. Zak Richardson, Westville, Fla. 2,733
Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Cody Wright, Milford, Utah $6,933
2. Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah 5,482
3. Tyrel Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba 4,345
4. Heith DeMoss, Heflin, La. 4,267
5. Mert Bradshaw, Eagle Point, Ore. 3,436
6. Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D. 3,096
7. Troy Crowser, Whitewood, S.D. 2,990
8. Dean Wadsworth, Ozona, Texas 2,881
9. Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D. 2,830
10. Chuck Schmidt, Keldron, S.D. 2,603
11. Nick Laduke, Livermore, Calif. 2,540
12. Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb. 2,397
13. Mike Johnson, Adair, Okla. 2,292
14. Brady Nicholes, Hoytsville, Utah 2,079
15. Louie Brunson, Interior, S.D. 2,076
16. Eddie Parlier, Johnson City, Tenn. 1,983
17. Bryan Hammons, Victoria, Texas 1,826
18. Curtis Garton, Kaitaia, New Zealand 1,805
19. Tol Cawley, Crockett, Texas 1,716
20. Ryan MacKenzie, Homedale, Idaho 1,618
Tie-down Roping
1. Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas $9,556
2. Blair Burk, Durant, Okla. 6,600
3. Caleb Smidt, Yorktown, Texas 5,616
4. Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. 4,663
5. Barrett Threadgill, Hallettsville, Texas 4,564
6. Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas 4,088
7. Jesse Clark, Portales, N.M. 3,776
8. Blake Hirdes, Turlock, Calif. 3,668
9. Justin Macha, Needville, Texas 3,570
10. Will Blomberg, Sweet Water, Texas 3,050
11. Cody McCartney, Ottawa Lake, Mich. 2,939
12. Boe Brown, Harrold, S.D. 2,910
13. Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas 2,904
14. Cedric Martin, Wharton, Texas 2,795
15. J.D. Kibbe, Portales, N.M. 2,734
16. Morgan Grant, New Waverly, Texas 2,669
17. Seth Childers, Cameron, Texas 2,602
18. Trent Walls, Stephenville, Texas 2,505
19. Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev. 2,374
20. Trent Creager, Stillwater, Okla. 2,361
Steer Roping
1. Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas $11,207
2. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas 7,247
3. Bryce Davis, Ovalo, Texas 5,941
4. Joe Wells, Cisco, Texas 5,084
5. Kim Ziegelgruber, Edmond, Okla. 4,935
6. J. Paul Williams, Burbank, Okla. 4,705
7. Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas 4,276
8. Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla. 4,232
9. Tony Reina, Wharton, Texas 3,570
10. Tim Abbott, Midland, Texas 3,361
11. Coy Thompson, Whitewood, S.D. 3,017
12. Walter Priestly, Robstown, Texas 2,525
13. Shorty Garten, Pawhuska, Okla. 2,420
14. Scott Snedecor, Fredericksburg, Texas 2,262
15. Rod Hartness, Pawhuska, Okla. 2,169
16. Jarrett Blessing, Paradise, Texas 2,151
17. Neal Wood, Needville, Texas 2,106
18. Mike Outhier, Utopia, Texas 2,037
19. Shane Suggs, Granbury, Texas 2,005
20. Will Gasperson, Decatur, Texas 1,837
Bull Riding
1. Scottie Knapp, Albuquerque, N.M. $15,618
2. Kanin Asay, Powell, Wyo. 10,685
3. Bobby Welsh, Gillette, Wyo. 9,474
4. Chandler Bownds, Lubbock, Texas 8,540
5. Cooper Davis, Jasper, Texas 8,204
6. Ardie Maier, Timber Lake, S.D. 6,325
7. Tate Stratton, Kellyville, Okla. 5,791
8. Reese Cates, Monticello, Ark. 5,315
9. Cole Echols, Elm Grove, La. 5,203
10. Ty Wallace, Collbran, Colo. 4,535
11. Blaine Skaggs, Hubbard, Ore. 4,487
12. Friday Wright II, Moss Point, Miss. 4,179
13. Ty Clearwater, LaCygne, Kan. 4,153
14. Jeff Askey, Martin, Tenn. 4,116
15. Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash. 3,975
16. Cody Rostockyj, Hillsboro, Texas 3,696
17. Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas 3,279
18. Parker Greenwood, Big Piney, Wyo. 3,088
19. Neil Holmes, Houston, Texas 2,712
20. Brant Atwood, Fort Worth, Texas 2,680
*2013 Barrel Racing (through Jan. 14, 2013)
Barrel racing standings, provided by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), are unofficial, subject to audit and may change. Unofficial WPRA Standings are published by the PRCA as a courtesy. The PRCA is not responsible for the verification or updating of WPRA standings.
1. Fallon Taylor, Whitesboro, Texas $16,007
2. Carlee Pierce, Stephenville, Texas 6,874
3. Kenna Squires, Fredonia, Texas 6,672
4. Jane Melby, Burneyville, Okla. 6,152
5. Brittany Pozzi, Victoria, Texas 5,727
6. Kelley Carrington-French, Boston, Ga. 4,493
7. Jymmy Kay Cox, Gonzales, Texas 3,822
8. Kay Blandford, Sutherland Springs, Texas 3,749
9. Lee Ann Rust, Stephenville, Texas 3,656
10. Cassie Moseley, Cedar Lane, Texas 3,565
11. Kassidy Dennison, Tohatchi, N.M. 3,298
12. Rainy Graham, Gardendale, Texas 3,272
13. Jenna Marie Moore, Johnson City, Texas 3,227
14. Jaime Hinton, Ceres, Calif. 3,166
15. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz. 3,151
16. Kendra Dickson, Aubrey, Texas 3,129
17. Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas 2,986
18. Tana Renick, Kingston, Okla. 2,819
19. Linda Vick, Hesperia, Calif. 2,710
20. Tammy Fischer, Ledbetter, Texas 2,693
7. 2013 PRCA Xtreme Bulls Standings
Unofficial through Jan. 14, 2013
1. Scottie Knapp, Albuquerque, N.M. $11,944
2. Kanin Asay, Powell, Wyo. 10,594
3. Blaine Skaggs, Hubbard, Ore. 8,353
4. Cooper Davis, Jasper, Texas 4,750
5. Ardie Maier, Timber Lake, S.D. 4,659
6. Bobby Welsh, Gillette, Wyo. 4,628
7. J.W. Harris, Mullin, Texas 3,969
8. Tim Bingham, Honeyville, Utah 3,335
9. Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash. 2,345
10. Cody Samora, Cortez, Colo. 2,336
11. Corey Navarre, Weatherford, Okla. 2,319
12. Tyler Smi