NFR Breakaway Rnds 1-5; WNFR Rnd 5 Results & Rnd 6 Draw
I watched rounds 1-5 of the Ladies Breakaway Roping Finals today. There are two Canadians in it, but you’d never know it from listening to the announcers. On one or two occasions when Shelby Boisjoli or Sarah Morrissey was backing into the box, a border was mentioned, but I never heard Langdon, Alberta or Merritt B.C. We know they’re in Nevada, but It’s clear the men behind the mic would rather talk about any place in Texas.
I timed those rounds, and it takes anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes for 15 ropers to compete and one to take the victory lap. It wouldn’t break the casinos if the gangsters that dictate what the PRCA can do on the Thomas & Mack Basketball Court would allow those ladies to display their talents at the big show.
Shelby Boisjoli (raised south of Calgary at Langdon) came into the NFBR with a slim lead in the standings. At the halfway point, she won $7,072 today, expanded her lead to $5,357 and set the aggregate pace (14.4 on five head). Sarah Morrissey, who grew up in Merritt and still has family there, started the competition ranked 12th, won a couple of cheques ($3,557) and maintained her position. The final day of the NFBR will be on the Wrangler Network today in the afternoon, and I’ll report the results on this blog.
On Flint Rasmussen’s TV show, he’s ranted for two days now about the same gangsters I’m talking about. I’m paraphrasing, but Flint says we’ve got the ‘clown of the year’ in a barrel during the Bull Riding with a gag order; he’s told not to say or do anything because it’s all about the rodeo. Meanwhile, there’s some guy planted in the crowd throwing T-shirts to the spectators. It’s time the PRCA grew some balls and stood up to Vegas Events on quite a few things.
Round 5: As I Saw It
Things got off to a rousing start when 2018 World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Wade (Wild West) Sundell got bucked off his grand entry horse. In all fairness, the horse caught him by surprise, and he was riding a stock saddle and packing a flag. When it became apparent that Wade was okay, the bareback riders exempt from riding in the grand entry had quite a chuckle behind the chutes.
Boy, I’d hate to be Jess Pope. He’s got to ride against a horse and 14 other guys nightly, plus he’s got four judges, two announcers and the PRCA media all railing against him. They want Kaycee Feild to win at all costs. Everybody who has a bobble in a ride gets docked. If Kaycee stubs a toe, they just give the horse more points. How else could you explain a 91 when he was getting the ragdoll treatment for the last two jumps? Anyway, that was supposedly the winning ride.
Calgary’s World Champion Bareback X-9 Xplosive Skies packed Cole Franks to 90 points for second, and Season Leader Tilden Hooper won third with 89 points on Ward Macza’a 118 OLS Tubs Stevie Knicks.
Richie Champion scored 85.5 for no cheque, Garrett Shadbolt rode Calgary’s A-91 Agent Lynx for 85 points, and after three consecutive nights in the crying hole, Orin Larsen was 83 points. I didn’t even watch the Buckle Presentation; I thought, ‘Why throw something through the TV?’
Tyler Pearson won the Steer Wrestling with a slick 3.6-second run. Still no Tyson, so with borrowed horses, Scott Guenthner was in the crying hole with 4.4, Curtis Cassidy was 4.0 + 10 for a broken barrier, and Jesse Brown also got a speeding ticket to be 4.2 + 10.
In the tandem event, Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin stopped their steer in 3.8 seconds. Canadian and World Champ Jeremy Buhler and his partner Rhen Richard were second with 4.0. They are quietly climbing up the standings and getting in the discussion.
That was quite a pen of broncs tonight. The only way you are going to ride the top end of that pen is if you do everything correct and there were at least four perfect rides. So, if four guys ride perfect, I guess you have to let the horses score decide who won. That’s where the ‘Blue Shirt Bonus’ comes in; the guy on the weakest horse won it. Go figure!
Anyway, the gifted Ryder Wright was marked a 91. Calgary’s W-16 Wild Cherry packed Stetson Wright to a 2/3 tie with Zeke Thurston with 90.5. I was tickled to see Kolby Wanchuk get the monkey off his back with a strong 89.5-point ride to tie Brody Cress on Calgary’s T-77 Tokyo Bubbles for a 4/5 split. He didn’t place, but the ‘Blue Shirt Bonus’ was in effect again when Spencer Wright, with his toes straight ahead, was awarded 87.5 for riding C5’s 3003 Trump Card. Layton Green was 81.5 on a re-ride, Dawson Hay was 80.5 and Macza’s 242 OLS Tubs Get Smart quickly bedded down Ben Andersen. It was a good bronc riding that could have even been better if the Calgary Stampede’s A-73 Amazon Hills, S-83 Special Delivery and X-55 Xena Warrior had been in the chutes instead of the re-ride pen. I just didn’t agree with who won it.
Marty Yates won the TDR with a snappy 7.3-seconds, and Shane Hanchey moved to second in the aggregate with his 10.2 on Peso.
Emily Biesel toured the barrels in this week’s fastest time of 13.43 seconds. I think they said there are still eight girls within striking distance for that title.
World All-Around Champ and defending Bull Riding Champ Stetson Wright wowed the crowd with a fabulous 94.5 score.
Round 6 Draw
Orin Larsen has Night Gazer, and Richie Champion has Shady Nights; those horses are both from Pickett Rodeo. Tanner Aus will do battle with Calgary’s Y-5 You See Me. Y-5 was in the re-ride pen for Round 1.
Ben Andersen has drawn Rodeo Drive from Harper and Morgan. Layton Green will mount Facebook from Sutton Rodeo. Zeke Thurston should get along just fine with All Country from Three Hills Rodeo. Kolby Wanchuk will measure his rein on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s James Bond. Dawson Hay has Hi Lo Rodeo’s Palindrome. Dawson was 83 on that horse in the big Cheyenne arena; maybe he’ll shorten up on the basketball court and be a bunch. Chase Brooks has Outlaw Buckers’ XW OLS Tubs Magic Carpet, and Wyatt Casper has 508 Lunatic Party from the same herd.
Creek Young will try to get a whistle on Macza’s rank bull 639 Ugly Wish.
Breakaway Roping 3 pm, NFR 7:45 pm Maple Creek Standard Time.