DENVER, Colo. (January 19, 2023) — The semifinals at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo by Centura Health are shaping up to be three exciting events this coming Saturday, January 21.
Bracket 7 was completed in the Denver Coliseum on Thursday with some surprises moving to the top. The bareback riding was dominated by Tanner Aus from Granite Falls, Minnesota who is coming off of his seventh trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at Las Vegas. Aus had an 82.5 during the matinee, then the high-marked ride on Thursday evening with an 86-point effort on Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s horse named Enchanted Ernest.
Aus won the bareback riding at the College National Finals in 2012 for Missouri Valley College in Marshall. That was three years after joining the PRCA.
Through his career, he has won nearly $1.5 million and titles at rodeos across the country, but never here in Denver. He is at the top of the leaderboard in Bracket 7 with a total of 168.5 points on two head.
There are three semifinals performances on Saturday with one contestant out of each of the eight brackets in each one. The four contestants with the highest score or fastest time will advance to Sunday’s championship finals. Aus is definitely hoping to do that and jump start his 2023 season with a win at the National Western.
A saddle bronc rider from Montana made a big statement on a day when three of the famed Wright family from Utah were competing including world champions Spencer and Jesse Wright. Houston Garrett Brown from Miles City had the top score at the matinee performance at 86 points. The three-year member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) got that score on J Bar J Rodeo’s horse named E.T. Then he came back Thursday evening and rode another horse from J Bar J, Western Feel for 80.5 points.
During the evening performance, Spencer Wright from Milford, Utah had the high marked ride of 85.5 points on Delta Night, also owned by J Bar J. The two saddle bronc riders are tied at the top of the leaderboard with 166.5 points and will be staying in the Mile High City to compete on Saturday. Jesse Wright rounds out the top three that advance out of the bracket.
Bracket 8 will see round 1 start at 1:30 p.m. in the Denver Coliseum and will be completed at the evening performance beginning at 8 p.m. s competition will feature the final bracket and see the last qualifiers for Saturday’s semifinals.
DENVER, Colo. — The following are results from the National Western Stock Show Rodeo, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.
13th performance – Bracket 7, Round 1
Bareback Riding: 1, Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 85.5 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Lava Jacket. 2, (tie) Richmond Champion, Stevensville, Mont., and Bubb Holcomb, New Harmony, Utah, 83 each. 4, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 82.5.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Ty Livingstone, New Norway, Alberta, 4.1 seconds. 2, Riley Reiss, Manning, N.D., 5.0. 3, Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore., 5.1. 4, Timmy Sparing, Helena, Mont., 5.6.
Team Roping: 1, (tie) Riley and Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash.; and Tyler Waters, Datil, N.M., and Cutter Pake Thomison, Hermleigh, Texas, 4.6 seconds each. 2, Shane Phillips, Bedias, Texas, and Will Woodfin, Marshall, Texas, 5.0. 4, Marcus Theriot, Lumberton, Miss., and Cole Curry, Liberty, Miss., 5.1.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, 81 points on Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s Ed Bishop. 2, (tie) Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah and Stu Wright, Coalville, Utah, 78. 4, Hunter Sawley, Fox Creek, Alberta, 74.5.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 7.6 seconds. 2, Zack Jongbloed, Iowa, La., and Blane Cox, Cameron, Texas, 8.4. 4, Kyle Lucas, Carstairs, Alberta, 9.1.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Ilyssa Riley, Hico, Texas, 14.88 seconds. 2, Kim Schulze, Larkspur, Colo., 14.91. 3, Kelly Allen, Stephenville, Texas, 15.13. 4, Austyn Tobey, Bemidji, Minn., 15.32.
Bull Riding: (Three qualified rides) 1, Dawson Keith Gleaves, Amarillo, Texas, 85.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Rubicon. 2, Trey Holston, Fort Scott, Kan., 83. 3, Colton Byram, Mound City, Kan., 79.
14th performance – Bracket 7, Round 2 followed by semifinals qualifiers
Bareback Riding: 1, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 86 points on Cervi Brother Rodeo’s Enchanted Ernest. 2, Richmond Champion, Stevensville, Mont., 82.5. 3, Cooper Cooke, Victor, Idaho, 82. 4, Bubba Holcomb, New Harmony, Utah, 78.5. (total on two — semifinals qualifiers) 1, Aus, 168.5. 2, Champion, 165.5. 3, Holcomb, 161.5.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Jaret Whitman, Belgrade, Mont.,3.9 seconds. 2, Stetson Jorgenson, Blackfoot, Idaho, 4.0. 3, (tie) Jake Nelson, Whitehall, Mont., and Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore., 5.1 each. (total on two — semifinals qualifiers) 1, Ty Livingstone, New Norway, Alberta, 8.7. 2, Whitman, 10. 3, Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore., 10.2.
Team Roping: 1, Cory Kidd, Statesville, N.C., and Lane Mitchell, Bolivar, Tenn., 4.4 seconds. 2, Tyler Waters, Datil, N.M., and Cutter Thomison, Hermleigh, Texas, 5.1. 3, Marcus Theriot, Lumberton, Miss., and Cole Curry, Liberty, Miss., 6.0. 4, Manny Equsquiza Jr., Hico, Texas, and JR Gonzales, Maypearl, Texas, 9.7. (total on two –semifinals qualifiers) 1, Waters, and Thomison, 9.7. 2, Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., and Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan., 10.6. 3, Kidd, and Mitchell, 10.7.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, 85.5 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Delta Night. 2, Jesse Kruse, Fromberg, Mont., 85. 3, Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah, 81.5. 4, Houston Brown, Miles City, Mont., 80.5 (total on two — semifinals qualifiers) 1, Brown, 166.5. 2, Spencer Wright, 166.5. 3, Jesse Wright, 159.5.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Blane Cox, Cameron, Texas, 8.9 seconds. 2, Kincade Henry, Mount Pleasant, Texas, 9.7. 3 (tie) Cash Hooper, Carlsbad, N.M., and Jake Booze, Miami, Texas, 9.8 each. (total on two — semifinals qualifiers) 1, Cox, 17.3. 2, Henry, 19.2
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Austyn Tobey, Bemidji,, Minn., 15.12 seconds, 2, Paige Jones, Wayne, Okla., 15.17. 3, Stephanie Fryar, Waco, Texas, 15.28. 4, Ilyssa Riley, Hico, Texas, 15.32. (total on two — semifinals qualifiers) 1, Riley, 30.2. 2, Tobey, 30.44. 3, Kelly Allen, Stephenville, Texas, 30.56.
Bull Riding: 1, Tristan Hutchings, Montview, Idaho., 87.5. Points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Too Far Gone. 2, Fulton Rutland, Westville, Okla., 86.5. 3, Trey Holston, Fort Scott, Kan., 83. 4, Colton Byram, Mound City, Kan., 82. (total on two – – semifinals qualifiers) 1, Holsten, 166. 2, Byram, 161. (on one) 3, Hutchings, 87.5.
About the National Western Stock Show — Established in 1906, the National Western Stock Show is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization that provides college and graduate level scholarships in agricultural-related fields of study. Its mission is to serve producers and consumers throughout the world by being the premier stock show, equestrian competitions, and center for year-round events. The 16-day show also serves as an entertainment arena, hosting one of the world’s richest regular season professional rodeos, family and educational shows plus Colorado’s largest western trade show. For more information, visit nationalwestern.com.
PROVIDED COURTESY OF SUSAN KANODE / NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
