DENVER, Colo. (January 20, 2023) — The National Western Stock Show presented by Centura Health is just two days away from crowning rodeo champions.
The first stage of the bracketed rodeo format was completed on Friday with the final contestants advancing to Saturday’s Semifinals. There have been eight brackets total with the best three contestants in each event moving on.
Reigning world champion team ropers Kaleb Driggers, from Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, from Presidente Prude, Brazil are looking for their first Denver win. They just collected their second gold buckles last December at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. It was obvious to the fans in the Denver Coliseum that they have kept their momentum rolling.
With Driggers roping the steer’s horns and Nogueira catching heels, they were solid in the matinee at 5.1. They came back Friday night with one of the fastest times of the rodeo at 4.1 to qualify for the semifinals. Also moving on from bracket 8 are Texans Tanner Tomlinson and Patrick Smith who also had success in Las Vegas. Tomlinson and Smith won the overall championship at the NFR for having the fastest total time on ten runs and finished as the reserve world champions.
Another contestant having success here is Canada’s Curtis Cassidy who won the title in the Denver in 2009. Cassidy is an eight-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier that estimates he has competed here for nearly 25 years. He joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1998 and has earned numerous titles in his home country.
Cassidy was one of four Canadians in Bracket 8 and the only one to advance to the semifinals. He stopped the clock in 4.0 seconds during the matinee performance, then came back with a 4.1 to be at the top of the leaderboard with a total of 8.1.
There was a tie at the top in the tie-down roping between two young guns in the industry, 2020 world champion Shad Mayfield and first time NFR qualifier Riley Webb. Mayfield, who is 22-years-old, from Clovis, N.M., has competed at the NFR four times and is looking for his second gold buckle. He finished as the reserve champion in 2022.
Webb is two years younger and made his first trip to Las Vegas to compete last year where he finished 12th in the world standings. They both stopped the clock in 8.8 seconds during the matinee performance, came back and finished in 8.3 seconds Friday night and are tied at the top with a total of 17.1.
There will be eight contestants in each event in each of the three semifinals performances on Saturday. Four of them will advance to Sunday’s championship finals. Saturday’s rodeos will begin at 11 a.m., 3:30 and 8 p.m.
DENVER, Colo. — The following are results from the National Western Stock Show Rodeo, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023.
15th performance – Bracket 8, Round 1
Bareback Riding: 1, Sam Petersen, Helena, Mont., 84 points on Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s Fire’s Easy. 2, Tim O’ Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 83. 3, Donny Proffit, Diamondville, Wyo., 81.5. 4, Guage McBride, Kearney, Neb., 80.5.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 4.0 seconds. 2, Justin Kimsey, Kennewick Wash.,5.1. 3, Don Payne, Stephenville, Texas, 5.7. 4, Wyatt Jurnery, Las Cruces, N.M., 6.1.
Team Roping: 1, Hagen Peterson, Delta, Utah, and Caleb Hendrix, Fallon, Nev., 4.4 seconds. 2, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Stephenville, 4.7. 3, (tie) Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, President, Prude, Brazil., and Tanner Tomlinson, Angleton, Texas, and Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas 5.1 each.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Ryder Wright, Milford, Utah, 83.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Legal Eyes. 2, Blaise Freeman, Snyder, Texas, 80. 3, (tie) Kole Ashbacker, Arrowwood, Alberta, and Statler Wright, Beaver, Utah, 79.5.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, (tie) Shad Mayfield, Clovis, and Riley Web, Denton, Texas, 8.8 seconds. 3, Riley Wakefield, O’Neil, Neb., 9.3. 4, Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash., 9.7.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Sophie Nolen, Stephenville, Texas, 15.15 seconds. 2, (tie) Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, Okla., and Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas, 15.30. 4, Kalli McCall., Lufkin, Texas, 15.41.
Bull Riding: (Two qualified rides) 1, Chance Schott, McLaughlin, S.D., 82 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Milburn Special. 2, Coy Thorson, Fergus Falls, Minn., 81.
16th performance – Bracket 8, Round 2 followed by semifinals qualifiers
Bareback Riding: 1, Seth Lee Hardwick, Ranchester, Wyo., 82.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Hell’s Fire. 2, Sam Peterson, Helena, Mont., 81. 3, Chad Rutherford, Hillsboro, Texas, 79. (total on two – semifinals qualifiers) 1, Peterson, 165. 2, Hardwick, 163. 3, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 159.
Steer Wrestling: 1, (tie) Justin Kimsey, Kennewick, Wash., and Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 4.1 seconds 3. Stephen Culling, Fort St. John, British Columbia, (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, Pedro Egurrola, Florence, Ariz., and Billie Saebens, Nowata, Okla., 4.0 seconds. 2, Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil, 4.1. 3, Tanner Tomlinson, Angleton, Texas, and Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 4.5. 4, Hagen Peterson, Delta, Utah, and Caleb Hendrix, Fallon, Nev., 5.1. (total on two –semifinals qualifiers) 1, Driggers and Nogueira, 9.2. 2, Hagen Peterson, Delta, Utah and Caleb Hendrix, Fallon, Nev., 9.5. 3, Tomlinson and Smith, 9.6.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Lucas Macza, High River, Alberta, 85 points on Burch Rodeo’s Little Lunatic. 2, Layton Green, Millarville, Alberta, 84.5. 3, Statler Wright, Beaver, Utah, 83.5. 4, Ira Dickinson, Rock Springs, Wyo., 76.5 (total on two — semifinals qualifiers) 1, Green, 163.5. 2, Statler Wright, 163. 3, Kole Ashbacker, Arrowwood, Alberta, 160.5.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, (tie) Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., and Riley Webb., Denton, Texas., 8.3 seconds. 3, Britt Bedke, Oakley, Idaho, 8.8. 4, Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash., 9.2. (total on two – semifinals qualifiers) 1, (tie) Mayfield and Webb, 17.1. 3, Riley Wakefield, O’Neil, Neb., 18.5.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Emma Charleston, Reeds, Mo., 15.09 seconds. 2, Kalli McCall, Lufkin, Texas, 15.13. 3, Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas, 15.30. 4, Sophie Nolen, Stephenville, Texas, 15.36. (total of two – semifinals qualifiers) 1, Nolen, 30.51. 2, Charleston, 30.53. 3, McCall, 30.54
Bull Riding: 1, Chance Schott, McLaughlin, S.D., 91 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Wolf of Wallstreet. 2, (tie) Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas, and Trey Benton III- Richards, Texas, 87. 4, Trevor Reiste, Linden Iowa, 86. (total on two — semifinals qualifiers) 1, Schott, 173. 2, Thorson, 155. (on one) 3, (tie) Askey and Benton, 87.
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 & RODEO TO TENN TEXAS MEDIA
