RICHARDS SETS PACE, EYES CHAMPIONSHIPS AT COLLEGE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO

CASPER, Wyo. (June 13, 2024) — With just one group of rodeo athletes left to complete the third round of action at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR), the field for Championship Saturday is shaping up. Round three will finish Friday night and the top 12 overall in each event will advance to the finals on Saturday night.

Madalyn Richards of Texas A & M University is making a bid for multiple national championships in Casper this week. Richards turned in the fastest time of the week in goat tying Thursday night. Her time of six seconds leads round three and put her seventh overall. She has a chance to qualify for the goat tying finals and she will definitely be competing in breakaway roping on Championship Saturday.

Richards, a 21-year-old senior Agricultural Communications and Journalism major who is on pace to graduate in December, holds the overall lead in breakaway roping with 6.7 seconds on her first three runs. She is also in contention for the women’s all-around race.

This is Richards’ third trip to the CNFR. The Hereford, Texas, cowgirl was the 2023 reserve national champion in goat tying and would love to earn multiple titles this year.

In team roping, the leaderboard changed in both the third round and the overall standings. Bodie Mattson of the University of Wyoming and his roping partner Roan Weil of Casper College roped the third-round lead with a time of 4.7 seconds. They also moved into seventh place overall. Mattson, from Sturgis, South Dakota, is a senior marketing major competing in his fourth CNFR. Weil, from Kersey, Colorado, and his twin brother Rowdy, who is team roping here with a different partner, just graduated from Casper College with associate degrees in ag business, They both plan to continue their education and college rodeo careers at the University of Wyoming.

Taking the overall lead in team roping were the duo of Lan Fuhrer and Clayton Backhaus. Fuhrer represents South Dakota State University while Backhaus competes for Black Hills State University. They set the pace this week when they won the first round with a time of 6.1 After a time of 11.2 in round three, they roped their steer in 6.2 seconds which is currently seventh in round three. More importantly their total time of 23.5 vaulted them into the overall lead by nearly three seconds and guaranteed their Championship Saturday berth. Fuhrer, a junior ag business major from Belle Fourche, is competing at his first CNFR. Backhaus, a senior business administration major from Bismarck, North Dakota, is competing at his third CNFR and is already an entrepreneur with his own asphalt business.

The fourth performance of the CNFR will feature the completion of the third round of competition at the Ford Wyoming Center on Thursday night at beginning 7 p.m. The top 12 in each event who have the chance to compete on Saturday will be determined at the end of round three.

CASPER, Wyo.—The following are results from the third round of the College National Finals Rodeo, June 13, 2024, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com

Barrel racing: (third round leaders) 1, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 13.84 seconds, 2, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 13.92. 3, Hadley Tidwell, Tarleton State University, 13.95. 4, Allie Murphy, South Plains College, 14.04. 5, Saydee Sue Davis, Utah State University Eastern, 14.14. 6, Kennedy Buckner, Blue Mountain Community College, 14.22.

(overall leaders) 1, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 41.66 seconds. 2, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 42.38. 3, Kalli McCall, Hill College, 42.55. 4, Rayne Grant, Laramie County Community College, 42.75. 5, Saydee Sue Davis, Utah State University Eastern, 42.81. 6, Jaylie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 42.87. 7, Kennedy Buckner, Blue Mountain Community College, 43.06. 8, Hadley Tidwell, Tarleton State University, 43.07.

Bareback riding: (third round leaders) 1, Cooper Filipek, Gillette College, 83.5 points. 2, Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 80.5. 3, Mason Stuller, Western Texas College, 77.5. 4, Roedy Farrell, Tarleton State University, 77. 5, Gavin French, Texas A & M University, 76. 6, (tie) Sage Allen and Darien Johnson, College of Southern Idaho, 75.

(overall leaders) 1, Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 242 points. 2, Cooper Filipek, Gillette College, 239.5. 3, Gavin French, Texas A & M University, 233. 4, Roedy Farrell, Tarleton State University, 229. 5, (tie) Wacey Schalla, Clarendon College, and Darien Johnson, College of Southern Idaho, 229. 7, Bradlee Miller, Sam Houston State University, 228.5. 8, Mason Stuller, College of Southern Idaho, 227.5.

Tie-Down Roping: (third round leaders) 1, Riley Webb, Southwest Texas Junior College, 7.6 seconds. 2, Clay Livengood, University of West Alabama, 8.5. 3, Daniel Miranda, Cal-Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 8.9. 4, TJ Bowler, Utah State University. 5, Wyatt Jensen, Montana State University, 9.3. 6, Jacob Haren, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, 9.6.

(overall leaders) 1, Blayne Saine, University of West Alabama, 28.4 seconds. 2, Daniel Miranda, Cal-Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 29.1 seconds. 3, Brey Yore, South Plains College, 29.4. 4, Zane Kilgus, Northeastern Oklahoma A & M College , 30.2. 5, (tie) Wyatt Jensen and Bode Spring, Montana State University, 31.9 each. 7, Kass Newman, Central Arizona College, 33.7. 8, Slade Wood, Southwest Texas Junior College,  37.2.

Breakaway Roping: (third round leaders) 1, Haliegh Ann Grant, Cal-Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, 1.8 seconds. 2, (tie) Madison Outhier, Texas A & M University, and Mikenna Schauer, Montana State University Northern, 2.3 each. 4, (tie) Lexie Russell, Oklahoma State University; Taylor Jones, Blue Mountain Community College; Kaydence Tindall, Weatherford College; Madalyn Richards, Texas A & M University, and Addie Weil, Texas A & M University-Commerce, 2.4 each.

(overall leaders) 1, Madalyn Richards, Texas A & M University, 6.7 seconds. 2, Fallon Ruffoni, Cuesta College, 7.4. 3, Ashley Henderson, University of West Alabama, 8.6. 4, Laney Hoffman, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 9.4. 5, Kadence Dorman, Central Arizona College, 9.7. 6, Molli-Rae Kinchen, Pearl River Community College, 9.9. 7, Fallon Johnson, Utah State University, 10.1. 8, Haliegh Ann Grant, Cal-Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, 16.4.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (third round leaders) 1, Ira Dickinson, Tarleton State University,  84.5 points. 2, James Perrin, Casper College, 73.5. 3, Talon Elshere, Casper College, 78. 4, Caleb Miller, McNeese State University, 78. 5, Monte Bailey, Montana State University, 77.5. 6, Carson Bingham, Western Texas College, 77.

(overall leaders) 1. Ira Dickinson, Tarleton State University, 234 points. 2, Zac Dallas, New Mexico State University, 230.5. 3, James Perrin, Casper College, 225. 4, Talon Elshere, Casper College, 224. 5, Carson Bingham, Western Texas College, 221. 6, (tie) Caseyn Pearson, Treasure Valley Community College,  and Tucker Bourdet, Cuesta College, 219.5 each. 8, Isaac Richard, McNeese State University, 210.5.

Steer Wrestling: (third round leaders) 1, Jaden Whitman, Montana State University, 3.8 seconds. 2, (tie) Clay Tom Hurt, Sam Houston State University, and Sam Carson, Utah Valley University, 4.1. 4, Nate Clark, New Mexico State University, 4.6. 5, (tie) Trav Johnson, Montana State University, and Cam Fox, Northwestern Oklahoma State University,  4.8 each.

(overall leaders) 1, Sam Carson, Utah Valley University, 13.2 seconds. 2, Trisyn Kalawai’a, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, 15.5. 3, Madison Austin, Black Hills State University, 15.9. 4, Trav Johnson, Montana State University, 16.0. 5, Jaden Whitman, Montana State University, 16.2. 6, Cinch Painter, Mid-Plains Community College,  17.2. 7, Jacob Haren, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, 17.3. 8, Clay Tom Hurt, Sam Houston State University, 17.5.

Bull Riding: (third round leaders) 1, Wacey Schalla, Clarendon College, 83.5 points. 2, Zeke Martinez, Wharton County Community College, 82. 3, Cooper Jacobs, Western Texas College 79.5, 4, Bryce Jensen, Hill College, 76.5. 5, Thayne Elshere, Gillette College, 66.5. 6, Parker Buchanan, Blue Mountain Community College, 52.5.

(overall leaders) 1, Wacey Schalla, Clarendon College, 247.5 points. (on two) 2, Zeke Martinez, Wharton County Community College, 160.5. (on one) 3, Cooper Jacobs, Western Texas College, 79.5. 4, Lane Vaughn, Western Texas College, 79. 5, Bryce Jensen, Hill College, 76.5. 6, Spin’er Burger, Wharton County Community College, 75. 7, Mason Spain, Tarleton State University, 72.5. 8, Thayne Elshere, Gillette College, 66.5.

Goat Tying: (third round leaders) 1, Madalyn Richards, Texas A & M University, 6.0 seconds. 2, (tie) McKenna Clingman, Colorado Mesa University; Rayme Jones, Tarleton State University, and Tay Leno, University of Montana, Western, 6.5 each. 5, (tie) Kassidy Dunagan, Laramie County Community College (Cheyenne, Wyo.); Justise Jones, Colorado Mesa University, and Opal Harkins, South Dakota State University, 6.6 each.

(overall leaders) 1, Rayme Jones, Tarleton State University, 18.7 seconds. 2, McKenna Clingman, Colorado Mesa University, 19.3. 3, (tie) Tavy Leno, University of Montana, Western, and  Justise Jones, Colorado Mesa University, 20.2. 5, Macie Fowlie, Cochise (Ariz.) College, 20.5. 6, Maggie Usher, Cal-Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 20.6. 7, Madalyn Richards, Texas A & M University, 20.7. 8, Opal Harkins, South Dakota State University, 20.8.

Team Roping: (third round leaders) 1, Bodie Mattson, University of Wyoming, and Roan Weil, Casper College, 4.7 seconds. 2, Clarke Gordon, University of West Alabama, and Blake Lyons, Pearl River Community College, 5.1. 3, Rowdy Jones and Jessen James, Western Oklahoma State College, 5.2. 4, Joseph Rawls, Feather River College, and Billy Aviles, Cuesta College, 6.0 seconds. 5,  Jett Stewart, Weatherford College, and John Hisel, South Plains College, 6.1. 6, Lan Fuhrer, South Dakota State University, and Clayton Backhaus, Black Hills State University, 6.2.

(overall leaders ) 1, Lan Fuhrer, South Dakota State University, and Clayton Backhaus, Black Hills State University, 23.5 seconds. 2, James Arviso, Hill College (Hillsboro, Texas), and Kaden Profili, Texas A & M University-Commerce, 26.2. 3, Blake Bowler, Southern Utah University, and TJ Bowler, Utah State University, 35.2. (on two) 4, Rowdy Jones and James Jessen, Western Oklahoma State College, 10.7. 5, Pierce Wold and Tucker Donlon, Cal-Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 14.8. 6, Trey Hughes, Angelo State University, and Caden Tinsley, Ranger College, 15.1 seconds. 7, Bodie Mattson, University of Wyoming, and Roan Weil, 17.7. 8, Owen Archibald and Garrett Hershberger, Weber State University, 19.4.

PROVIDED COURTESY OF SUSAN KANODE FOR COLLEGE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO TO TENN TEXAS MEDIA