The best bareback ride of the week went to Chad Rutherford, Hillsboro, Texas, with an 88.5 on Rosser Rodeo’s Hold On 2 Me in the final round, but it wasn’t quite enough to take the win. That honor went to 2019 Reno Rodeo winner, Leighton Berry of Weatherford, Texas. He nabbed his second pair of Silver Spurs with an 88-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Girl Crush in the short go to end up with 256 points on three head. R.C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif., missed the win by just 0.5 points, ending his run in Reno with 255.5 in the average. Rutherford rounded out the leaderboard with 253 on three head.
A veteran bulldogger took home the Silver Spurs in front of the sold-out crowd. Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore., threw a blazing 3.5 second performance, earning the fastest throw of the night and fastest average with 12.1 seconds on three head. Timmy Sparing, Helena, Mont., took second place with 12.8 seconds on three while Nick Guy, Sparta, Wis., rounded out the top with an average of 13.3 seconds.
Though they only ended up with the fourth best time in the short go, Aaron Tsinigine (header), Tuba City, Ariz., and Kyle Lockett (heeler), Visalia, Calif., ended up on top with 18.8 seconds on three head. This is their first Reno Rodeo win together, though Lockett won in 2006 and Tsinigine in 2018 and 2019. Tied for second place with 18.9 seconds on three head were Wyatt Imus (header) and Caleb Anderson (heeler), as well as Clay Tryan (header) and Jade Corkill (heeler). Brothers Riley and Brady Minor had the fastest time in the short go at 6.6 seconds, but that was only enough to get them fourth place in the average with a combined 19.6 on three.
After an exciting week of high-scoring rides the Reno Rodeo ended with two saddle bronc champions. With 261 points each on three head, the No. 1 saddle bronc rider in the world, Sage Newman, Melstone, Mont. shared the win with rookie Statler Wright, Beaver, Utah. Wright tied for first in the short go with a 90.5-point ride on Rosser Rodeo’s YETI Rambler while Newman scored an 89 on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Spring Tunes. Just one point shy of the top spot, all-around winner, Stetson Dell Wright, Milford, Utah, wound up in third place with 260 on three head.
In tie-down roping, the 18-year-old rookie Riley Webb of Buffalo, Texas took the Reno Rodeo arena by storm, clocking a 7.8-second run in the finals to score an electric 25.7-second average on three head and secure the win. Entering Saturday night, he was leading the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings in tie-down roping and was 21st in world standings. The all-around champion from the Guymon, Okla. Pioneer Days Rodeo, Caleb Smidt, was close behind cashing in an average time of 27.4. Ranked No. 7 in the world, Shane Hanchey of Sulphur, La. earned his place on the leaderboard with an impressive average of 27.6.
It was only the second year for women’s breakaway roping as an official Reno Rodeo event and it did not disappoint. After nine nights, it was all Texans atop the leaderboard. Martha Angelone of Stephenville, Texas had the fastest run of the night with a lightning-quick 2.7-second run and was crowned Reno Rodeo breakaway champion with 8.2 on three. Danielle Lowman, Gilbert, Ariz., came in second with 8.5 on three and tying for third with 8.8 were Lari Dee Guy, Abilene, Texas and Taylor Hanchey, Carmine, Texas.
Fans saw some of the fastest turns around the barrels on Saturday night, starting with Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas, and her 16.90-second run (the second-fastest of the week). She would soon be bested by Jordon Briggs, Tolar, Texas, and her 16.85-second run on the 2021 Nutrena Horse of the Year, Rollo. Though she would take third in the final round with a 17.05 turn, Michelle Darling’s consistently fast times put her ahead in the average with 51.37 on three head, just one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Briggs who wound up in second place with 51.38 on three. Another fraction of a second behind was Megan McLeod-Sprague, Marshing, Idaho who took third with 51.39 on three. Hillman, the 2016 Reno Rodeo champion, ended up in fourth with 51.57.
Going into the finals bull rider Stetson Dell Wright was at the top of the leaderboard with the highest scoring ride of the week – 86.5 points on Flying U Rodeo’s Bringin Brother. That was until Creek Young, Rogersville, Mo., scored 88 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Louisana Lightning in the final round. That earned him a combined 172.5 points on two head and his first set of Silver Spurs. Coy Pollmeier, Fort Scott, Kans., ended the night in second place with 168.5 on two head. In third was Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash., who won the Reno Rodeo in 2011. He scored an 82.5 in the second go for a combined total of 165. The only other bull rider to get a qualifying ride in the short go was Trey Holston, Fort Scott, Kans., with 157.5 on two head. That put Wright in fifth with 86.5 on one head.
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Waylon Bourgeois, 86.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Two Buck Chuck, $5,459; 2. (tie) Leighton Berry, Cooper Cooke and Wyatt Denny, 83.5, $3,094 each; 5. (tie) Tim O’Connell, Cole Reiner and Dean Thompson, 83, $971 each; 8. R.C. Landingham, 82.5, $546. Second round: 1. R.C. Landingham, 86.5 points on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Black Mary, $5,459; 2. (tie) Cooper Cooke and Wyatt Denny, 86, $3,639 each; 4. Tilden Hooper, 85, $2,002; 5. Leighton Berry, 84.5, $1,274; 6. Chad Rutherford, 84, $910; 7. Clayton Biglow, 83, $728; 8. Tanner Aus, 81, $546. Finals: 1. Chad Rutherford, 88.5 points on Rosser Rodeo’s Hold On 2 Me, $1,650; 2. (tie) Leighton Berry and Clayton Biglow, 88, $1,075 each; 4. R.C. Landingham, 86.5, $600; 5. Tilden Hooper, 86, $350; 6. Tim O’Connell, 85.5, $250. Average: 1. Leighton Berry, 256 points on three head, $8,189; 2. R.C. Landingham, 255.5, $6,278; 3. Chad Rutherford, 253, $4,640; 4. Tilden Hooper, 251.5, $3,003; 5. Clayton Biglow, 251, $1,911; 6. Tim O’Connell, 249, $1,365; 7. Cole Reiner, 244.5, $1,092; 8. Jacob Lees, 243, $819.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Mike McGinn, 3.8 seconds, $6,201; 2. Blake Knowles, 3.9, $5,392; 3. (tie) Walt Arnold, Ty Erickson and Dustin Merritt, 4.1, $3,774 each; 6. (tie) Cody Devers, Riley Duvall and Timmy Sparing, 4.2, $1,348 each. Second round: 1. Timmy Sparing, 3.3 seconds, $6,201; 2. Ty Allred, 3.7, $5,392; 3. (tie) Bridger Anderson and Nick Guy, 3.9, $4,179 each; 5. (tie) Shayde Etherton and Landris White, 4.0, $2,561 each; 7. Tucker Allen, 4.1, $1,348; 8. (tie) Cameron Morman, Remey Parrott and Talon Roseland, 4.2, $180 each. Finals: 1. Mike McGinn, 3.5 seconds, $1,450; 2. Remey Parrott, 4.1, $1,200; 3. (tie) Cody Devers and Talon Roseland, 4.5, $825 each; 5. Nick Guy, 4.7, $450; 6. Cameron Morman, 4.8, $250. Average: 1. Mike McGinn, 12.1 seconds on three head, $9,301; 2. Timmy Sparing, 12.8, $8,088; 3. Nick Guy, 13.3, $6,875; 4. (tie) Talon Roseland and Remey Parrott, 13.4, $5,055 each; 6. Cody Devers, 13.5, $3,235; 7. Cameron Morman, 13.6, $2,022; 8. Ty Erickson, 17.0, $809.
Team roping: First round: 1. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 4.9 seconds, $6,145 each; 2. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Garrett Tonozzi/T.J. Watts, 5.3, $4,943 each; 4. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.5, $3,740; 5. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 5.7, $2,939; 6. (tie) Brooks Dahozy/Seth Hall and Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 6.0, $1,737 each; 8. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and D.J. Parker/Chance Machado, 6.1, $267 each. Second round: 1. Coy Rahlmann/Douglas Rich, 4.1 seconds, $6,145 each; 2. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 4.6, $5,344; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.7, $4,542; 4. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 4.9, $3,740; 5. (tie) Garrett Rogers/Justin Davis and Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 5.1, $2,538 each; 7. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Walt Woodard, 5.2, $1,336; 8. (tie) Shay Dixon Carroll/Evan Arnold and Jeff Flenniken/Jake Minor, 5.3, $267 each. Finals: 1. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 6.6 seconds, $1,450 each; 2. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 7.0, $1,200; 3. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 7.2, $950; 4. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 7.6, $700; 5. Blake Hirdes/Wyatt Hansen, 7.7, $450; 6. Shay Dixon Carroll/Evan Arnold, 8.0, $250. Average: 1. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 18.8 seconds on three head, $9,218 each; 2. (tie) Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill and Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 18.9, $7,414 each; 4. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 19.6, $5,611; 5. Shay Dixon Carroll/Evan Arnold, 19.7, $4,408; 6. Blake Hirdes/Wyatt Hansen, 20.8, $3,206; 7. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 22.4, $2,004; 8. Dalton Turner/Blaine Turner, 24.5, $802.
Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Statler Wright, 88 points on Rosser Rodeo’s Pendleton On Rocks, $5,365; 2. Stetson Dell Wright, 87.5, $4,113; 3. (tie) Wyatt Casper and Kolby Wanchuk, 85, $2,503 each; 5. Jake Watson, 84.5, $1,252; 6. (tie) Damian Brennan and Kade Bruno, 84, $805 each; 8. Shorty Garrett, 83.5, $536. Second round: 1. Zeke Thurston, 89.5 points on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Spring Plantin, $5,365; 2. Sage Newman, 89, $4,113; 3. Ryder Wright, 88.5, $3,040; 4. (tie) Allen Boore, Tanner Butner, Jesse Wright and Stetson Dell Wright, 86, $1,207 each; 8. Logan Cook, 84.5, $536. Finals: 1. (tie) Wyatt Casper, on Big Bend Rodeo’s Kool Toddy, and Statler Wright, on Rosser Rodeo’s Yeti Rambler, 90.5 points, $1,450 each; 3. Sage Newman, 89, $900; 4. Ryder Wright, 88.5, $600; 5. (tie) Kolby Wanchuk and Stetson Dell Wright, 86.5, $300 each. Average: 1. (tie) Sage Newman and Statler Wright, 261 points on three head, $7,108 each; 3. Stetson Dell Wright, 260, $4,560; 4. Tanner Butner, 252, $2,950; 5. Wyatt Casper, 250.5, $1,878; 6. Ryder Wright, 249, $1,341; 7. Kolby Wanchuk, 246.5, $1,073; 8. Isaac Diaz, 242, $805.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Shad Mayfield, 8.0 seconds, $6,173; 2. Shane Hanchey, 8.6, $5,368; 3. Marty Yates, 8.9, $4,563; 4. Caleb Smidt, 9.0, $3,757; 5. (tie) Kase Bacque, Tyler Boxleitner, John Douch and Matt Shiozawa, 9.2, $1,745 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Riley Mason Webb and Marty Yates, 7.9 seconds, $5,770 each; 3. Tuf Case Cooper, 8.0, $4,563; 4. Lucas Potter, 8.1, $3,757; 5. Kincade Henry, 8.3, $2,952; 6. Trenton Smith, 8.4, $2,147; 7. Taylor Santos, 8.5, $1,342; 8. Ladd King, 8.6, $537. Finals: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 7.8 seconds, $1,450; 2. Caleb Smidt, 8.6, $1,200; 3. John Douch, 8.7, $950; 4. Colt Papy, 9.8, $700; 5. Shane Hanchey, 10.2, $450; 6. Roger Nonella, 10.3, $250. Average: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 25.7 seconds on three head, $9,259; 2. Caleb Smidt, 27.4, $8,052; 3. Shane Hanchey, 27.6, $6,844; 4. John Douch, 28.2, $5,636; 5. Colt Papy, 28.3, $4,428; 6. Roger Nonella, 29.7, $3,221; 7. Cash Hooper, 31.0, $2,013; 8. Ladd King, 37.0, $805.
Barrel racing: First round: 1. Michelle Darling, 17.00 seconds, $4,610; 2. Taycie Matthews, 17.12, $3,951; 3. Leslie Smalygo, 17.18, $3,293; 4. Nellie Miller, 17.20, $2,854; 5. Shelly Mull, 17.23, $2,195; 6. Paige Jones, 17.26, $1,756; 7. Shannon McReynolds, 17.28, $1,317; 8. Loni Lester, 17.34, $878; 9. Latricia Mundorf, 17.35, $659; 10. Jordon Briggs, 17.39, $439. Second round: 1. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 16.85 seconds, $4,610; 2. Shelley Morgan, 17.03, $3,951; 3. Halyn Lide, 17.04, $3,293; 4. Katie Pascoe, 17.05, $2,854; 5. Leslie Smalygo, 17.10, $2,195; 6. Stevi Hillman, 17.13, $1,756; 7. (tie) Savannah Bennett and Jordon Briggs, 17.14, $1,098 each; 9. Steely Steiner, 17.22, $659; 10. Anita Ellis, 17.24, $439. Finals: 1. Jordon Briggs, 16.85 seconds, $3,415; 2. Stevi Hillman, 16.90, $2,561; 3. Michelle Darling, 17.05, $1,707; 4. Shelley Morgan, 17.11, $854. Average: 1. Michelle Darling, 51.37 seconds on three head, $6,915; 2. Jordon Briggs, 51.38, $5,927; 3. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 51.39, $4,939; 4. Stevi Hillman, 51.57, $4,281; 5. Taycie Matthews, 51.60, $3,293; 6. Shelley Morgan, 51.63, $2,634; 7. (tie) Katie Pascoe and Halyn Lide, 51.71, $1,646 each; 9. Paige Jones, 52.01, $988; 10. Loni Lester, 52.12, $659.
Bull riding: First round: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, 86.5 points on Flying U Rodeo’s Bringin Brother, $9,360; 2. (tie) Cody Russell and Creek Young, 84.5, $6,240 each; 4. Coy Pollmeier, 83, $3,432; 5. (tie) Trey Holston, Shane Proctor and Garrett Smith, 82.5, $1,664 each; 8. (tie) Ray Mayo and Cash Toews, 82, $468 each. * Finals: 1. Creek Young, 88 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Louisana Lightning, $1,800; 2. Coy Pollmeier, 85.5, $1,400; 3. Shane Proctor, 82.5, $1,050; 4. Trey Holston, 75, $750; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. Creek Young, 172.5 points on two head, $9,360; 2. Coy Pollmeier, 168.5, $7,176; 3. Shane Proctor, 165, $5,304; 4. Trey Holston, 157.5, $3,432; 5. Stetson Dell Wright, 86.5 on one head, $2,184; 6. Cody Russell, 84.5, $1,560; 7. Garrett Smith, 82.5, $1,248; 8. (tie) Cash Toews and Ray Mayo, 82, $468 each. *(all totals include ground money).
Total payoff: $693,561. Stock contractors: Flying U Rodeo, Diamond G Rodeo, Rosser Rodeo, Western Rodeos, All In Pro Rodeos, Big Bend Rodeo, Flying 5 Rodeo, Powder River Rodeo and Bridwell Pro Rodeos. Rodeo secretary: Cindy Rosser. Officials: Harry Rose Jr, Casey Vollin, Butch Kirby and Bobby Davis. Timers: Robin Yerxa and Molly Jane Twitchell. Announcers: Wayne Brooks and Bob Tallman. Specialty act: Mark DeCoudres. Bullfighters: Cody Webster and Dusty Tuckness. Clown/barrelman: Denny Halstead. Flankmen: Jim Warnke, Reno Rosser, Tony Amaral, Wes Ibrahimi and Cassie Ginn. Chute boss: Tony Amaral. Pickup men: Matt Twitchell, Bronc Boehnlein, Bobby Marriott and Jeffrey Shearer. Music director: Austin Lopeman. Photographers: Fernando Sam-Sin, Kristen Schurr and Phil Doyle.
