Sep 17 2009
Pendleton Round-Up wraps up the first day of 99th Year
Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, rode the appropriately named Nitro in a standout performance as the 99th rendition of one of America’s grandest rodeos, the Pendleton Round-Up, began its four-day run Wednesday, Sept. 16 in Pendleton, Oregon.
Sundell scored a high of 85 in the saddle bronc riding event to just nudge Bobby Griswold,Geary, OK, who rode Shining Mountain to an 84.The 24-year-old Sundell, who returned to bronc riding in 2007 after four years riding bulls, has made 2009 his most successful year since joining the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, winning nine rodeos this year, including the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Idaho. Third in the event was Shaun Stroh, Dickinson, ND, with an 83. It runs in the family—his dad was a bronc rider.
As with other rough stock (bucking) events the score depends not only on the rider’s skill but also on the animal’s performance. In bronc and bareback riding the rider must mark (spur) his mount from the second it exits the bucking chute. Bull riders are not held to this standard but can gain points for marking.
In the first event of the day, bareback riding, Jared Keylon, Fort Scott, KS took first riding Yoyo with an 84. He was followed by Tilden Hooper, Carthage, TX - Boogers Pet 83 and Will Lowe, Canyon, TX - Freak Show 82. Texan Lowe will be the one to beat over the next three days. He won the bareback title at the Round-Up in 2008 and won the All-Around title here in 2006. The 26-year-old has won three world titles and over $1.3 million since joining the PRCA at 19. In 2003 he set a bareback world record of 94. The 21-year-old Hooper won the College National Finals Rodeo in 2007, the same year he was named the PRCA’s bareback rookie of the year. His dad was also a bareback rider.
In one of the crowd’s favorite events, bull riding, Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, SD, took first on Okie Dokie with 86, followed by Beau Schroeder, China, TX, riding Midnight Rider, 82, and Ardie Maier, Timber Lake, SD, on Flipper, with an 81. Bail has topped the PRCA charts for over a decade, since he joined the professional ranks in 1997 at 18. Since then he has won over $1.4 million riding bulls and broncs. He shared the All Around championship at the Pendleton Round-Up in 2003. In 2000 he was the All Around champ at the College National Finals Rodeo.
In the day’s first roping event, tie down roping, Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, ID, scored 12.8 to edge out one of rodeo’s biggest stars, Trevor Brazile, Decatur, TX, 15.2. They were followed by Scott Snedecor, Uvalde, TX, 19.8. Shiozawa, 29, joined the PRCA at 19 and has since accumulated $725,343 in winnings, capturing the titles at 10 rodeos this year. But he’ll find it challenging to best Trevor Brazile over the four days of the Pendleton Round-Up. Brazile, 32, joined the PRCA in 1996 and has since won nine world titles and over $3 million in prize money. He captured the world championship in six of the past seven years and has already won 23 All Around titles at rodeos throughout the US and Canada just this year. He took his first roping title at the Pendleton Round-up in 1999, three years after he turned professional.
The event where the contestant and the animal get most personal, steer roping, saw Todd Suhn, North Platte, NE, take first in 5.6 seconds, followed by Clayton Morrison, Penrose, CO, 6.2,Dane Hanna,Starkville,MS,6.5 and Jake Rinehart, Highmore,SD,6.6. Rinehart is first place finisher Suhn’s cousin. Suhn’s brother, Randy, is also a steer wrestler. Suhn, 36, was leading the world standings in this event last year when he broke his wrist and left competition for over two months. Still he finished third last year in the NFR and has won six rodeos this year. He was the All Around champ at the Pendleton Round-Up in 1996, two years after turning professional.
Although Trevor Brazile Decatur, TX, finished second in tie down roping, he and partner Patrick Smith, Midland, TX, headed and heeled their steer in 5.1 seconds to take first in team roping. In this event one of the two ropers must head or rope the steers head, while the other ropes the animals hind legs and both then hold the steer stationary in order to score. As noted earlier Brazile is the biggest star in rodeo today.His partner, 29-year-old Smith, is no slouch either, having won over $700 thousand in his six-year professional career and placing first last year at the NFR in the event.He was the PRCA team roping rookie of the year in 2003. They were followed by Turtle Powell, Stephenville, TX and Travis Graves, Jay, OK, 5.3 and Chad Masters, Clarksville, TN and Jade Corkill, Fallon, NV, 5.9.
In the last of the roping events, steer roping, Rocky Patterson, Pratt,KS, took first in a time of 11.4 seconds. Behind him were Landon McClaugherty, Tilden,TX 12.7 and Cody Scheck, Alva, OK, 19.3. Patterson, at 43, is proof that ropers enjoy long careers compared to their rough stock counterparts. He has earned nearly $600 thousand since turning professional in 1992. He placed third last year in the National Finals Steer Roping. And today he finished ahead of a 29 and 30 year-old.
The final event is the Pendleton Round-Up’s only women’s event. Three regional favorites took the top three spots in barrel racing: Allison Vankoll, Brush Prairie, WA, took first in a time of 28.71 seconds, followed by Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, OR 28.81, and Jodi Hoctor, Hermiston, OR 29.18. Mays is the only one of the three currently ranked in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association standings where she is 12th with $62,920 in winnings.
