Pendleton Round-Up Finishes Second Day of 99th Year
with Standout Ride by Cody DeMoss
Great weather and great rodeo continued for the second day of the 99th annual Pendleton Round-Up, one of America’s most esteemed traditional rodeos. And a horse named Bob took Louisianan Cody DeMoss on one of the best rides of his professional career. DeMoss, 28, Heflin, LA, scored 88 on Bob, a mighty mount despite his prosaic name, who also took DeMoss to victory in a rodeo earlier this year.
“I won St. Paul, Oregon earlier this year on that horse (Bob) and I had it last week too so we’ve been . . . acquainted,” DeMoss said after his ride. “She’s had a different trick every time but every time she bucks and we get along good.” The winner of 11 rodeos this year grinned. “We’re very good pals. I should send her my business card I think.”
DeMoss enjoys more about the Pendleton Round-Up than a hot horse between his legs. “I’ve been here all week, just hangin’ out with a bunch of them old cowboys out there and havin’ a great time. It’s my favorite rodeo and I just love the people here.” Noting that the Pendleton Round-Up will celebrate its centennial next year, DeMoss said he’d be here. “You’re danged right I’ll be here next year. They’re gonna have a snubbin’ bronc ride next year and me and some buddies, we’re gonna be the first ones in it.”
The Pendleton Round-Up Association has described a variety of classic rodeo events, not seen in these days of professional performances that it will stage for its centennial in 2010.
DeMoss was followed by another outstanding professional, Billy Etbauer, Edmond, OK, who rode Big N Rich to an 85, while he was followed by Wes Burns, Stephenville, TX, on Surprise Package for 83. At 46 Etbauer is unusually long in his career riding rough stock, a trade usually reserved for the under 30 cowboys. He has earned five world titles in that long career and nearly $3 million in prize money. He has won eight rodeos this year.
Six cowboys finished in the top three places in the bareback riding event on Thursday, with two tied for first and three for third place. In first were Ryan Gray, Cheney, WA, on Panther Martini and Brandon Martin, a local favorite from Pendleton, on Cherry Velvet, both with 83. In second was Micky Downare, Hartsel, CO, on Eagle Feathers, 79. Sharing third place were Bobby A Mote, Culver, OR, on Firecracker; Jason Havens, Prineville,
OR, riding Wistler, and Daniel Herman, Marsing, ID, on Chucker, all with a score of 77.
Gray, of nearby Cheney, was a favorite of the crowd. The 26-year-old has performed well since joining the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2002, winning over $600,000 and placing second overall last year in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He’s won 14 rodeos so far this year. Gray is the middle of three professional rodeo cowboy brothers.
In the Pendleton Round-Up’s only women’s event, barrel racing, which involves racing a horse around a triangular course pointed with barrels—the rider must make a tight, rapid turn before racing to the next barrel—two women tied for first, both with times of 28.9 seconds. Trisha Wirth, Auburn, CA shared the honor with Deanne Bain, Culver, OR. They were followed by Kyna Schrader, Wickenburg, AZ, 29.12, and Hollie Etbauer, Edmond, OK, 29.3.
The Round-Up course is the longest in barrel racing because the Round-Up arena’s one of a kind grass infield is unfriendly to racing horses making tight turns so the barrels are set in the dirt track that circles the infield. The women make the tight turn in the dirt then race across the grass before making the next turn in the dirt.
As in bronc riding, 88 is an extremely high score for bull riders but Kanin Asay, Powell, WY, managed it atop Flashback on Thursday. He was followed in this crowd-pleasing event by Tyler Smith, Fruita, CO, on Swamp Donkey for 83 and Dustin Jenkins, Missoula, MT, on the appropriately named Buck Wild with 79. Asay, 23, joined the PRCA in 2005 and has managed in four years to accumulate nearly $450,000 in winnings, after kicking off his career by winning the 2004 National High School Bull Riding Championships. As if to demonstrate the special challenge that faces the bull rider he lost two months of last year’s season after a stomping that resulted in a ruptured spleen, torn ear and broken ribs.
In the more genteel of rodeo sports—the roping events—the tie down ropers kicked things off. Joe Clarot, Modesto, CA took first in the event with a time of 11.2 seconds, followed by B.J. Taruscio, a local crowd favorite, 12.7, and another local, Jeff Coelho, Echo, OR, with 13.4.
In team roping, where one cowboy ropes the head followed by the second who ropes the steer’s hind heels, first place was taken by Justin Yost, Mt. Morris, PA and Britt Bockius, Claremore, OK, in a time of 5.0 seconds. Behind them by a tenth of a second, at 5.1, was the team of Tyler Smith, Lewiston, ID, and local cowboy Andy Carlson, Stanfield, OR. In third were Keven Daniel, Franklin, TN and Kory Koontz, Sudan, TX, at 5.5.
Yost is ranked 20th for the year in PRCA team roping standings, with winnings of just over $45,000.
The steer ropers had a difficult day, Thursday, with eight of the 12 contestants posting “no time”. First place went to Gib Bell, Gillette, WY, 15.6, second place to J. Rocket Freeman, Meridian, ID, 19.2, and third to Marty Poppino, Big Cabin, OK, 21.2.
Finally, Trevor Knowles, another local favorite, from Mt. Vernon, OR, led the steer wrestlers with a time of 4.7 seconds, followed by Kyle Hughes of Olney springs, CO, 5.7 and in third, B.J. Campbell, Benton City, WA, 5.8.
Knowles, who just turned 29 on Tuesday, is a top contender in the PRCA in the steer wrestling event, having earned nearly $600,000 since he joined the pro ranks in 2001. Hughes, 31, joined a year earlier and has earned nearly $400,000 to date.
. Official times will be posted as soon as they are available.
2ND PERFORMANCE THURSDAY MATINEE
**Times and scores are unofficial. Official times will be posted as soon as they are available from the Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo Secretaries.
BAREBACK RIDING
350 Lee Lantz, Molalla, OR - Lone Prairie 73
527 Tim Shirley, Grant, CO - Sod Buster 76
172 Micky Downare, Hartsel, CO - Eagle Feathers 79
429 Bobby A Mote, Culver, OR - Firecracker 77
271 Jason Havens, Prineville, OR - Wistler 77
241 Ryan Gray, Cheney, WA - Panther Martini 83
103 Andy Carter, Ellsinore, MO - Darth Vader 76
145 Sean Culver, Grandview, WA - Big Easy NS
32 Tyler Barnes, Prineville, OR - Dodge City NS
388 Brandon Martin, Pendleton, OR - Cherry Velvet 83
38 Nathan Bayes, Adrian, OR - South Dakota DNR
39 Noah Bayes, Adrian, OR - Quatro 72
278 Daniel Herman, Marsing, ID - Chucker 77
434 Dustin Mulrony, Pomeroy, WA - Lewis NS
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Category: Events, News & Updates, Results
