Courtesy Rodeo Houston
Leighton Berry Secures Back-to-Back Bareback Riding Titles at Rodeo Houston
Leighton Berry won the bareback riding title for the second year in a row at Rodeo Houston on Championship Sunday, earning a cash prize of $50,000. The championship shootout was the final event of a thrilling 20-day tournament consisting of five three-day Super Series, two Semifinal rounds, two Wild Card rounds, and the Championship round and Shootout round on March 17, 2024.
Berry scored an impressive 91.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Agent Lynx, the same horse he had ridden three times before, including in Round 10 of the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Berry was ecstatic with his win, telling Rodeo Houston, “I’ve been dreaming of getting on that horse again ever since I had him in the tenth round of the NFR. I instantly started telling myself that I was gonna be a two-time RODEOHOUSTON champion.”
2024 Rodeo Houston Bareback Riding CHampion Leighton Berry.
Courtesy Rodeo Houston
In other events, Dakota Eldridge won the Steer Wrestling with a time of 8.1 seconds, earning him $50,000. J.C. Yeahquo and Buddy Hawkins II won the team roping with a time of 4.8 seconds, each receiving $50,000. Damian Brennan won the saddle bronc riding with a score of 91 points, also earning $50,000.
Ty Harris and his brother Joel Harris both tied with a time of 8.2 seconds in the tie-down roping, but Ty ultimately won the championship title and the $50,000 prize. Leslie Smalygo won the barrel racing with a time of 14.35 seconds, also earning $50,000.
Creek Young won the bull riding title with a score of 87 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Preacher, earning him $50,000. Jackie Crawford won the breakaway roping with a lightning-fast time of 3.7 seconds, also securing the championship title and the $50,000 prize.
Championship Sunday at Rodeo Houston was a showcase of professional rodeo at its finest, with champions making history and etching their names into the record books.
Rodeo Houston Championship Results:
Bareback riding: 1. Leighton Berry, 88 points The Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s Ain’t No Angel; 2. Tanner Aus, 85; 3. (tie) Garrett Shadbolt and Cooper Cooke, 84.5 each; 5. Keenan Hayes, 84, $2,500; 6. Clint Laye, 83, $2,500; 7. Nick Pelke, 81.5, $2,500; 8. Richmond Champion, 81, $2,500; 9. Clayton Biglow, 76, $2,500; 10. Caleb Bennett, 74, $2,500.
Steer wrestling: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 4.6 seconds; 2. Stetson Jorgensen, 5.0, 3. Tucker Allen, 5.1; 4. Dalton Massey, 5.4; 5. (tie) Walt Arnold and Tristan Martin, 6.7, $2,500 each; 7. Blake Knowles, 6.8 $2,500; 8. Ty Erickson, 8.1, $2,500, 9. (tie) Cody Devers and J.D. Struxness, NT, $2,500 each.
Team roping: 1. Andrew Ward/Tanner Braden, 5.7 seconds; 2. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins II, 6.2; 3. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 6.6; 4. Clint Summers/Jake Long, 7.1; 5. $2,500; 6. Jr. Dees/Coleby Payne, 11.1, $2,500; 7. (tie) Jesse Boos/Jace Steenhoek and Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 11.8, $2,500 each, 9. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Jonathan Torres and Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, NT, $2,500 each.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Damian Brennan, 90 points on Calgary Stampede’s Wild Cherry; 2. Lefty Holman, 87.5; 3. Sage Newman, 86.5; 4. Cole Elshere, 86; 5. Statler Wright, 85.5, $2,500; 6. Zeke Thurston, 82.5, $2,500; 7. Brody Wells, 82, $2,500; 8. Quinten Taylor, 81.5, $2,500; 9. Ryder Sanford, 80, $2,500; 10. Ben T. Andersen, 79, $2,500.
Tie-down roping: 1. Chance Thiessen, 8.7 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, 8.9; 3. Ty Harris, 9.7; 4. Joel Harris, 10.2; 5. Macon Murphy, 10.9, $2,500; 6. Trevor Hale, 22.4, $2,500; 7. (tie) John Douch, Shane Hanchey, Riley Mason Webb and Shad Mayfield, NT, $2,500 each.
Barrel racing: 1. Leslie Smalygo, 14.51 seconds; 2. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 14.59; 3. Paige Jones, 14.71; 4. Lisa Lockhart, 14.73; 5. Sissy Winn, 14.76, $2,500; 6. Stevi Hillman, 14.79, $2,500; 7. Hailey Kinsel, 14.81, $2,500; 8. Andrea Busby, 14.90, $2,500; 9. Kassie Mowry, 14.98, $2,500; 10. Hayle Gibson, 19.72, $2,500.
Bull riding: 1. Creek Young, 86.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Midnight Flyer; 2. T.J. Gray, 86; 3. Roscoe Jarboe, 74; 4. Tristan Hutchings, NS; 5. (tie) Chance Schott, Dustin Boquet, Josh Frost, Braden Richards, Jeff Askey and Jax Mills, NS, $2,500 each.
Breakaway roping: 1. Macy Young, 2.7 seconds; 2. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Taylor Munsell, 3.1 each; 4. TiAda Gray, 3.4; 5. Hali Williams, 3.8, $2,500; 6. Rickie Fanning, 12.8, $2,500; 7. (tie) Willow Wilson, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, Jordan Jo Hollabaugh and Hope Thompson, NT, $2,500 each.
Rodeo Houston Championship Shootout Results:
Bareback riding: 1. Leighton Berry, 91.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Agent Lynx, $50,000; 2. Garrett Shadbolt, 87.5, $20,000; 3. Cooper Cooke, 86.5, $10,000; 4. Tanner Aus, NS, $5,500.
Steer wrestling: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 8.1 seconds, $50,000; 2. Tucker Allen, 9.9, $20,000; 3. Stetson Jorgensen, 15.2, $10,000; 4. Dalton Massey, NT, $5,500.
Team roping: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.8 seconds, $50,000 each; 2. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 5.2, $20,000; 3. (tie) Andrew Ward/Tanner Braden and Clint Summers/Jake Long, 5.4, $7,750 each.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Damian Brennan, 91 points on The Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s R Watson Ed Bishop, $50,000; 2. Lefty Holman, 89, $20,000; 3. Cole Elshere, $10,000; 4. Sage Newman, 88, $5,500.
Tie-down roping: 1. Ty Harris, 8.2 seconds, $50,000; 2. Joel Harris, 8.2, $20,000; 3. Marty Yates, 8.7, $10,000; 4. Chance Thiessen, NT, $5,500.
Barrel racing: 1. Leslie Smalygo, 14.35 seconds, $50,000; 2. Lisa Lockhart, 14.54, $20,000; 3. Paige Jones, 14.71, $10,000; 4. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 19.94, $5,500.
Bull riding: 1. Creek Young, 87 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Preacher, $50,000; 2. Roscoe Jarboe, 82, $20,000; 3. (tie) T.J. Gray and Tristan Hutchings, NS, $7,500 each.
Breakaway roping: 1. Jackie Crawford, 3.7 seconds, $50,000; 2. (tie) Macy Young, Taylor Munsell and TiAda Gray, NT, $11,833 each.
