Who to Watch at the Top 12 Qualifiers Reno Rodeo Finals
The Reno Rodeo in Reno, Nevada has been underway since June 21 and the final round of the top 12 contestants will finish Saturday evening, June 29. The competitors have already competed two times in the famed green arena to determine who would be the top 12 to move on to Saturday night.
Sports Illustrated Rodeo Daily took a look at the qualifiers and here is who to watch to take the win.
In the bareback riding the leader coming into the finals is R.C. Landingham with 173.5 points on two horses. He is closely followed by Dean Thompson who scroed a total of 172.5 points on two. The entire field of twelve is split by about 10 points which is a lot in the bareback riding, but if one of the top seeded cowboys stubs his toe in the finals, it really is anyone's game.
With names like Tilden Hooper, Jesse Pope and Wacey Schalla in the field following the top two, it is going to come down to who draws the best horse and has the best night.
In the steer wrestlng, Tucker Allen from Ventura, Cali. leads the pack with a total time on two of 9.2 seconds. Allen sits at the number 12 position in the world standings currently and a win at the Reno Rodeo could boost that ranking. He doesn't have much of a lead though. All 12 cowboys in the finals are within .9 of a second from each other.
That difference leaves it up to anyone in the finals. At this point, it becomes a one-header where the fastest man wins. The pack going into the finals includes Riley Duvall, Stetson Jorgensen, Walt Arnold, Trever Nelson, Tyler Pearson and Dalton Massey just to name a few of the very capable men.
The saddle bronc riding has a very familiar name at the top and you might feel like you are seeing double. Ryder Wright, the 26-year-old Beaver, Utah man is on top of the leaderboard with 171.5 points. Right behind him is Rusty Wright who gathered 169.5 points so far in Reno.
The finals in Reno will seem a lot like a preview of the National Finals Rodeo. Dawson Hay, Tanner Butner, Ryder Sanford and Chase Brooks will all sit down on bronc tonight to fight for the championship.
Ryder Wright will be matched up against Big Bend Rodeo's Spring Tour. Branded 887, the bucking horse has had three outs and been ridden three times but for just 82 points on average. It will take more than that for Ryder to win Reno.
Rusty Wright will also see a horse from the Big Bend Rodeo String called Spotted Blues. Riggin Smith rode the horse to an 86 point ride at Reno in the previous rounds so the opportunity for a win could be there.
The team roping sees Aaron Tsinigine and Ty Romo at the top with a 10.4 second total on two runs. Following very close behind is veteran team Cory Petska and Pedro Egurrola at 10.7 seconds.
As with all the other events, the finals list is a who's who of team roping. As most of the finals in the team roping go, this will certainly come down to who is clean on both ends and certainly fast. The split between temas is right around one second, so it's just anyone's game to play as long as they get out at the barrier and rope two feet.
The tie-down ropers will be putting on a show, as usual. Another "usual" thing is who is at the top -- Shad Mayfield. The New Mexico man is in a tie with Texan, Michael Otero. The two talented cowboys both tied their calves in a total of 17.6 seconds.
There will be lots of fast hands in the roping to contend for the championship. Westyn Hughes rounds out the field of ropers who made the finals with hims 20.0 seconds on two. Known for being fast on the ground, Hughes could come all the way from the number 12 position and pick up the win.
The barrel racing is led by none other than Kassie Mowry of Dublin, Texas. The long-hair cowgirl put on a show of resilience and grace when she rounded the pattern in a total time of 34.42 seconds. Really, the world will be cheering for this cowgirl, if for nothing else, vindication to the world for what she has been through this year.
Following very close behind is Hailey Kinsel and her great horse "Sister." The duo finished the two runs around the pattern in 34.48. LaTricia Duke finishes the top 12 with her total time on tw of 35.01. With a pattern the size of Cheyenne, one-half second in the average can be made up by a simple misstep.
Tristen Hutchings sits on top of the bull riding as they are the only event to advane on one head. Hutchings 90.5 ride gives him a 2.5 point advantage over the rest of the field.
As of the time of writing, the draw for the finals wasn't posted, but there will be no shortage of talented climing down on the bulls.
In the fast-paced breakaway, Taylor Munsell is leading the ladies at 4.8 seconds on two head. That's right, the total is her total time on two head of calves. Two ladies are tied for the number two spot - Bradi Good and Madalyn Richards. Both roped their calves in a total of 5.5 seconds.
You can tune into the Cowboy Channel as part of their '100 Rodeos in 100 Days' series to catch all the live action, or come back tomorrow when we will report what happened in the short round and who the champions are.
LAURA MOTLEY LAMBERT
Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. With her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, PGA and LPGA. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com