Red Bluff Round-Up Continues

Oklahoma cowboy follows in dad’s footsteps, leads the saddle bronc riding

Red Bluff, Calif. (April 22, 2017) – In the second performance of the Red Bluff Round-Up, the saddle bronc riding changed leads by a half-point.

An Oklahoma cowboy took the lead after the second performance of the Red Bluff Round-Up, the nation’s largest three-day rodeo.

Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla., scored a half-point better than Friday night’s high score to be 85 points going into Sunday’s performance.

Braden, who is 28 years old, rode the Calgary Stampede horse Turbo Rocket, a twelve-year-old mare, for the win.

He’s having the best year of his ten year career, ranked fifth in the PRCA’s world standings after a good winter run. “It’s been an outstanding year, unbelievable,” he said. His biggest win this winter was a second place finish at the San Antonio (Texas) rodeo, cashing checks totally more than $10,000 to add to his year to date winnings of $37,859.

He’s never been ranked in the top fifteen, which would qualify him for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December in Las Vegas, and he and his family are excited. His dad Butch, a former saddle bronc rider and bull rider, has worked as a pickup man for the last thirty years, and is happy for his son. “I think dad’s more excited than anybody,” Braden said. “But he keeps it on the down low.” Hardy knows there are about five more months in the rodeo year. “It’s very early. A lot can change.”

Hardy helps on the family ranch when he’s not rodeoing, but his dad doesn’t mind when him being gone. “He wants me on the road more than at home,” Braden said. “He wants me to enjoy it as long as I can. It’s not going to last forever. He knows, he’s been there.” Butch competed on the national scene till he married his wife Tammy and they children, daughter Tara and Hardy.

After marriage and kids, Butch competed in the Prairie Circuits, the states of Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, and the kids went along. “Me and my sister, we were gone two or three nights a weekend, to go with dad. I’ve been around this ever since I was a little kid.” Braden estimates his dad Butch qualified for the Prairie Circuit Finals a dozen times; Hardy has qualified about six times, winning the Prairie Circuit Saddle Bronc Riding title in 2012-13.

Butch was selected to work as pickup man at the Wrangler National Finals in 2011-2015, and Tammy was selected to work as a timer at the WNFR from 2013-2015.

In other events, the top bareback score for the Saturday afternoon performance was shared by two cowboys: R.C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif., and Grant Denny, Minden, Nev. (82.5 points each). Three bull riders made qualified rides, and New Plymouth, Idaho’s Roscoe Jarboe’s score was the highest: 84 points. In the barrel racing, the fast time for the day was turned in by Syndi Blanchard, Albuquerque, N.M. (17.07 seconds).

Fast times for the second performance in the tie-down roping went to Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif. (9.3 seconds), who was also the fast time in the steer wrestling (4.6). In the team roping, Lane Ivy, Adrian, Texas and Buddy Hawkins II, Columbus, Kan., had a time of 7.1 seconds.

The third and final performance of the 96th annual Red Bluff Round-Up takes place tomorrow at 1:30 pm. Tomorrow’s event is the annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink day, with funds raised for the St. Elizabeth Imaging Center. In the last ten years, the Round-Up and other community activities have raised over $378,000 for St. Elizabeth.

The Wrangler Network webcast last night’s and today’s performances and will do tomorrow’s as well. They will be archived for future viewings at wranglerwestern.com.

Results after second performance, Red Bluff Round-Up, April 22, 2017

Bareback riding (second performance scores)
1. (tie) R. C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif., 82.5 points on Four Star Rodeo’s Short Fuse and Grant Denny, Minden, Nev., 82.5 points on Rosser Rodeo’s Flood Tide; 3. Cody Kiser, Carson City, Nev. 80.5; 4. Tyler Scales, Severance, Colo. 79.5; 5. Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn. 77.5; 6. (tie) Ty Fast Taypotat, Regina, Sask. And Justin McDaniel, Parkfield, Calif. 76.

Steer wrestling
Third round: 1. Cody Pratt, Pueblo, Colo. 4.4 seconds; 2. Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif. 4.6; 3. Baylor Roche, Tremonton, Utah 4.7; 4. (tie) Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nev. and Chance E. Howard, Cedarville, Ark. 4.8 each; 6. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo. 4.9.

Saddle bronc riding (second performance results)
1. Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla. 85 points on Calgary Stampede’s Turbo Rocket; 2. Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alb. 83.5; 3. (tie) Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M. and Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah 82 points each; 5. Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 77.5; 6. Ben Londo, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 77.

Tie-down roping
Third round: 1. Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 8.9 seconds; 2. Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif. 9.3; 3. Luke Landry, Leesville, La. 10.2; 4. Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas 10.7; 5. Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. 10.8; 6. Roger Nonella, Redmond, Ore. 11.1.

Team Roping
Third round: 1. Lane Ivy, Adrian, Texas and Buddy Hawkins, II, Columbus, Kan. 7.1 seconds; 2. Hayes Smith, Central Point, Ore. and Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore. 7.3; 3. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla. and Billie Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla. 7.4; 4. Shay Carroll, Prineville, Ore. and Todd Hampton, Madera, Calif. 8.2; 5. Preston Burgess, Hilmar, Calif. and Cody Cowden, Atwater, Calif. 8.7; 6. Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M. and Brady Norman, Springer, Okla. 9.0; 7. Blake Hirdes, Turlock, Calif. and John Chaves, Los Alamos, Calif. 9.5; 8. Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C. and Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas 9.7.

Barrel racing (second performance results)
1. Sydni Blanchard, Albuquerque, N.M. 17.07 seconds; 2. Kris Gadbois, Escondido, Calif. 17.35; 3. Trula Churchill, Valentine, Neb. 17.53; 4. Tillar Murray, Ft Worth, Texas 17.77; 5. Cheyenne Hattesen, Kerman, Calif. 17.85; 6. Syd Wheeler, Greenfield, Calif. 17.91.

Bull riding (second performance results)
1. Roscoe Jarboe, New Plymouth, Ida. 84 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Mr. Moody; 2. Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla. 82.5; 3. Jeremy Kolich, Norco, Calif. 67.