Bull Rider at the Top of the Earnings List at San Antonio Rodeo
By Susan Kanode
Four-time world champion bull rider J.W. Harris is the biggest money winner at the 70th annual San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo so far. Harris finished second on Thursday night and followed that up with a round win on Friday. He rode Beutler and Son Rodeo’s bull, Crazy Child, for 88.5 points to win $2,500. He has won $5,000 here so far. San Antonio Rodeo photo by Greg Westfall.
SAN ANTONIO – J.W. Harris may be in the twilight of his bull riding career, but he’s not thinking about that at this year’s San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo.
Harris, from Goldthwaite, Texas, joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association 14 years ago. He has won four gold buckles for being the world champion, has nearly $2 million in association earnings and has made the trip to Las Vegas to compete at rodeo’s championships, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, nine times. However, he still has bulls to ride, rodeos to win and he has proven at San Antonio that he is still working towards his goals.
He is among the bull riders in Bracket 1 that kicked off this year’s rodeo. Harris finished second on opening night of the rodeo, then followed that up with an 88.5-point ride on Beutler and Sons Rodeo’s Crazy Child on Friday night. That was good for the win and $2,500. Combined with the $2,250 he won on Thursday, he has won the most money of all Bracket 1 contestants at $4,750.
In 2009, Harris tied for the win with Spud Jones in the AT&T Center. He has had several high marked rides but being the only guy at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the rodeo has eluded him.
“This rodeo and Cheyenne Frontier Days are two that I’ve always wanted to win,” Harris said. “I feel good right now and I’m having a blast. I’m not worrying about my career, I’m just worrying about riding one bull at a time.”
The third round of Bracket 1 starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Harris will be hoping to add even more money to his bank account then, but with what he has already won enough money to make plans to be back here for the Semifinals. Some other contestants that are planning that trip are team ropers Paul David Tierney from Oklahoma City and Tanner Braden from Dewey, Oklahoma, and bareback rider Tyler Nelson from Victor, Idaho. They have each won $4,500 here so far.
Nelson is a former champion in the AT&T Center and knows what it feels like to make the victory lap in the back of a Ford Truck and collect the buckle for being the best. He earned nearly $26,000 here in 2017 after scoring 91.5 points and beating world champion Tim O’Connell by a half-point.
Contestants in Bracket 1 will be finishing their competition on Saturday afternoon, then Bracket 2 will begin. Ten more contestants in each event will be trying to earn their piece of the $1.7 million in prize money Saturday night at the fourth rodeo performance which begins at 7:30 p.m.
The following are results after the second performance of the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, the 14-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year.
Bracket 1, round 2 followed by money leaders
Bareback Riding: 1, Tyler Nelson, Victor, Idaho, 85 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s All Pink, $2,500. 2, Taylor Broussard, Estherwood, La., 84.5, $2,000. 3, Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La., 84, $1,240. 4, (tie) Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D.; Tristan Hansen, Dillon, Mont.; and Jamie Howlett, Rapid City, S.D.; 81 and $250 each. (total money) 1, Nelson, $4,500. 2, Howlett, $2,750. 3, Broussard, $2,000. 4, (tie) Ratliff, O’Connell and Hansen, $1,250 each.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont., 3.9 seconds, $2,500. 2, Josh Garner, Live Oak, Calif., 4.2, $2,000. 3, Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., 4.3, $1,250. 4, J.D. Struxness, Milan, Minn., 4.5, $750. (total money) 1, Knowles, $2,350. 2, Erickson, $2,875. 3, Jacob Talley, Katchie, La., $2,500. 4, Garner, $2,000.
Team Roping: 1, Paul David Tierney, Oklahoma City and Tanner Braden, Dewey, Okla., 4.7 seconds, $2,500. 2, Riley and Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 5.8, $2,000. 3, Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C., and Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M., 6.8, $1,250. 4, Jeff Flenniken, Caldwell, Idaho and Jake Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 7.9, $750. (total money) 1, Tierney and Braden, $4,500. 2, Riley and Brady Minor, $2,750. 3, Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo., and Dustin Davis, Terrell, Texas, $2,500. 4, (tie) Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C., and Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo.; and Kidd and Medlin, $1,250.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Ross Griffin, Tularosa, N.M., 84.5 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s No Show Jones, $2,500. 2, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 84, $2,000. 3, Dean Wadsworth, Buffalo Gap, Texas, 82, $1,250. 4, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 81, $750. (total money) 1, Thurston, $2,750. 2, (tie) Griffin and Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., $2,500 each. 4, Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta, $2,000.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, 7.5 seconds, $2,500. 2, Tyson Durfey, Brock, Texas, 8.2, $2,000. 3, Cody Quaney, Fort Worth, Texas, 8.6, $1,250. 4, Tanner Green, Cotulla, Texas, 8.9, $750. (total money) 1, Durfey, $3,000. 2, (tie) Gray and Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., $2,500 each. 4, Quaney, $2,250.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Tillar Murray, Fort Worth, Texas, 14.06, $2,500. 2, Ericka Nelson, Century, Fla., 14.09, $2,000. 3, Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas, 14.14, $1,250. 4, Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas, 14.22, $750. (total money) 1, Nelson, $4,000. 2, Murray, $3,750. 3, Kelly Bruner, Millsap, Texas, $2,500. 4, Ganter, $1,250.
Bull Riding: 1, J.W. Harris, Goldthwaite, Texas, 88.5 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Crazy Child, $2,500. 2, Brady Portenier, Caldwell, Idaho, 85.5, $2,000. 3, Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas, 85, $1,250. 4, Dallee Mason, Weiser, Idaho, 79, $750. (total money) 1, Harris, $5,000. 2, Roscoe Jarboe, New Plymouth, Idaho, $2,750. 3, Portenier, $2,000, 4, Tim Bingham, Honeyville, Utah, $1,500.