Bull Rider Kimzey Captures Xtreme Win
by Tracy Renck | Jan 18, 2017
FORT WORTH, Texas – Success hasn’t slowed Sage Kimzey down – at all.
Kimzey, who has won three consecutive PRCA bull riding world championships, was in top form Wednesday night.
Kimzey, with a score of 170 points won the two-head average, at the Xtreme Bulls Division 1 event in Fort Worth.
“This is the first big rodeo I’ve been to this year, and it’s good to get the ball rolling the first rattle out of the gate,” Kimzey said.
Kimzey clinched the victory with an 83.5-point ride on Smith, Harper & Morgan Rodeo’s Jukebox Hero in the short round at the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum.
“That was a really good bull,” Kimzey said. “He’s an old bull we’ve seen him around forever and he always one of the top money bulls any time somebody gets on him. I was excited to have him.”
Kimzey 170 points edged Garrett Smith’s 166-point score on two head. Smith of Rexburg, Idaho, had his performance on Tuesday night during the two-day event.
This was the season-opening PRCA Xtreme Bulls Division 1 event and one of six on the 2017 schedule.
Kimzey was the 2015 Xtreme Bulls season champion, and he finished fifth in the 2016 Xtreme Bulls standings.
Kimzey was the top rider in the long round Wednesday night with an 86.5-point ride on Hurst Pro Rodeo’s Rio.
That score allowed Kimzey to be the last rider out in the short round, which consisted of the cowboys with the top 10 scores in the long round.
That set the stage for Kimzey to face Jukebox Hero for the first time in his career – the same bull Smith had a 79-point ride on in Tuesday’s short round.
“He usually goes left and he faked left and went right tonight,” Kimzey said. “I don’t care which way they go just as long as they go. He was a cool little bull to get on and my score was enough to get the win. Ever since I had my permit I had seen that bull and I always wanted to get on him and I was real glad to get that opportunity here in Fort Worth.”
This was a strong start for the new season for Kimzey who recently added another line to his ever-impressive resume. Kimzey became the PRCA’s youngest millionaire at 22 years, three months, two weeks old, retroactive to the final day of the 2016 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER, Dec. 10. The previous youngest PRCA millionaire was Tuf Cooper at 23 years, 22 days.
“Winning rodeos definitely never gets old,” Kimzey said. “There’s no better feeling in the world than stepping off a good bull and getting your buckle out in the middle of the arena.”
Courtesy of PRCA