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Bull Riding Battle Highlights First Night of World’s Original Indoor Rodeo®

by Johna Cravens
for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

FORT WORTH, Texas (January 23, 2016) — The 2016 edition of the World’s Original Indoor Rodeo® at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo began with a bull riding battle at the first of 29 rodeo performances that run daily until February 6.

Tyler Smith of Fruita, Colo., set the mark to shoot for when he scored 85.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Say It Ain’t So. Although three other bull riders topped 80 points, none of them could bump the three-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier from the lead.

Smith, who has also qualified for the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) finals, started his week competing Tuesday at Fort Worth’s Bulls’ Night Out, a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Xtreme Bulls event. He scored 87.5 points on his first round bull, but bucked off in the top 10 round. The ride earned Smith $2,802 for second place in the long round and he pocketed another $812 for his overall placing. If his score holds the first round lead, he could add several thousand more to his Fort Worth earnings.

The bull riders at the World’s Original Indoor Rodeo® compete in two rounds with the top overall scorers competing in the final championship round on February 6. Smith competes in round two at the Saturday, January 23, 2 p.m. matinee.

The Colorado cowboy is finally recovered from a torn bicep and surgery on his knee and back problems that limited his competition for more than two years. During that time he relied on the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund for financial support and when he returned to action he pledged to donate a portion of his earnings to the fund and has served as a spokesperson for the charity.

Tie-down roper Justin Macha of Needville, Texas, turned in the quickest time of the evening when he roped and tied his calf in 8.6 seconds. That put him in sixth place overall after 128 ropers have competed. In both tie-down roping and steer wrestling, the bulk of the first round competition took place during Wednesday and Thursday’s “slack” competition. One hundred twenty ropers and 168 steer wrestlers competed before the first rodeo performance began. Jud Nowotny of La Vernia, Texas, is the only roper thus far to clock a time faster than eight seconds. His 7.9 leads the event.

Kellie Collier leads the women’s barrel racing with a time of 16.60 seconds. The Hereford, Texas, cowgirl is beginning her sophomore season in pro rodeo and in college where she is a member of the Texas Tech University Rodeo Team. Former world champion Mary Walker, who won her third consecutive $10,000 Fort Worth Shootout Barrel Racing Championship Thursday night, is second with a 16.80.

The World’s Original Indoor Rodeo® continues Saturday with performances at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Fort Worth’s historic Will Rogers Coliseum.

The following are unofficial results from Friday night’s performance of the World’s Oldest Indoor Rodeo® at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, January 22, 2016.

First Performance

Bareback Riding: 1, Cody Kiser, Carson City, Nev., 80 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Blessed Assurance. 2, (tie) Jamie Howlett, Snyder, Texas, and Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 77. 4, Devan Reilly, Sheridan, Wyo., 75.

Steer Wrestling: (two times) 1, Casey Martin, Sulphur, La., 16.6 seconds. 2, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 34.6.

Team Roping: (three times) 1, Blaine Vick, Dublin, Texas, and Dakota Kirchenschlager, Morgan Mill, Texas, 5.1 seconds. 2, Ryan Von Ahn, Sac City, Iowa, and J.W. Beck, Moville, Iowa, 10.1. 3, Anthony Lucia, Weatherford, Texas, and Tyler Domingue, De Kalb, Texas, 15.0.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Dalton Rixsen, Richardton, N.D., 78 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s In the River. 2, (tie) Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, and Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 75. 4, Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, 73.5.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Justin Macha, Needville, Texas, 8.6 seconds. 2, (tie) Clay McCuistion, Sanger, Texas, and Taylor Stout, Justin, Texas, 10.2. 4, Sterling Smith, Stephenville, Texas, 11.5.

Barrel Racing: 1, Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, 16.63 seconds. 2, Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, 16.80. 3, Aimee Kaye, Bluff Dale, Texas, 16.97. 4, Ivy Hurst, Springer, Okla., 17.04.

Bull Riding: 1, Tyler Smith, Fruita, Colo., 85.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Say It Ain’t So. 2, Lane Selz, Bakersfield, Calif., 83.5. 3, Riker Carter, Stone, Idaho, 83. 4, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 80.

Current Leaders

Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Cody Kiser, Carson City, Nev., 80 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Blessed Assurance. 2, (tie) Jamie Howlett, Snyder, Texas, and Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 77. 4, Devan Reilly, Sheridan, Wyo., 75. 5, Kody Lamb, Sherwood Park, Alberta, 71. 6, Tyler Nelson, Victor, Idaho, 63.

Steer Wrestling: (first round) 1, Jason Lahr, Stephenville, Texas, 3.7 seconds. 2, (tie) Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, and Forest Sainsbury, Camp Crook, S.D., 4.2. 4, John Kloeckler, Checotah, Okla., 4.3. 5, (tie) Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., and Brother Loud, Kaufman, Texas, 4.4.

Team Roping: (three times) 1, Blaine Vick, Dublin, Texas, and Dakota Kirchenschlager, Morgan Mill, Texas, 5.1 seconds. 2, Ryan Von Ahn, Sac City, Iowa, and J.W. Beck, Moville, Iowa, 10.1. 3, Anthony Lucia, Weatherford, Texas, and Tyler Domingue, De Kalb, Texas, 15.0.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, Dalton Rixsen, Richardton, N.D., 78 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s In The River. 2, (tie) Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, and Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 75. 4, Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, 73. 5. Keenan Reinhardt, Cochrane, Alberta, 72.5. 6, Brady Dinwoodie, Westbourne, Manitoba, and Seth Glause, Cheyenne, Wyo., 72.

Tie-Down Roping: (first round) 1, Jud Nowotny, La Vernia, Texas, 7.9 seconds. 2, Billy Hamilton, Kiowa, Okla., 8.2. 3, Jordan Ketscher, Squaw Valley, Calif., 8.3. 4, (tie) Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas, and Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 8.5. 6, Justin Macha, Needville, Texas, 8.6.

Barrel Racing: (first round) 1, Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, 16.63 seconds. 2, Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, 16.80. 3, Aimee Kaye, Bluff Dale, Texas, 16.97. 4, Ivy Hurst, Springer, Okla., 17.04. 5, Kylie Weast, Addington, Okla., 17.15. 6, Lizzie Ehr, Sterling City, Texas, 17.32.

Bull Riding: (first round) 1, Tyler Smith, Fruita, Colo., 85.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Say It Ain’t So. 2, Lane Selz, Bakersfield, Calif., 83.5. 3, Riker Carter, Stone, Idaho, 83. 4, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 80. 5, Dalan Duncan, Ballard, Utah, 77.5. 6, Beau Brooks, Carstairs, Alberta, 77.

Courtesy of PRCA

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