Cowboy Christmas Winding Down in Cody
by Jim Bainbridge | Jul 04, 2016
By Susan Kanode/for the Cody Stampede committee
CODY, Wyo. – The Fourth-of-July Holiday has seen rodeo contestants putting thousands of miles on their trucks’ odometers, trying to hit as many rodeos as they can and getting their share of the lucrative prize money available in a short period of time.
The Cody Stampede has been on the schedule of a majority of them. With the 97th edition of the rodeo coming to a close on July 4, hopes of those paychecks have either been renewed or dashed for the bulk of the competitors at Stampede Park.
Sunday night’s rodeo saw several contestants move into the standings here, but the leads set previously in all of the events held. One of those contestants who could really use a big win here is Bryce Barrios from Bluff Dale, Texas, who was 86 points in the bull riding.
Barrios is one of seven successful bull riders here so far. He is currently in second place behind Cody Rostockyj from Lorena, Texas, who is ahead by half a point. Barrios joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2015 and finished the year in 23rd place. That didn’t get him to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, however it did give him the once-in-a-lifetime distinction of being a Resistol PRCA Rookie of the Year.
His season has been a little slower this year, but a second- or even a third-place finish here could change that. Another contestant in a similar position is Joey Sonnier III from New Iberia, La. Sonnier scored 83.5 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Cache Creek Sunday night to move into second place in the saddle bronc riding.
Sonnier is the third saddle bronc rider from Louisiana to move into the standings here. He is second behind Cody DeMoss. Cody’s brother Heith is tied for fifth place. They are from Heflin.
The 97th Anniversary of the Cody Stampede continues at Stampede Park on Monday, July 4 with barrel racing slack at 8 a.m. and the fourth performance at 8 p.m. More information is also available at www.codystampederodeo.com or codystampederodeo.com.
Courtesy of PRCA