Cowboys Cash in with San Antonio Wins
By Matt Naber
SAN ANTONIO – Everyone remembers the Alamo, and the final-round winners of the 2019 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo will certainly remember their final round at the AT&T Center, Feb. 23.
With $1,446,449 in prize money on the table since the rodeo started Feb. 7, the 397 competitors who entered the rodeo held nothing back, as the bracket format narrowed the competition to 10 rodeo athletes per event for the final round.
The only cowboys competing in multiple events at San Antonio were Trevor Brazile and Rhen Richard (both in team roping and tie-down roping), and Stetson Wright, who competed in saddle bronc riding and bull riding.
With San Antonio’s large payouts yet to be added into their position in the world standings, the following cowboys are guaranteed to see their positions greatly improve within the standings for their events.
Shane Hanchey wins tie-down roping
BAREBACK RIDING
Despite recovering from knee surgery in November before the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (though he managed to still compete in Las Vegas in December) and with only $700 won in the 2019 season, Orin Larsen won the San Antonio rodeo for the second time since joining the PRCA in 2011.
Larsen’s first San Antonio win came in 2016, and this time around was just as exciting as the first time for the 27-year-old Canadian cowboy.
“It would be silly to say I’m a self-made man,” Larsen said. “I have been praying a lot and putting my trust in Christ and have tons of family support and support from the city here too. They have been second to none.”
Before the final round, Larsen was leading the pack of San Antonio bareback riding finalists with $14,500 won. With his winning ride on Feb. 23, Larsen’s San Antonio winnings totaled $29,500.
Larsen had ridden his finals horse, Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage, twice before, once at The American and the other time while winning Round 8 of the 2016 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with 87.5 points.
Now the four-time Wrangler NFR qualifier (2015-18) is hitting the next three big Texas rodeos – The American, RodeoHouston and Rodeo Austin.
Bareback Riding Top 5 on Total Money Won:
1. Orin Larsen $29,500
2. Richmond Champion $22,875
3. Tilden Hooper $15,416
4. Kaycee Feild $12,916
5. Connor Hamilton $12,750
STEER WRESTLING
Steer wrestler Tyler Waguespack, the reigning world champion, checked the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo off his bucket list by earning an event-best $22,750. Waguespack propelled himself to the championship Saturday by winning the finals – and $15,000 – with his 3.5-second run.
“This is rodeo, we always want to win,” Waguespack said. “My wife (Sarah Rose, a barrel racer) said this is her favorite rodeo to go to. She was in the stands. She was one of the people I was high-fiving when I came around on my victory lap. This feels great to get this win.”
Before the final round, Waguespack was seventh among the 10 steer wrestling finalists.
Before San Antonio, Waguespack was third in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $20,710. The $22,750 he won at San Antonio will likely place him at the top of the world standings.
Waguespack is a two-time world champion steer wrestler (2016 and 2018) and a four-time qualifier for the Wrangler NFR (2015-18).
Steer Wrestling Top 5 on Total Money Won:
1. Tyler Waguespack $22,750
2. Chason Flyod $20,875
3. Tanner Milan $16,500
4. Justin Shaffer $10,750
5. Trevor Knowles $9,750
TEAM ROPING
Team roping header Tate Kirchenschlager and heeler Ross Ashford had never roped together before the 2019 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, and they made the most of their pairing.
The duo teamed up because their normal partners didn’t meet the qualifications for San Antonio. Kirchenschlager and Ashford each earned $25,750 in San Antonio.
“I knew Ross roped good,” Kirchenschlager said. “He throws fast and makes my job easy. I just have to catch them. It was a huge blessing to win this rodeo.”
Ashford and his partner won the final round in 4.7 seconds.
“It usually doesn’t work out like this,” Ashford said. “We are super, super thankful that it did. Tate could not have done a better job. This is just awesome.”
The temporarily formed duo entered the final round ranked second among the 10 team roping finalists with $10,750.
Before San Antonio, Kirchenschlager was 17th in the world standings for team roping headers with $9,697 and Ashford was 33rd among the heelers with $6,726. Their winnings at San Antonio will surely launch them into the Top 15 of their respective standings.
Team Roping Top 5 on Total Money Won:
1. Tate Kirchenschlager/ Ross Ashford $25,750 each
2. Luke Brown/ Paul Eaves $19,750
3. Riley Minor/ Brady Minor $14,250
4. Tyler Wade/ Billie Jack Saebens $12,750
5. Derrick Begay/ Cory Petska $11,000
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Fresh off winning his first saddle bronc riding world title, eight-time Wrangler NFR qualifier Wade Sundell won his second San Antonio buckle. His first San Antonio win was in 2014.
This was Sundell’s fifth timing riding Frontier Rodeo’s Medicine Woman, the four-time horse of the year. With Sundell the first to pick his ride in the draft, Medicine Woman was the Iowa cowboy’s top pick for the final round since he’d been 92 points on her before.
“If you want to win first place, that’s the one you need to go to,” Sundell said. “I had the first pick and went for the gusto – it was going to be dust or gold.”
Before the final round, Sundell was third among the 10 saddle bronc riding finalists with $11,500. His San Antonio efforts were worth $26,500.
Before San Antonio, Sundell was outside the top 50 in the world standings. His San Antonio winnings should place him within the top five in the world.
“The last time I won San Antonio, I went to The American and won it, and now I’m heading to The American so maybe things are lining up,” Sundell said.
Saddle Bronc Riding Top 5 on Total Money Won:
1. Wade Sundell $26,500
2. Ryder Wright $21,083
3. Zeke Thurston $18,250
4. Bradley Harter $14,500
5. Rusty Wright $11,625
BULL RIDING
Ten years ago, J.W. Harris was the co-champion at San Antonio. Now 32, the Texas cowboy won San Antonio outright with a 92.5-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Sweet Pro’s Bruiser.
“This is one that has alluded me for a long time,” Harris said. “It’s the one I wanted to win before I retired, and we finally got it done.”
Harris is a four-time world champion bull rider (2008-10, 2013) and nine-time qualifier for the Wrangler NFR (2006-14). He ended the 2018 season on the bubble, ranked 16th in the world with $93,769.
His San Antonio efforts were worth about one-third of his entire 2018 season earnings at $25,250.
Before San Antonio, Harris was outside the top 50 of the world standings, but his San Antonio success will place him within the Top 15.
Bull Riding Top 5 on Total Money Won:
1. JW Harris $25,250
2. Josh Frost $22,500
3. Roscoe Jarboe $19,750
4. Joseph McConnel $14,500
5. Stetson Wright $12,500
Courtesy of PRCA