Déjà Vu at RodeoHouston for Miller

By Jolee Jordan

Houston, Texas — One year ago, Nellie Miller stood inside NRG Stadium accepting her first RodeoHouston Championship saddle and all the loot that goes along with winning one of pro rodeo’s most elite events.

She came to that title by the slimmest of margins, winning a dual with eventual 2018 WPRA World Champ Hailey Kinsel by just two one-hundredths of a second in the final round. That win, worth $58,750, paved the way for Miller’s third appearance at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR), qualifying with a minimal number of rodeos attended.

One year later, Miller and her outstanding mare Sister came to the final night of the 2019 RodeoHouston having slid under the radar a bit—winning third in their Super Series, the preliminary competition in the tournament style rodeo and third in her Semi-Finals to advance to the Championship Round.f

But Miller contends that Sister gets better the more runs she makes in an arena—a fact that had to make her fellow competitors nervous with the fifth and possibly sixth runs looming on the final night of the rodeo. And she’d already proven her prowess on the challenging setup here in Houston. With a small pattern set inside a football field sized arena, all placed extremely close to the gate, many horses have difficulty finding the barrels, often sailing past the first corner. But Sister, the 2017 WPRA/AQHA Horse of the Year, is a master of hunting barrels.

Wild Card

Before the drama of the Championship Round can unfold, the field was completed with two entrants from the Wild Card Round. All Semi-Finalists who don’t advance as the top four runners from their Semi-Finals rounds get one final shot to move ahead in the sudden death rodeo.

The Wild Card round lived up to its name on Friday night. Jessi Fish was first to run, getting down the alley in a hurry. Riding the buckskin she calls Showoff, Fish stopped the clock in a quick 14.35, setting a high bar for the eleven cowgirls to follow.

2018 WPRA Rookie of the Year Jimmie Smith was the very next cowgirl, riding her palomino mare Lena. Despite a good stumble at the first, the pair was able to put 14.61 seconds on the board for second place.

With such a big gap between the two, and the stacked field of talent left to compete, it seemed likely that Smith’s spot would be bumped out of qualifying but each runner came up short as ten more ladies took their shots. Tammy Fischer came closest with her run of 14.71 seconds but in the end, both Fish and Smith moved to the next round.

Championship Round

On the final night, Nellie Miller led the field, the only past winner here to advance to the Championships. She was joined by two-time World Champ Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi along with former Wrangler NFR qualifiers Carley Cervi, Tracy Nowlin, Stevi Hillman, and Shali Lord. The line-up also included a group of ladies hoping a big night would propel them to their first Wrangler NFR trips led by Smith, the highest ranked cowgirl in the current standings at third, along with Teri Bangart, Kaylee Gallino, and Fish.

Though the money is good throughout the rodeo, the final night is where it gets real. $50,000 goes to the final round winner, while everyone who competes will get another $1,250 just for making it to the Championship. It’s two runs for the title, with the ten lady field pared to just four after the first run. The final round is sudden death again, where the biggest checks are paid.

The reigning champ drew top of the ground, kicking off the Championship Round. The homegrown and trained blue roan mare nailed all three turns, cutting off the timer in a very fast 14.29 seconds. The time ties Miller’s best during the 2019 rodeo and gave her a great chance to be among the top four to return for the Championship Shoot-Out.

Pozzi Tonozzi and her speedy left Mona were second in the draw and put up a respectable 14.50 for second.

Running third, Fish and Showoff put the pressure on, posting a smooth run of 14.53 seconds. She was bumped to fourth, however, with the next run. Bangart and her gelding Peak had been having a great RodeoHouston with more than $8,000 won; they slid into third on the final night with a time of 14.51 seconds.

Another Houston rookie who had been dominant in the preliminary rounds was Kaylee Gallino. The South Dakota cowgirl ran out of luck in the Championship, however, as she and her great horse Bob tipped a barrel on a run of 14.79 seconds.

Reigning Mountain States Circuit champ Shali Lord looks poised for another Wrangler NFR run in 2019. After earning second in San Antonio last month, Lord had a good run through Houston but it ended with a good run of 14.57, which was just four one-hundredths behind the fourth spot when she ran.

Stevi Hillman came into the final round at NRG Stadium on a high. Riding Truck, her equine partner that carried her to three Wrangler NFR appearances, Hillman had run the fastest time of the rodeo at 14.20 during her Super Series. Competing on her anniversary, Hillman was smooth and fast again, this time putting a 14.49 on the board to move into second place, bumping Fish out of the Shoot-Out.

Bangart fell out next as Carley Cervi continued her streak of Championship Shoot-Out appearances. Cervi and her super tough grey horse Radio tied Hillman up at 14.49 seconds, leaving Pozzi Tonozzi on the bubble with two more ladies yet to compete.

But after Tracy Nowlin ran out in 14.82 seconds and Jimmie Smith was 14.77 seconds, the final four was set with the two-time World Champ in fourth, just one one-hundredth behind Hillman and Cervi. The reigning champion Miller was impressive, advancing by outrunning the field by two tenths.

The rodeo rolls on, finishing the Championship Round in the bull riding before launching back to the top of the perf order for the Shoot-Out. The result is a delay of about an hour before the ladies cinched up again for one last run down the NRG Stadium alleyway.

As the Championship Round winner, Miller and Sister got to lead off again. The gritty mare threw down one more time, running strong and turning sharp. She brushed the third and it tipped but Miller never looked back instead looking up to see 14.26 seconds on the scoreboard.

Earning the big $50,000 check for the three challengers would mean knocking the defending champ out of the top spot, a big task considering the run that the pair had just laid down.

Cervi had the first shot, running in her fourth consecutive Shoot-Out in Houston and the third on Radio, the fifteen year old ageless wonder. But a tipped first can ended their hopes of claiming a first title here. Proving his consistency, Radio posted a second straight time of 14.49 but the barrel down put her to 19.49 seconds.

Hillman was next in the order, riding the comeback kid Truck, who hadn’t been to a pro rodeo since last September due to injuries. Unfortunately, the penalty blues caught up to the team in the final go round and they eased out with a total time of 26.63 seconds.

Only Pozzi Tonozzi stood in the path to a repeat title for Miller, the 2017 WPRA World Champion. Mona was smooth and solid but a bad slip on the third corner slowed their time to 15.10 seconds, good enough for the reserve championship.

“I’m just glad to be here,” the ever humble Miller told Boyd Polhamus on the arena floor minutes later. “It’s amazing . . . I can’t believe I get to come here every year and do this.”

“My horse loves it,” she said.

Miller collected $56,000 for the rodeo, a huge boost to her position in the standings. Coming in with just over $10,000 won in four rodeos, Miller moves to $66,000 won, likely moving to number one in the WPRA World standings.

“The more runs she makes, the better she runs,” Miller continued to tell the crowd in Houston. “She’d had a few days off and was feeling fresh.”

When asked about the tipped third barrel, Miller laughed, noting that often they don’t stand up for her.

“We got a little close but luckily it stayed up,” she said.

Interestingly, Miller also won RodeoHouston’s Super Shoot-Out—an unsanctioned team competition, a one-day event held with the rodeo each year—in both the last two years, adding another $50,000 in earnings from NRG Stadium to the $104,750 she has won inside WPRA-sanctioned competition.

Pozzi Tonozzi earned $28,000 during RodeoHouston. Already ranked 11th, she more than doubled her season earnings and now has more than $50,000 toward her 13th possible Wrangler NFR qualification.

Ironically, Cervi finished third for the fourth straight year at RodeoHouston. She got engaged here last year and returned as a married woman in 2019, winning $17,875 this time around, pushing her four-year total here to $67,375. She should slip inside the top 20 when the new standings arrive.

Hillman took fourth, earning $12,250 while in Houston. She has now earned more than $23,000 in 2019.

For more information on RodeoHouston, visit them on-line at www.rodeohouston.com.

---

Complete Results

Wild Card Round

Name, Horse, Time, Earnings, Total Earnings for Event

1. Jessi Fish, Guys Night in Vegas, 14.35, $3,000, $6,750
2. Jimmie Smith, Lena on the Rocks, 14.61, $2,000, $3,750
3. Tammy Fischer, LK Sheza Hayday, 14.71, $1,000, $3,750
4. Lisa Lockhart, CFour Tibbie Stinson, 14.73, $625, $6,625
5. Jessica Routier, Fiery Miss West, 14.73, $625, $5,625
6. Tiany Schuster, Version Six, 14.78, $500, $6,250
7. Hailey Kinsel, DM Sissy Hayday, 14.79, $500, $4,500
8. Carmel Wright, Fortunes Last Xtreme, 14.87, $500, $5,250
9. Ericka Nelson, 14.92, $500, $5,250
10. Tillar Murray, Dirty Dan Stinson, 15.04, $500, $4,500
11. Lacinda Rose, RR Meradas Real Deal, 19.56, $500, $3,000
12. Jackie Ganter, Howes A Tycoon, 26.89, $500, $2,250

*Fish and Smith advance to Championship Round

Championship Round

1. Nellie Miller, Rafter W Minnie Reba, 14.29
2. Stevi Hillman, Cuatro Fame, 14.49
3. Carley Cervi, Doda Flit, 14.49
4. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 14.50
5. Teri Bangart, RCA Three Bugs Honor, 14.51, $1,250
6. Jessi Fish, Guys Night in Vegas, 14.53, $1,250
7. Shali Lord, Freckles ta Fame, 14.57, $1,250
8. Jimmie Smith, Lena on the Rocks, 14.77, $1,250
9. Tracy Nowlin, DJG Madison, 14.82, $1,250
10. Kaylee Gallino, JC Truly Bob, 19.79, $1,250

Championship Shoot-Out

1. Miller, 14.26, $50,000
2. Pozzi Tonozzi, 15.10, $20,000
3. Cervi, 19.49, $10,000
4. Hillman, 26.63, $5,500

Total Earnings

Nellie Miller, $56,000
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, $28,000
Carley Cervi, $17,875
Stevi Hillman, $12,250
Kaylee Gallino, $10,250
Teri Bangart, $10,000
Tracy Nowlin, $8,250
Jessi Fish, $8,000
Lisa Lockhart, $6,625
Tiany Schuster, $6,250
Jessica Routier, $5,625
Shali Lord, $5,250
Carmel Wright, $5,250
Ericka Nelson, $5,250
Jimmie Smith, $5,000
Hailey Kinsel, $4,500
Tillar Murray, $4,500
Tammy Fischer, $3,750
Lacinda Rose, $3,000
Jackie Ganter, $2,250

Courtesy of WPRA