Elliott Has High Hopes for Fort Worth Rodeo and 2016 Season
by Susan Kanode
for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo has 120 years of history to draw from. As such, a buckle from the rodeo here is among the most sought after awards in rodeo.
Clay Elliott from Nanton, Alberta, put himself in position to compete for one of those buckles on Wednesday night. He had the best year of his young career in 2015 just missing a saddle bronc riding qualification for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) by two spots. And he did that while attending Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla. He competed in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo and won the championship in Casper, Wyo., last June.
Coming close to qualifying for the NFR has the college student motivated to make the trip to Las Vegas next December and have a chance to compete for a world title. The goal-oriented cowboy will graduate with a degree in animal science in May and is considering eventually going to veterinary medicine school.
Graduating and perhaps going back to the college finals next June are definitely on his list. But getting to the NFR and having a chance to rodeo for a living are a priority. A big win here at the Fort Worth rodeo would certainly help him get there.
Elliott rode Silver Creek Rodeo’s horse named Last Call for 81 points Wednesday night. That put him third in the first round, but most importantly, a good score here on his second horse Thursday night could get him a return trip for the finals on Feb. 6th.
“It’s all stepping stones,“ Elliott said. “Winning the college title was a step, coming close to the NFR was another. It’s all progress towards that goal of qualifying for the NFR and getting a world championship.”
The World’s Original Indoor Rodeo continues Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Fort Worth’s historic Will Rogers Coliseum.
The following are unofficial results from Wednesday’s performance of the World’s Oldest Indoor Rodeo® at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, January 27, 2016.
Ninth Performance
Bareback Riding: (two rides) 1, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 79.5 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Drago. 2, Grant Denny, Minden, Nev., 75.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Daryl Elliott, Beaumont, Texas, 14.1 seconds. 2, Jacob Elder, Alva, Okla., 17.7. 3, Cutter DeHart, Laramie, Wyo., 19.1. 4, Shawn Mills, Greeley, Colo., 45.6.
Team Roping: 1, Jimmy Tanner, Tifton, Ga., and Shawn Harris, Searcy, Ark., 5.8 seconds. 2, Drew Horner, Plano, Texas, and Trey Johnson, Weatherford, Texas, 9.6. 3,Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Garrett Jess, Grand Coulee, Wash., 9.9. 4, Clayton Chansen and Chase Chansen, Homedale, Idaho, 11.4.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta, 81 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Last Call. 2, Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., 80.5. 3, Chet Johnson, Douglas, Wyo., 78. 4, Jake Finley, Goodwell, Okla., 73.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Stran Smith, Childress, Texas, 11.1 seconds. 2, Darnell Johnson, Pueblo, Colo., 11.3. 3, Caddo Lewallen, Morrison, Okla., 11.7. 4, Steve Brickey, Tahlequah, Okla., 16.4.
Barrel Racing: 1, Kimmie Wall, Roosevelt, Utah, 16.83 seconds. 2, Jane Melby, Burneyville, Okla., 17.00. 3, Kelley Schnaufner, Pueblo, Colo., 17.02. 4, Meghan Lewis, Twin Falls, Idaho, 17.09.
Bull Riding: (one ride) 1, Cody Wood, Weatherford, Texas, 82.5 points on Big Rafter Rodeo’s Salty Dog.
Current Leaders
Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 83 points on Western Rodeo’s Desperado, 2, Mason Clements, Sandy Utah, 82.5. 3, Ty Fast Taypotat, Regina, Sask., 82. 4, Cody Kiser, Carson City, Nev., 80. 5, Justin Pollmiller, Weatherford, Okla., 79. 6, (tie) Jamie Howlett, Snyder, Texas, and Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 77. (second round leaders) 1, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 83.5 points on Pro Rodeos, Inc.’s Belle Star. 2, Devan Reilly, Sheridan, Wyo., 80. 3, (tie) Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., and Mason Clements, 79. 5, Grant Denny, Minden, Nev., 78.5. 6, Ty Fast Taypotat, 76.5. (third round leaders) 1, Mason Clements, 80 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Rollin’ Lizard. 2, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 79.5. 3, (tie) Mike Solberg, Sunnyrook, Alberta, and Craig Wisehart, Kersey, Colo., 77. 5, (tie) Kody Lamb, Sherwood Park, Alberta, and Justin Pollmiller, Weatherford, Okla., 76.5. (total on three) 1, Mason Clements, 241.5. 2, Devan Reilly, 230 points. 3, Justin Pollmiller, 230. 4, Tanner Aus, 2289.5. 5, Ty Fast Taypotat, 227.5. 6, Craig Wisehart, 226.5.
Steer Wrestling: (second round leaders) 1, Clayton Tuchscherer, Dona Ana, N.M., 4.5 seconds. 2, (tie) Timmy Sparing, Helena, Mont., and Clayton Moore, Pouce Coupe, British Columbia, 4.6. 4, Cody Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 5.9. 5, Dustin Walker, Vanscoy, Sask., 5.9 6, (tie) (tie) Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D., and Wyatt Carney, Crockett, Texas, 6.4. (total on two) 1, Clayton Tuchscherer, 10.2 seconds. 2, Timmy Sparing, 10.9. 3, Cody Cassidy, 12.1. 4, Benjamin Robinson, Colby, Kan., 6.3. 5, Wyatt Carney, 16.5. 6, Clayton Moore, 26.6.
Team Roping: (first round) 1, Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, and B.J. Dugger, Three Rivers, Texas, 4.5 seconds. 2, Nathan McWhorter, Telephone, Texas, and Dustin Davis, Terrell, Texas, 4.7. 3, Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont., and Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 5.0. 4, (tie) Tee Luttrell, Woodlawn, Texas, and Clay Sieber, Arp, Texas, and Blaine Vick, Dublin, Texas, and Dakota Kirchenschlager, Morgan Mill, Texas, 5.1. 6, Clayton Hass, Terrell, Texas, and Cody Doescher, Oklahoma City, Okla., 5.3. (second round) 1, Rhen Richard, Blackfoot, Idaho, and Cole Davison, Blackfoot, Idaho, 4.0 seconds. 2, Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and Quinn Kesler, Holden, Utah, 4.2. 3, Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., and Buddy Hawkins II, Columbus, Kan., 4.6. 4, Ryan Von Ahn, Sac City, Iowa, and J.W. Beck, Moville, Iowa, 4.8. 5, Blaine Vick and Dakota Kirchenschlager, 5.0. 6, Bubba Buckaloo, Kingston, Okla., and Gage Williams, Foster, Okla., 5.2. (total on two) 1, Blaine Vick and Dakota Kirchenschlager, 10.1 seconds. 2, Matt Sherwood and Quinn Kesler 10.5. 3, Coleman Proctor and Buddy Hawkins II, 10.6. 4, Bubba Buckaloo and Gage Williams, 10.0. 5, Clayton Hass and Cody Doescher, 11.3. 6,Thomas Braman, Victoria, Texas, and Cody Hintz, Elida, N.M., 12.4.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, , Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 84 points on Western Rodeo’s Jet Liner. 2, Troy Crowser, Whitewood, S.D., 83.5. 3, Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta, 81. 4, Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., 80.5. 5, Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 80. 6, CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah, 78.5. (second round) 1, 1, Alex Wright, Milford, Utah, 83 points on Pro Rodeos, Inc.’s Ruby Tuesday. 2, Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 82.5. 3, (tie) Bradley Harter, Loranger, La., and Cooper DeWitt, Rio Rico, Ariz., 82. 5, Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 80.5. 6, Jerry Lewis, Stephenville, Texas; CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah, and Dalton Rixsen, Richardton, N.D., 80. (total on two) 1, Jake Wright, 168.5. 2, Alex Wright, 161. 3, Cody DeMoss, 160.5. 4, Troy Crowser, 159.5. 5, CoBurn Bradshaw, 158.5. 6, Dalton Rixsen, 158.
Tie-Down Roping: (first round winners) 1, Michael Otero, Lowdensboro, Ala., 7.7, $6,070. 2, Jud Nowotny, La Vernia, Texas, 7.9, $5,278. 3, (tie) Steve Brickey, Tahlequah, Okla., and Billy Hamilton, Kiowa, Okla., 8.2, $4,091 each. 5, Jordan Ketscher, Squaw Valley, Calif., 8.3, $2,903. 6, (tie) Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas, and Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 8.5, $1,715 each. 8, (tie) Justin Macha, Needville, Texas; Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah, and Cody McCartney, Ottawa Lake, Mich., 8.6, $176 each. (second round – two times) 1, J.D. McCuistion, Collinsville, Texas, 9.0. 2, Jerrad Hofstetter, Shallow Water, Texas, 9.5. 3, Monty Lewis, Hereford, Texas, 10.9. 4, Stran Smith, Childress, Texas, 11.1. 5, Darnell Johnson, Pueblo, Colo., 11.3. 6, Caddo Lewallen, Morrison, Okla., 11.7. (total on two) 1, Jerrad Hofstetter, 18.2 seconds. 2, Monty Lewis, 20.7. 3, Billy Hamilton, 21.4, Riley Pruitt, 21.8. 5, Darnell Johnson, 22.5. 6, Caddo Lewallen, 22.7.
Barrel Racing: (first round) 1, (tie) Kelly Tovar, Rockdale, Texas, and Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, 16.60 seconds. 3, Tiany Schuster, Krum, Texas, 16.75. 4, Ashlie Withrow, Henryetta, Okla., 16.76. 5, (tie) Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, and Dena Kirkpatrick, Post, Texas, 16.80.
Bull Riding: (first round) 1, (tie) Tyler Smith, Fruita, Colo., on Rafter G Rodeo’s Say It Ain’t So; Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., on Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo’s Gas Monkey, and Kody DeShon, Helena, Mont., on Rafter G’s Tahiti Treat, 85.5 points. 4, (tie) Lane Selz, Bakersfield, Calif.; Ednei Caminhas, Denton, Texas, and Tyler Bingham, Honeyville, Utah, 83.5. (second round) 1, (tie) Tate Stratton, Kellyville, Okla., on Rafter G Rodeo’s Thunderstruck and Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Okla., on Rafter G’s Raptor, 85.5 points. 2, Ednei Caminhas, Denton, Texas, 85. 3, Cody Rostockyj, Lorena, Texas, 83. 4, Adam Jamison, Okotooks, Alberta, 82. 5, Jordan Hansen, Okotooks, Alberta, 80. 6, Colten Jesse, Konawa, Okla., 81. (total on two) 1, Ednei Caminhas, 168.5 points. 2, Trevor Kastner, 164. 3, (tie) Tyler Bingham and Kody DeShon, 161. 5, Riker Carter, 159. 6, Joe Frost, 158.
Courtesy of PRCA