Feild Gets First Win Following Surgery
NAMPA, IDAHO – If there were any questions about Kaycee Feild’s health or his ability to win another gold buckle this season, the four-time bareback riding world champion seemed to answer them at the 100th anniversary of the Snake River Stampede at the Idaho Center.
Feild split the win with Winn Ratliff, each with 169 points on two head. Feild earned $9,858 at the prestigious rodeo and claimed his first win since returning from March 31 hip surgery to repair a torn labrum.
“I’m feeling great,” said Feild, who returned to competition at the June 18-27 Reno (Nev.) Rodeo. “I’m not quite back to 100 percent, but I’m getting better and closer to normal range of motion with every ride. I’m rodeoing the same as any other year from here on out.”
He didn’t have a successful Cowboy Christmas run – last year he enjoyed the fourth-best July 4 run in history by earning $34,483 – but said he remained confident.
“I was disappointed, but felt I was just getting back in a groove,” Feild said. “I had big goals coming into the Fourth but I didn’t draw that well and didn’t have a whole lot of luck. I just tried to brush it off because I knew there was a lot of money to be won in the next few weeks after that.”
Feild, who led the Windham Weaponry High Performance PRCA World Standings when he underwent surgery, sat 19th in the July 13 standings with $36,421 – which was $32,090 behind world standings leader Evan Jayne. The Nampa win will push Feild into the 10th spot.
“This win feels really good,” he said. “I’ve been riding good; things just haven’t gone my way. I’m staying positive and will keep going at it.”
Feild won the first round when he rode for 86 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Sugar Daddy to earn $5,102. He took sixth in the short go with 83 points. Ratliff, who tied for fifth in the first round, split the short go win with Clint Cannon to also finish with 169 points on two head.
In the short go, Ratliff rode for 88 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Fires Easy and Cannon also went for 88 on The Cervi Brothers’ Gander Goose.
“Winn is riding outstanding and he’s making the most of his opportunities,” Feild said. “He had a great ride (Saturday night). I’m not a fan of being second, but I’m happy with the split.”
Feild spoke while on his way to the airport to catch a flight. He was up Sunday at California Rodeo Salinas.
The 28-year-old Feild earned $294,980 in 2014 while winning his fourth consecutive world championship and fourth straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo average title. No other contestant in any event has earned that double victory more than two consecutive times.
The Snake River Stampede was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame last year and celebrated its 100th anniversary in style.
“It was awesome,” Feild said. “They had a great ceremony for the winners in the arena and it was a sold-out crowd. They put on a great show in Nampa.”
Other winners at the $383,431 rodeo were all-around cowboy Trevor Brazile ($8,654 in tie-down roping and team roping), steer wrestler K.C. Jones (13.2 seconds on three head), team ropers Matt Sherwood and Quinn Kesler (13.8 seconds on three head), saddle bronc riders Cort Scheer and Brad Rudolf (169 points each on two head), tie-down roper Caleb Smidt (24.8 seconds on three head), barrel racer Katelyn McLeod (31.61 seconds on two head) and bull rider Brennon Eldred (171 points on two head).
Read more about the Snake River Stampede in the July 31 ProRodeo Sports News.
Courtesy of PRCA