Kimzey Tops $100,000 at San Antonio Rodeo
By Susan Kanode
For the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo
Sage Kimzey was the big money winner at this year’s San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo and has earned the championship two out of the last three years. He won the 2016 title with this 89 point ride on Andrews Rodeo’s Speckled Buck and earned a total of $26,736 in the AT&T Center. – San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo photo by Greg Westfall.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – It’s remarkable when a rodeo contestant has success again and again in the same arena, but there is some kind of magic at the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo for bull rider Sage Kimzey.
Two years ago, Kimzey left here as the event champion and the Xtreme Bulls Champion. Last year, he finished second in both of those events. This year, he again won the championship at the rodeo and was the high money winner out of all the contestants with $26,737. Added to his previous earnings in the AT&T Center and Kimzey has won $104,977 in the past three events.
“I just love this rodeo and being in a big venue like this. There’s nothing like it,” he said. “I never get tired of coming here and they treat me like family. I’ve dreamed about moments like this, fantasized over them since I was a little kid. I feel right at home here.”
Kimzey rode six bulls at this year’s rodeo and his final $14,476 paycheck came aboard a young bull from Andrews Rodeo Company named Speckled Buck. It was a wild ride on a young bull that was worth 89 points. Kimzey also competed in the Xtreme Bulls here on Saturday afternoon and was successful on his first bull, but didn’t get a high enough score to advance to the finals or get a check.
Canada was well represented at this year’s rodeo with both the bareback riding and saddle bronc riding titles going to contestants who were born and raised there. Orin Larsen, a two-time National Intercollegiate champion bareback rider from Inglis, Manitoba won $22,745. He won the final round with an 87 point ride on a Canadian horse, Walleye Rocket from Calgary Stampede.
In the saddle bronc riding it was Jake Watson from Hudson’s Hope, British Columbia who took the acclaimed victory lap in the back of a Ford pickup for the win. Watson rode Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Breakaway for 87.5 points. He earned $25,168.
Last Sunday, Hunter Herrin, from Apache, Okla., made history by setting a new arena record of 6.6 seconds in the tie-down roping. At the time, he said it was a means to an end as it gave him a chance to win a championship here. That’s exactly what he did Saturday night when he stopped the clock in 8.0 seconds. He won a buckle that he had been trying to win for years and earned $21,604.
Other champions here were Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., steer wrestling, $24,713; Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont., and Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., team roping, $21,747 each; and Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, $23,529.
Along with cash and championship buckles, each of the winners received a $5,000 gift card. Animal athletes in every event were recognized and their owners got a $1,500 bonus. The 11-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year boasted over $1.65 million in cash and prizes.
Bareback Riding – Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, $22,745
Steer Wrestling – Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., $24,713
Team Roping – Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont.,/Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., $21,747
Saddle Bronc Riding – Jake Watson, Hudson’s Hope, British Columbia, $25,168
Tie-Down Roping – Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., $21,604
Barrel Racing – Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, $23,529
Bull Riding – Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., $26,736
The following are results from the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo which features over $1.65 million in cash and prizes.
Finals followed by total money (20th performance)
Bareback Riding: 1, Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, 87 points on Calgary Stampede’s Walleye Rocket, $14,476. 2, (tie) Mason Clements, Sandy, Utah and R.C. Landingham, Paso Robles, Calif., 83, $9,048. 4, (tie) Kyle Brennecke, Stephenville, Texas, and Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 82.5, $1,810. (total money) 1, Larsen, $22,745. 2, Clements, $18,136. 3, Landingahm, $16,675. 4, O’Connell, $12,003. 5, Ty Fast Taypotat, Regina, Saskatchewan, $10,158.
Steer Wrestling: 1, (tie) Clayton Haas, Terrell, Texas, and Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., 3.8 seconds and $12,667 each. 3, Clayton Moore, Pouce Coupe, British Columbia, 4.4, $7,238. 4, Jake Rinehart, Highmore, S.D., 4.5, $3,619. (total money) 1, Thomas, $24,713. 2, Haas, $21,506. 3, Tooter Silver, Quitman, Ark., $12,617. 4, Moore, $11,159. 5, Rinehart, Highmore, S.D., 4.5, $10,177.
Team Roping: 1, Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont., and Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 4.3 seconds, $14,476 each. 2, Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alberta and Jeremy Buhler, Abbotsford, British Columbia, 4.8, $10,857. 3, Kolton Schmidt, Barrhead, Alberta and Tommy Zuniga, Centerville, Texas, 5.6, $6,095. 4, JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Texas, and Jim Ross Cooper, Stephenville, Texas, 9.5, $3,619. (total money) 1, Bird and Cardoza, $21,747. 2, Simpson and Buhler, $15,348. 3, Schmidt and Zuniga, $13,333. 4, LeMond and Cooper, $11,816. 5, Justin Davis, Madisonville, Texas, and J.W. Beck, Moville, Iowa, $11,405.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Jake Watson, Hudson’s Hope, British Columbia, 87.5 points on Kesler Championship’s Breakaway, $14,476. 2, Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 85, $10,857. 3, Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, 84.5, $7,238. 4, (tie) Tyrel Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba; CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah; and Jake Wright, Milford, Utah; 84, $1,206. (total money) 1, Watson, $25,168. 2, Boore, $19,126. 3, Wright, $17,110. 4, Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., $10,336. 5, Tyrel Larsen, $7,586.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 8.0 seconds, $14,476. 2, (tie) Reese Riemer, Stinnett, Texas, and Braxton Laughlin, Westlake, La., 8.2 seconds, $9,048. 4, Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, 8.7, $3,619. (total money) 1, Herrin, $21,604. 2, Riemer, Stinnett, Texas, $18,457. 3, Laughlin, $14,536. 4, Clint Nyegaard, Cuero, Texas, $10,300. 5, Smidt, $10,177.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, 13.80 seconds, $14,476. 2, Ivy Conrado, Hudson, Colo., 13.99, $10,857. 3, Sammi Bessert, Grand Junction, Colo., 14.07, $7,238. 4, Cassidy Kruse, Gillette, Wyo., 14.09, $3,619. (total money) 1, McLeod, $23,529. 2, Conrado, $20,266. 3, Bessert, $13,867. 4, Kimmie Wall, Roosevelt, Utah, $10,942. 5, Cassidy Kruse, Gillette, Wyo., $9,928.
Bull Riding: 1, Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., 89 points on Speckled Buck, $14,476. 2, (tie) Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah and Jacob O’Mara, Baton Rouge, La., 86.5, $9,048. 4, Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas, 84, $3,619. (total money) 1, Kimzey, $26,737. 2, Frost, $14,750. 3, O’Mara, $13,610. 4, Teel, $7,611. 5, Tim Bingham, Honeyville, Utah, $5,988.
Courtesy of PRCA