Rodeo Repeats and Arena Records

Champions crowned, arena records broken at 2017 St. Paul Rodeo

St. Paul, Ore. – An Oregon and Oklahoma cowboy teamed up to set a new record in the team roping at the 82nd annual St. Paul Rodeo.

Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore. and Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla. turned in a time of 4.1 seconds to win the first round and set a new arena record. The old record, which was 4.2, was set twice: by Joe Beaver and Tom Bourne in 2001 and Ty Blasingame and Cody Hintz in 2010.

On their second run, they had a time of 5.7 seconds, to win the average, the total on two head: 9.8 seconds.

It’s the second time Crawford has won the St. Paul Rodeo, and it’s special to him. “I grew up right down the road in Canby, and I’ve been coming to this rodeo as long as I can remember,” he said. “I’ve junior rodeod and peewee rodeoed right here.”

He won the rodeo in 2006, and the buckle that year went to his good friend Stub Johnson, who had cancer. Johnson, a resident of St. Helens, Ore., helped with the team roping, running the barrier rope for years. When Johnson passed away, he was buried with the buckle. This one, Crawford gets to keep.

When Crawford and his heeler Joseph Harrison made their victory lap, it was slow and to a roaring crowd, as they soaked up the applause. “I’ve been roping my cowboy toy since I was a little kid, trying to win this rodeo,” Crawford said, beaming. “I’ve been here, pushing steers, watching the big guys, idolizing every one of them. This is a meaningful win. I’ve been dreaming of winning this rodeo since I was in diapers.”

Before this week’s rodeos, the team was ranked in the top twenty in the world standings.

Another arena record was set at this year’s St. Paul Rodeo, this one in the bareback riding.

The reigning world champion bareback rider Tim O’Connell scored 89.5 points to win the rodeo, the gold buckle, and a check for $10,892.

He beat the old record of 88 points, set by three different cowboys: Bruce Ford in 1989, Wes Stevenson in 2002, and Steven Dent five years ago.

O’Connell has set the bareback riding world on fire in the last few years, with his mentality of a champion. He won the 2016 PRCA world championship last year and is the number one man in this year’s standings, a little more than $15,000 ahead of bareback rider R.C. Landingham.

It was the third time for O’Connell to match up against the Bridwell Pro Rodeo horse Sacred Nation, and O’Connell has done well on her each time. He won Puyallup last year on the horse, and placed third at last year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR), in the first round.

“That’s a phenomenal horse,” he said. “Wow. What a day she had today. She’s an amazing animal that lets you completely go at her with everything you’ve got, and she gives it right back. I’m so thankful and so blessed.”

O’Connell works hard at his trade to be excellent at it, both physically and mentally. “In the last couple years, I’ve tried to take complete accountability for my actions on the back of a bucking horse,” he said. “You stop blaming others, you stop blaming horses, you stop blaming judges, and you only blame yourself. And you’re the only person who can fix it. It makes me try to be a champion, and the best version of myself every single day I nod my head.”

When he’s at home, he works out. “I work myself to the dirt when I’m at home,” he said. The 2015 graduate of Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., took the advice of his college rodeo coach Ken Mason. “My coach always told me, do the things that others won’t do, so you’re better than them tomorrow. When I’m in the gym and working hard and just want to stop I envision somebody out there working harder than me, and I don’t want anybody to take my gold buckle away from me. I want more.”

He also has some lofty goals. After he won the 2016 world title, it took some time to refocus. “I was really kind of shocked at myself last year. I hit the pinnacle of our sport after seven years of riding bucking horses. I was lost, as far as my drive.” But he was able to set a new goal: six world titles. If he won six, he’d have one more than the two cowboys with the most: Joe Alexander and Bruce Ford, who both won five. “And 2017 (world title) is my next step. I feel like I’m riding as good as I ever have, and I feel like there’s more in the tank.”

This is the second time O’Connell has won the rodeo; he was last year’s champion as well.

Other 2017 St. Paul Rodeo champions include steer wrestler Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. (8.6 seconds on two head), tie-down roper Clint Nyegaard, Cuero, Texas (19.7 seconds on two head), bull rider Brady Portenier, Caldwell, Ida. (90 points), and saddle bronc rider Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. (83 points). Barrel racer Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, Calif., with a time of 1743. seconds.

The 83rd annual St. Paul Rodeo is July 3-7, 2018. More information can be found at the rodeo’s website at www.StPaulRodeo.com.

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Final results, St. Paul Rodeo, June 30-July 4, 2017

All-Around champion: Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah – tie-down roping and team roping

Bareback Riding – 2017 Champion – Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa
1. Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa 89.5 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Sacred Nation; 2. Steven Peebles, Redmond, Ore. 87; 3. (tie) Richmond Champion, The Woodlands, Texas and Logan Corbett, Las Cruces, N.M. 85.5 each; 5. (tie) Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif. and Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore. 84.5 each; 7. Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas 84; 8. Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D. 83.5.

Steer Wrestling
1st go round
1. Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alb. 4.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nev. and John Green, La Grande, Ore. 4.2 each; 4. Will Lummus, West Point, Miss. 4.3; 5. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala., Harley Cole, Calgary, Alb., and Cole Edge, Durant, Okla. 4.4 each; 8. Olin Hannum, Malad, Ida. 4.6.

2nd round
1. Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Gary Gilbert, St. Cloud, Fla. and Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark. 4.1 each; 4. (tie) Rhett Kennedy, Chowchilla, Calif., Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala., and Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore. 4.2 each; 7. (tie) KC Jones, Decatur, Texas and Cody Cabral, Hilo, Hawaii 4.3 each.

Steer wrestling average – 2017 Champion – Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala.
1. Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. 8.6 seconds on 2 head; 2. Matt Reeves, Cross Plaines, Texas 9.0; 3. Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alb. 9.2; 4. Will Lummus, West Point, Miss. 9.4; 5. Olin Hannum, Malad, Ida. 9.8; 6. (tie) Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore. and Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nev. 9.9 each; 8. Trevor Knowles, Mt. Vernon, Ore. 10.0.

Bull riding – 2017 Champion – Brady Portenier, Caldwell, Idaho
1. Brady Portenier, Caldwell, Ida. 90 points on Corey and Lange Rodeo’s Moe Betta; 2. Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla. 88; 3. Adam Lucero, Tooele, Utah 87.5; 4. Brennon Eldred, Sulphur, La. 85; 5. Derek Kolbaba, Walla Walla, Wash. 80.5; 6. Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla. 80; 7. (tie) Brody Yeary, Brock, Texas and Douglas Duncan, Alvin, 79 each; 8. Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas 77.

Tie Down Roping
1st go round
1. Clint Nyegaard, Cuero, Texas 8.7 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas 9.0; 3. (tie) Reese Riemer, Stinnett, Texas and Cooper Martin, Alma, Kan. 9.2 each; 5. Monty Lewis, Hereford, Texas 9.6; 6. Tyson Durfey, Weatherford, Texas 9.7; 7. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas 9.8; 8. (tie) Ace Slone, Cuero, Texas and Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah 10.0 each.

2nd go round
1. (tie) Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb. and Blair Burk, Durant, Okla. 8.1 seconds each; 3. (tie) Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas and Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas 8.5 each; 5. Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La. 8.9; 6. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas 9.4; 8. 7.Kirk Robinson, Innisfail, Alb. 9.5; 8. (tie) Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas and Brad Goodrich, Hermiston, Ore. 9.6 each.

Average – 2017 Champion – Clint Nyegaard, Cuero, Texas
1. Clint Nyegaard, Cuero, Texas 19.7 on 2 head; 2. Tyson Durfey, Weatherford, Texas 20.1; 3. Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas 21.1; 4. Kirk Robinson, Innisfail, 21.7; 5. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas 21.8; 6. Cooper Martin, Alma, Kan. 22.5; 7. (tie) Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore. and Clint Robinson, Spanish Fork, Utah 22.7 each.

Saddle bronc riding – 2017 Champion –Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla.
1. Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 83 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Goliath; 2. (tie) Joe Harper, Paradise Valley, Nev. and Ryder Wright, Milford, Utah 82.5 each; 4. (tie) Samuel Kelts, Millarville, Alb., Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb. and Audy Reed, Spearman, Texas 81.5 each; 7. (tie) Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alb. and Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D. 80 each; 8. (tie) Jake Wright, Milford, Utah and Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla. 78.5 each.

Team Roping
1st go round
1. Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore./Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla. 4.1 seconds; 2. Hayes Smith, Central Point, Ore./Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz. 4.3; 3. Ryan Reed, Farmington, Calif./Cody Pearson, Tucson, Ari. 5.1; 4. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas and Brandon Beers, Powell Butte, Ore./Jim Ross Cooper, Stephenville, Texas 5.3 each; 6. Ryan Opie, Crane, Ore./Dayton Stafford Prineville, Ore. 5.4; 7. (tie) Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alb./Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. and Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz./Clay O’Brien Cooper, Gardnerville, Nev. 5.5 each.

2nd go round
1. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas 4.2 seconds; 2. (tie) Clay Ullery, Two Hills,/Riley Wilson, Cardson, Alb. and Kaleb Driggers, Albany, Ga./Junior Nogueira, Presidente Pruta, Brazile 4.6 each; 4. Tom Richards, Humboldt, Ariz./Tyler McKnight, Wells, Texas 4.7; 5. Kelsey Parchman, Cumberland City, Tenn./Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont. 4.8; 6. (tie) Jake Barnes, Scottsdale, Ariz./Tyler Worley, Bluffdale, Texas, Garrett Rogers, Baker City, Ore./Jake Minor, Ellensburg, Wash. and Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas 4.9 each.

Average –2017 Champions – Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore. and Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla.
1. Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore./Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla. 9.8 seconds on 2; 2. Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas 10.4; 3. Jeff Flenniken, Caldwell, Ida./Taylor Duby, Homedale, Ida. 11.1; 4. Ryan Opie, Crane, /Dayton Stafford, Prineville, Ore. 11.6; 5. (tie) Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alb./Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. and Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M./Dakota Kirchenschlager, Morgan Mill, Texas, 11.8 each; 7. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo. 12.3; 8. Ryan Reed, Farmington, Calif./Cody Pearson, Tucson, Ariz. 12.9.

Barrel racing – 2017 Champion – Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, Calif.
1. Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, Calif. 17.43 seconds; 2. Morgan Breaux, Tomball, Texas 17.59; 3. Amberleigh Moore, Keizer, Ore. 17.65; 4. Megan McLeod-Sprague, Marsing, Ida. 17.75; 5. Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas 17.80; 6. (tie) Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore. and Callahan Crossley, Hermiston, Ore. 17.86 each; 8. Jane Melby, Burneyville, Okla. 17.88; 9. Shea Durfey, Weatherford, Texas 17.91; 10. (tie) Amy Coelho, Echo, Ore. and Samantha Boone, Cheney, Wash. 17.95; 12. Sidney Forrest, Lipan, Texas 17.97.

** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.prorodeo.com.

Courtesy of PRCA