RodeoHouston Heads Into Final Weekend

By Jolee Jordan

Houston, Texas — It’s been nearly three weeks since the 2019 edition of RodeoHouston began and just under 48 hours remain before the big checks will be written and one lucky cowgirl will start to think about possibly making a trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) come December.

With $50,000 to the final round winner—and somewhere in the neighborhood of $80,000 the mark to be inside the top 15 for the Wrangler NFR—Saturday is a big day for the ten ladies who will compete on Houston’s final day.

Forty cowgirls started in the field here, competing in the tournament style rodeo as they’ve made their way through the rounds. Following the three runs in Super Series competition, each run becomes sudden death—run fast or go home is the theme and the level of competition steps up accordingly as each round pushes contestants that much closer to the title and the huge $50,000 payday.

Semi-Final 1

Bob truly does love Houston. In her first trip ever to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, South Dakota cowgirl Kaylee Gallino and her aged gelding Bob are having a blast. The duo claimed the victory in their Super Series—Super Series I which opened the rodeo back on February 25-27 by earning $6,000 for a pair of round wins.

The duo waited two weeks for their next chance to run in NRG Stadium and they picked up right where they left off, winning the first Semi-Finals to advance automatically to the Championship Round on Saturday, March 16.

Turning in their fastest run yet in Houston, Gallino and Bob won the round with a time of 14.32 seconds, edging out Tracy Nowlin and Dolly Jo who stopped the clock at 14.34 seconds.

Gallino now has $9,000 in RodeoHouston earnings while Nowlin moves to the Championship Round for the second consecutive year. She has won $7,000 in four runs.

In one of the tightest rounds of RodeoHouston 2019, reigning champion Nellie Miller took third with a run of 14.42 seconds while Stevi Hillman claimed the last spot into the Championship Round with her 14.51. Hillman was last in the Championship Round here in 2017.

Former Houston champ Tammy Fischer finished in the crying hole with her run of 14.58 seconds and will take one more chance through Friday night’s Wild Card Round along with the rest of the Semi-Finalists from Wednesday night.

Semi-Final 2

After watching the second night of Semi-Finals action, the only logical conclusion is that NRG Stadium is teenager-friendly. After 15-year old Bob took first in Semi-Final 1, it was another 15 year old gelding atop the leaderboard in Semi-Final 2.

Radio has carried his rider Carley Cervi to a pair of Wrangler NFR appearances in 2015-2016 and helped her finish inside the top 20 in 2018. A big chunk of Cervi’s winnings each season have come from RodeoHouston where the pair have placed third in each of the last three seasons.

After finishing second in Super Series IV, Cervi and Radio kicked it up a notch, running their fastest run of the rodeo thus far at 14.32 seconds for the round win and an automatic invite to another Championship Round. The newlywed has now won $7,875 during her 2019 Houston run.

Two-time World Champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi took second place to also advance into the final round with a run of 14.44 seconds. Paired up with two wins in her Super Series, Pozzi Tonozzi has now won $8,000.

 

The final two money positions and qualification spots into the Championship Round went to Shali Lord and Teri Bangart. Lord rode the outstanding stallion Can Man and stopped the clock at 14.60 seconds.

Bangart came into the Semi-Finals having won more money than any other barrel racer here in Houston. She and her great horse Peak added to their total in Semi-Final 2 with a time of 14.65 seconds for fourth. She has won $8,750.

Wild Card Round

The final chance to qualify for the Championship Round happens Friday night during the Wild Card round. The field includes the WPRA World No. 1 Hailey Kinsel, along with Lisa Lockhart, Tiany Schuster, Jessica Routier, Ericka Nelson, Carmel Wright, Tillar Murray, Jessi Fish, Tammy Fischer, Lacinda Rose, Jimmie Smith, and Jackie Ganter.

For more information on RodeoHouston, visit them on-line at www.rodeohouston.com. Stay tuned to www.wpra.com for continuing updates from the 2019 edition.

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Results (In Progress)

Semi-Final 1

1. Kaylee Gallino, JC Truly Bob, 14.32, $3,000
2. Tracy Nowlin, DJG Madison, 14.34, $2,000
3. Nellie Miller, Rafter W Minnie Reba, 14.42, $1,000
4. Stevi Hillman, Cuatro Fame, 14.51, $750
5. Tammy Fischer, LK Sheza Hayday, 14.58
6. Lacinda Rose, RR Meradas Real Deal, 14.63
7. Jimmie Smith, Lena on the Rocks, 14.64
8. Lisa Lockhart, CF Tibbie Stinson, 14.83
9. Tillar Murray, Dirty Dan Stinson, 15.30
10. Tiany Schuster, A Dash of Killian, 19.89

*Gallino, Nowlin, Miller and Hillman advance to Championship Round, March 16

Semi-Finals 2

1. Carley Cervi, Doda Flit, 14.32, $3,000
2. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 14.44, $2,000
3. Shali Lord, Freckles ta Fame, 14.60, $1,000
4. Teri Bangart, RCA Three Bugs Honor, 14.65, $750
5. Jessi Fish, Guys Night in Vegas, 14.82
6. Hailey Kinsel, DM Sissy Hayday, 14.85
7. Jessica Routier, Fiery Miss West, 14.95
8. Ericka Nelson, Goodfrenchmanfriday, 14.96
9. Jackie Ganter, Howes a Tycoon, 19.42
10. Carmel Wright, Fortunes Last Xtreme, 19.57

*Cervi, Pozzi Tonozzi, Lord and Bangart advance to Championship Round, March 16

Wild Card Round, Friday, March 15

Lisa Lockhart, SSIV, $6,000

Tiany Schuster, SSII, $5,750

Jessica Routier, SSI, $5,000

Ericka Nelson, SSII, $4,750

Carmel Wright, SSII, $4,750

Hailey Kinsel, SSIV, $4,000

Tillar Murray, SSIII, $4,000

Jessi Fish, SSIII, $3,750

Tammy Fischer, SSIV, $2,750

Lacinda Rose, SSI, $2,500

Jimmie Smith, SSIII, $1,750

Jackie Ganter, SSV, $1,750

Championship Round, Saturday, March 16

Kaylee Gallino, SSI, $9,000

Teri Bangart, SSIII, $8,750

Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, SSV, $8,000

Carley Cervi, SSIV, $7,875

Tracy Nowlin, SSII, $7,000

Stevi Hillman, SSV, $6,750

Nellie Miller, SSV, $6,000

Shali Lord, SSI, $4,000

Wild Card 1

Wild Card 2

Courtesy of WPRA