Small Sits Atop Leaderboard in Denver

By Jolee Jordan

Denver, Colorado — Just days removed from the big celebrations of New Year’s Eve, Minnesota-turned-Oklahoma cowgirl Cayla Small was looking for a fresh start of her own.

After sweeping to the WPRA’s Rookie of the Year title in 2016 and scooping up her first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) along the way, Small looked destined to become a perennial at rodeo’s Super Bowl after finishing seventh at the National Western Stock Show in January.

But the rodeo road is full of twists and bumps and by spring Small found herself without the services of her great horse Gator. In fact, she would be off the eight year old gelding for the rest of the season.

Though she would finish the year on other horses and still win more than $40,000, Small was missing her main dance partner.

She got him back in time to go back to Denver for the National Western Stock Show in 2018.

Although the rodeo season was backed up to October 1 some years ago, giving contestants a three months jump on the new season, the National Western is still considered the official kick-off of the new year as the first of the very lucrative winter stock show rodeos. It is not unusual for the winner here to end their season in December at the WNFR just as Kellie Collier did a year ago.

One hundred and ten ladies get a chance at the $35,250 committee added purse here. Each competes in two qualifying rounds, held during back-to-back performances and the fastest 12 on two runs advance to the Finals held Sunday, January 21st. The champion will be crowned based on the three-run average time.

Small and her mother Jane Melby, a two-time qualifier to the WNFR herself, competed in the opening set of the National Western on Thursday night, January 11 and again Friday afternoon, January 12.

Small dominated the set, running a 15.39 in the first round, almost exactly the time she posted in the first round in 2017. It was an emotional run for the cowgirl, back in the saddle aboard Gator once again.

The pair was perfectly in sync the next day as well despite the time away from their partnership. Taking even more time off the clock, their second round run was golden at 15.37 seconds.

With a two-run total of 30.76, Small led the average by nearly three tenths over Kathy Grimes, the Washington veterinarian who just finished her first WNFR trip a month ago. Keeping it in the family, Melby ran out to third in the average aboard the speedy black mare Pazazz.

Small easily survived the second set of cowgirls who competed on Friday night and Saturday morning. The top competitor from that set was 2017 Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo Champion Emily Miller. Miller rode Foxy, a sister to her RNCFR champion gelding Pipewrench, to land in the money in early going of round one while finishing fourth in the average following her group.

Badlands Circuit Finals Champion Nikki Hansen and Turquoise Circuit Champion Lori Todd galloped into the money during the Saturday afternoon and evening performances. Todd rode her horse Wrangler to a 15.48 second run, good enough for third in the first go, to take the top honors in the matinee performance. On Saturday night, Hansen and Sky tied up with 2017 WPRA World Finals Champ Kelly Bruner and Suzy for the top run of the night at 15.49 seconds.

With two run average times of 31.05, Hansen and Todd slotted into a tie for second behind Small for the time being.

Sunday’s performance brought another comeback story to the Denver Coliseum. Craig, Colorado cowgirl Wendy McKee and her horse Snoop have been a team for six years on and off with time off due to injuries to both of them; together they have won two Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo series season titles and qualified to the Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo.

McKee and Snoop returned to health in time to move everybody on the leaderboard except Small with the two runs on Sunday, stopping the clock in 15.52 and 15.44, respectively, to sit sixth in round one, second in round two and second in the average, two tenths behind Small.

The National Western continues on Monday. Among the scheduled competitors are two-time WNFR qualifier and local cowgirl Ivy Conrado from just up the road in Hudson along with record breaker Tiany Schuster, who finished third in 2017 after smashing the regular season earnings record. Stevi Hillman is also scheduled for the Monday and Tuesday performances.

Competing later in the week are two-time World Champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and WNFR competitors Jana Bean, Lisa Lockhart, Shelly Anzick, Shali Lord, Carlee Pierce-Otero, Jean Winters, Terri Kaye Kirkland and Trula Churchill along with the reigning NWSS Champion Kellie Collier, who will attempt to defend her title beginning Wednesday afternoon.

For more information, visit www.nationalwestern.com and stay tuned to www.wpra.com.

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Current Results

1st Go

1. Cayla Small, Shameon U, 15.39
2. Kathy Grimes, KG Justiceweexpected, 15.46
3. Lori Todd, Wranglers Bedrock, 15.48
4. Sissy Winn, Flashy Red Flame/Benette Little, Ms Carrie Lou, 15.50
6. Wendy McKee, Little Snoop Dog, 15.52
7. Emily Miller, Namgis D56, 15.54
8. Nikki Hansen, Sky High Guy, 15.56
9. Jane Melby, Perks Pazazz, 15.60
10. Jamie Hinton, OJS Tex Wood, 15.65

2nd Go

1. Small, 15.37
2. McKee, 15.44
3. Hansen/Kelly Bruner, Suzytresseis, 15.49
5. Darby Fox, Easy French Alibi/Nicole Waggoner, Sumfunsin/ Holly Wright, 15.52
8. Todd/Fallon Taylor, Flos Heiress/Hinton, 15.57

Average

1. Small, 30.76
2. McKee, 30.96
3. Hansen/Todd 31.05
5. Grimes, 31.08
6. Hinton, 31.22
7. Melby, 31.23
8. Miller/Kelly Tovar, A Dash ta Glamour, 31.26
10. Kim Schulze, 31.32
11. Winn, 31.41
12. Wright, 31.45

Courtesy of WPRA