Two Wins Stack Up for Contestants at San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo

By Susan Kanode
For the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The unique format of the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo is paying big dividends for five contestants through the first two performances.

The rodeo features seven events, bareback riding steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding. The 50 top contestants in those events qualify to compete in the AT&T Center. They each have three opportunities in five brackets. The top four money earners in each event from the five brackets will advance to the semi-finals.

Thanks to their success here on Friday night, five contestants have their semi-finals qualifications secured no matter what happens in the third round. Reigning world champion bareback rider Tim O’Connell was the first to take consecutive victory laps around the arena.

O’Connell from Zwingle, Iowa, got on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Nutrena’s Rage for an 87-point marking. That added $2,281 to the $2,281 that he won on Thursday for a total of $4,562 here.

“I’ll never get tired of taking a victory lap here,” O’Connell said. “When you are riding that horse around the arena, you can see the fans and feel the energy. It’s similar to taking a victory lap at the NFR (Wrangler National Finals Rodeo), there’s just so much excitement.”

Local contestant and the 2016 world champion saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley has also made the trip around the arena twice and added $4,562 to his checking account. He scored 81 points on another horse from Beutlers, Four Aces.

“It’s nice to know that I get to come back and play again,” Crawley said. “Winning last night was a big help for my confidence and momentum. It meant I didn’t have to worry about winning money to get to come back here, I could just go out and have fun. There’s still pressure. I always want to do good, but especially here in front of home town fans.”

Crawley and his wife Lauren live about an hour away at Boerne. Every contestant has rodeos that they dream about winning. After he won the Frontier Days Rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyo., last July, he still has two to mark off his list. San Antonio and the Pendleton Round-Up in Oregon.

“I’ve always wanted to win this one,” he added. “The way it’s set up, anyone can win on any given day. That makes it exciting to watch and fun for us.”

Kory Koontz, a veteran team roping heeler from Stephenville, Texas, joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1991 and has yet to earn a title here. He and his partner Dustin Eguisquiza from Marianna, Florida came closer with their second win. As did Taylor Langdon from Aubrey, Texas who has two wins in the barrel racing. They each have earned $4,562 here so far.

These contestants have the chance to win more in the third round on Saturday at the matinee performance which starts at 1 p.m., where semi-finals qualifiers will be determined. Bracket 2 will see their first round of competition Saturday night beginning at 7:30.

The following are results after the first performance of the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, the 12-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year. Complete results are available at sarodeo.com

Bracket 1, round 2 followed by total money —

Bareback Riding: 1, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 87 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Nutrena’s Rage, $2,281. 2, Richmond Champion, The Woodlands, Texas, 84, $1,711. 3, Kelly Timberman, Mills, Wyo., 82, $1,141. 4, Wyatt Bloom, Bend, Ore., 80.5, $570. (total money) 1, O’Connell, $4,562. 2, Champion, $3,422. 3, Bloom, $1,711. 4, Timberman, $1,141.

Steer Wrestling: 1, (tie) Josh Clark, Belgrade, Mont., and Dean McIntyre, Cloncurry, Australia, 4.6 and $1,996 each. 3, Jon Ragatz, Beetown, Wis., 5.1, $1,140. 4, Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan., 10.3, $570. (total money) 1, Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., $2,281. 2, Ragatz, $2,851. 3, (tie) Clark and McIntyre, $1,996.

Team Roping: 1, Dustin Egusquiza, Mariana, Fla., and Kory koontz, Stephenville, Texas, 4.4 seconds, $2,281 each. 2, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 4.9, $1,711. 3, Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Jim Ross Cooper, Stephenville, Texas, 5.0, $1,141. 4, Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont, and Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas, $571. (total money) 1, Egusquiza and Koontz, $4,562. 2, Tsinigine, and Graves, $2,851. 3, (tie) Cooper and Cooper; and Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas, and Dakota Kirchenschlager, Morgan Mill, Texas, $1,711.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 81 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Four Aces, $2,281. 2, Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 79, $1,711. 3, Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alberta, 79, $1,141. 4, Samuel Kelts, Millarville, Alberta, 73, $570. (total money) 1, Crawley, $4,562. 2, Jake Wright, $3,421. 3, (tie) Green and lane Cust, Sylvan Lake, Alberta, $1,140.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Matt Shiozawa, Chubbock, Idaho, 7.5 seconds, $2,281. 2, Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb., 8.1, $1,711. 3, Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas, 8.3, $1,141. 4, Kyle Lucas, Carstairs, Alberta, 8.7, $570. (total money) 1, (tie) Shiozawa and Randall Carlisle, Athens, La., $2,281 each. 3, (tie) Pruitt and Shank Edwards, Tatum, N.M., $1,711.

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Taylor Langdon, Aubrey, Texas, 13.94 seconds, $2,281. 2, Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas, 14.02, $1,711. 3, Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, 14.16, $1,141. 4, Kelley Schnaufer, Pueblo, Colo., 14.21, $570. (total money) 1, Langdon, $4,562. 2, (tie) Hillman; Collier; and Sydni Blanchard, Albuquerque, N.M., $1,171 each.

Bull Riding: 1, Scottie Knapp, Albuquerque, N.M., 85.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Aftershock, $2,281. 2, (tie) Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, and Clayton Savage, Yoder, Wyo., 83.5, $1,426 each. 4, Brett Stall, Detroit Lakes, Minn., 82, $571. (total money) 1, Frost, $3,136. 2, Knapp, $2,851. 3, Dustin Bowen, Waller, Texas, $2,281. 4, Savage, $1,426.