World’s Original Indoor Rodeo® Begins 100th Anniversary Run in Fort Worth
by Johna Cravens
for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
FORT WORTH, Texas — The World’s Original Indoor Rodeo® began its 29-performance 100th birthday celebration with history, fireworks and dramatic rodeo action at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
The stock show, which began in 1896, featured western events and wild west shows beginning in 1908, but held the first indoor rodeo in 1918 at Cowtown Coliseum on the north side of town where weekly rodeos are still held year-round. In 1944 the rodeo moved to the then-new Will Rogers Coliseum where it remains today until a new arena opens on the stock show grounds in 2020.
Tyler Pearson, who came from behind to win his first steer wrestling world championship at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in December, clocked a time of 4.1 seconds for the fastest time of the night. His time was good enough to tie for second in the first round.
More than 135 steer wrestlers had already competed in the first round Thursday morning and another Louisiana cowboy, Jacob Talley holds the lead with a time of 3.9. Former world champion Dru Melvin is tied with Pearson at 4.1.
Pearson was riding Scooter, the 2017 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, that he co-owns with fellow steer wrestler Kyle Irwin, who turned in a time of 5.4 on Friday night.
Another cowboy who has been riding well this season is bareback rider Ty Breuer of Mandan, N.D. Breuer finished 2017 ranked 13th in the world standings. He and a horse called Painted Bunny from the J Bar J Rodeo string combined for 85.5 points to set the pace for the first round of bareback riding.
Barrel racer Cayla Small of Burneyville, Okla., is starting 2018 with a bang. The former NFR cowgirl came to Fort Worth knowing she leads her event at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo in Denver. Her time of 16.61 took the early lead in the barrel racing. When comparing her time to previous years’ results at Fort Worth, she should qualify for the progressive, second round here which begins Jan. 21. Small will travel back to Denver to compete in the finals there on Sunday.
Only two bull riders stayed atop their bulls for the required eight seconds. Iowa cowboy Jimy Marten rode a spinning bull named Edmund Fitzgerald of the Rafter G Rodeo string to lead the round with a score of 80.
The World’s Original Indoor Rodeo® continues Saturday with performances at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Fort Worth’s historic Will Rogers Coliseum.
FORT WORTH – The following are unofficial results from Friday night’s performance of the World’s Original Indoor Rodeo® at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, January 19, 2018.
First Performance
Bareback Riding: 1, Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 85.5 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Painted Bunny. 2, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 81. 3, Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 80.5. 4, Colby Fedor, Grandview, Texas, 76.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss., 4.1 seconds. 2, Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 5.2. 3, Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala., 5.4. 4, Zach Peterson, Lindale, Texas, 5.5.
Team Roping: (three times) 1, Tyler Wojciechowski, Hico, Texas and Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas, 5.6 seconds. 2, Cody Wheeler, Whitesboro, Texas, and Wesley Moss, Decatur, Texas, 6.4. 3, Brett Stuart, Bridgeport, Texas, and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas, 20.6.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Dylan Henson, Bloomfield, Minn., 80 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Wibaux. 2, Cort Scheer, Douglas, Wyo., 76. 3, Troy Crowser, Whitewood, S.D., 75. 4, JC DeSaveur, Roberts, Mont., 73.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, (tie) Marcus Theriot, Poplarville, Miss., and Shay Carroll, Hico, Texas, 8.9 seconds. 3, Justus Whitcher, Athens, Texas, 10.6. 4, Cash Myers, Athens, Texas, 13.5.
Barrel Racing: 1, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla.,16.61 seconds. 2, Cheyenne Kelly, Hallettsville, Texas, 16.86. 3, Jane Melby, Burneyville, Okla., 16.92. 4, Ashley Schafer, Yoder, Wyo.,16.93.
Bull Riding: (two rides) 1, Jimy Marten, Donahue, Iowa, 80 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Edmund Fitzgerald. 2, Jordan Hansen, Ponoka, Alberta, 71.5.
Current Leaders
Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 85.5 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Painted Bunny. 2, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 81. 3, Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 80.5. 4, Colby Fedor, Grandview, Texas, 76.
Steer Wrestling: (first round) 1, Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La., 3.9 seconds. 2, (tie) Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss., and Dru Melvin, Hebron, Neb., 4.1. 4, Jacob Shofner, Huntsville, Texas, 4.3. 5, (tie) Josh Garner, Live Oak, Calif.; Blake Doyle, Flandreau, S.D.; Blair Jones, Monte Vista, Colo.; Baylor Roche, Tremonton, Utah, and Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., 4.5.
Team Roping: (first round-three times) 1, Tyler Wojciechowski, Hico, Texas and Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas, 5.6 seconds. 2, Cody Wheeler, Whitesboro, Texas, and Wesley Moss, Decatur, Texas, 6.4. 3, Brett Stuart, Bridgeport, Texas, and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas, 20.6.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, Dylan Henson, Bloomfield, Minn., 80 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Wibaux. 2, Cort Scheer, Douglas, Wyo., 76. 3, Troy Crowser, Whitewood, S.D., 75. 4, JC DeSaveur, Roberts, Mont., 73.
Tie-Down Roping: (first round) 1, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 7.9 seconds. 2, Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 8.0. 3, Scott Kormos, Teague, Texas, 8.3. 4, Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas, 8.5. 5, (tie) Braxton Laughlin, Sulphur, La., and Treg Schaack, Canyon, Texas, 8.8.
Barrel Racing: (first round) 1, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla.,16.61 seconds. 2, Cheyenne Kelly, Hallettsville, Texas, 16.86. 3, Jane Melby, Burneyville, Okla., 16.92. 4, Ashley Schafer, Yoder, Wyo.,16.93.
Bull Riding: (first round-two rides) 1, Jimy Marten, Donahue, Iowa, 80 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Edmund Fitzgerald. 2, Jordan Hansen, Ponoka, Alberta, 71.5.