Wright Has Familiar Omaha Success
OMAHA, Neb. – Jesse Wright is hoping the road through Omaha he took two years ago will lead to the same final destination at the end of 2014.
The 2012 saddle bronc riding world champion had quite a weekend at the CenturyLink Arena, winning the Wrangler Champions Challenge Finale Saturday night after placing second at the Justin Boots Championships a night earlier.
Success in Omaha is nothing new for Wright, who won the Justin Boots Championships in 2012 on his way to winning the gold buckle.
“I won Omaha the year I won the world with an 86-point ride, just like I had tonight,” Wright said. “I went out with a bang to end that regular season, and I’m hoping it pans out the same way this year as it did in 2012.”
Wright’s 86-point trip on Korkow Rodeo’s Queenie came on a re-ride. He was happy to see her.
“She’s old, and they haven’t bucked her very much. This was the first time they’ve busted her out in the last couple months, and she was outstanding,” Wright said of Queenie. “She was electric and quick, and made me look extra good.”
Wright entered the week 12th in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings, and wanted to make some moves to get himself in better position heading to Las Vegas. Mission accomplished.
His win Saturday night netted $5,168, and coupled with the $4,864 he earned for splitting second in the Justin Boots Championships, Wright should move well into the top 10 of the final regular-season standings.
“I’m hoping these checks put me in a position to have a good chance at winning another gold buckle,” said the 25-year-old Wright. “I’m going to work out hard and get on a bunch of practice horses between now and the NFR. I’m planning on going down there and drawing the good ones and capitalizing on them, and hopefully coming out on top.”
The Milford, Utah, cowboy is feeling good, and appears to be peaking at the right time of the year.
“I’m riding way better right now than I have all year long,” he said. “I was fighting my head and my saddle there for a few months, but now I got it all turned around, and it feels great.”
Tie-down roper Ryan Jarrett isn’t going to the WNFR this December, but he ended his 2014 season with an exclamation point Saturday night.
Two nights after tying the arena record with a 6.8-second run and winning the Justin Boots Championships, Jarrett posted a time of 6.5 seconds to break the arena record and put himself in the record books.
The time is tied for the second-fastest mark in ProRodeo history, along with Cody Ohl at the 2003 WNFR, and Clint Robinson in Amarillo, Texas, in 2004. Ricky Canton owns the world record with a 6.3-second run in Strathmore, Alberta, in 2005.
Other winners Saturday night were bareback rider Tim O’Connell (87 points on Three Hills Rodeo’s Angel Eyes), steer wrestler Nick Guy (4.1 seconds), team ropers Trevor Brazile and Travis Graves, and Tom Richards and Allan Bach (3.9 seconds each), barrel racer Mary Walker (14.36 seconds) and bull rider Trey Benton III (89.5 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s No. 37Y).
The year-end Wrangler Champions Challenge team champions are B&W Trailer Hitches. Team members include bareback rider Bobby Mote, steer wrestler Dakota Eldridge, team ropers Brazile and Graves, saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley, tie-down roper Brazile, barrel racer Lisa Lockhart and bull rider Brennon Eldred.
For in-depth coverage of all the Omaha action, check out the Oct. 10 issue of the ProRodeo Sports News.
Justin Boots Championships
Omaha, Neb., September 25-26 2014
All-around cowboy: Rhen Richard, $4,344, tie-down roping and team roping.
Bareback riding: 1. Kaycee Feild, 85 points on Korkow Rodeos’ Flashcard Champ, $9,484; 2. J.R. Vezain, 84, $7,271; 3. (tie) Jessy Davis, Orin Larsen and Austin Foss, 83, $3,688 each; 6. Steven Dent, 82, $1,581; 7. (tie) Caleb Bennett, Steven Peebles and Winn Ratliff, 81, $738 each.
Steer wrestling: 1. (tie) Clayton Hass, Riley Duvall and Billy Bugenig, 3.9 seconds, $5,476 each; 4. (tie) Nick Guy and Bray Armes, 4.0, $3,866 each; 6. Ty Erickson, 4.2, $2,899; 7. (tie) Seth Ferley and K.C. Jones, 4.4, $1,933 each; 9. Sean Santucci, 4.5, $966; 10. Dakota Eldridge, 4.8, $322.
Team roping: 1. Tom Richards/Cesar de la Cruz, 4.6 seconds, $6,121 each; 2. Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 4.7, $5,476; 3. (tie) Joel Bach/Allen Bach, Chad Masters/Clay O’Brien Cooper and Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.8, $4,188 each; 6. Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 4.9, $2,899; 7. Kaleb Driggers/Patrick Smith, 5.3, $2,255; 8. Jake Barnes/Junior Nogueira, 5.6, $1,611; 9. Charly Crawford/Shay Carroll, 5.8, $966; 10. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 9.1, $322.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Taos Muncy, 83 points on J Bar J’s Tipped Off, $8,584; 2. (tie) Chad Ferley, Jesse Wright and Heith DeMoss, 82, $4,864 each; 5. (tie) Troy Crowser and Chet Johnson, 80, $1,717 each; 7. (tie) Sterling Crawley and Jacobs Crawley, 79, $1,002 each.
Tie-down roping: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 6.8 seconds, $6,349; 2. Marty Yates, 7.1, $5,680; 3. Tuf Cooper, 7.3, $5,012; 4. Rhen Richard, 7.8, $4,344; 5. (tie) Clint Cooper and Blair Burk, 7.9, $3,341 each; 7. Matt Shiozawa, 8.2, $2,339; 8. (tie) Trevor Brazile and Jake Pratt, 8.4, $1,337 each; 10. Reese Riemer, 8.5, $334.
Barrel racing: 1. Sarah Rose McDonald, 14.51 seconds, $6,419; 2. Britany Diaz, 14.64, $5,135; 3. Kaley Bass, 14.68, $4,172; 4. Kimmie Wall, 14.71, $3,209; 5. Michele McLeod, 14.80, $2,568; 6. (tie) Christy Loflin and Callie DuPerier, 14.84, $1,765 each; 8. Sammi Bessert, 14.87, $1,444; 9. (tie) Lisa Lockhart and Natalie Foutch, 14.88, $1,204 each; 11. Mary Walker, 14.89, $963; 12. Nancy Hunter, 14.98, $802; 13. Kelley Carrington, 15.01, $642; 14. Carley Richardson, 15.04, $481; 15. Jana Bean, 15.11, $321.
Bull riding: 1. Tim Bingham, 85 points on Dakota Rodeo’s No. 20x, $7,864; 2. Trey Benton III, 84, $6,029; 3. Beau Hill, 83, $4,456; 4. (tie) Brennon Eldred and Josh Koschel, 82, $2,359 each; 6. Kanin Asay, 78, $1,311; 7. Dustin Bowen, 76, $1,049; 8. Cody Teel, 75, $786.
Wrangler Champions Challenge Finale
Omaha, Neb., September 27
All-around cowboy: Trevor Brazile, $6,000, tie-down roping and team roping.
Bareback riding: 1. Tim O’Connell, 87 points on Three Hills Rodeo’s Angel Eyes, $6,800; 2. (tie) Kaycee Feild, Steven Peebles and Austin Foss, 84, $3,867 each; 5. (tie) Winn Ratliff and Richmond Champion, 83, $800 each.
Steer wrestling: 1. Nick Guy, 4.1 seconds, $6,800; 2. (tie) Bray Armes, Seth Ferley and Riley Duvall, 4.2, $3,867 each; 5. Dru Melvin, 4.5, $1,600.
Team roping: 1. (tie) Trevor Brazile/Travis Graves and Tom Richards/Allen Bach, 3.9 seconds, $6,000 each; 3. Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, 4.1, $3,800; 4. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Patrick Smith and Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 4.3, $2,100 each.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Jesse Wright, 86.5 points on J Bar J’s Sweatin’ Bullets, $5,168; 2. Taos Muncy, 85, $3,952; 3. Luke Butterfield, 84, $2,888; 4. (tie) Joaq Real and Heith DeMoss, 83, $1,596 each.
Tie-down roping: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 6.5 seconds, $6,800; 2. (tie) Shane Hanchey and Matt Shiozawa, 7.3, $4,500 each; 4. Rhen Richard, 7.4, $2,600; 5. Marty Yates, 7.6, $1,600.
Barrel racing: 1. Mary Walker, 14.36 seconds, $6,800; 2. Sarah Rose McDonald, 14.39, $5,200; 3. Christine Laughlin, 14.53, $3,800; 4. (tie) Lisa Lockhart and Christy Loflin, 14.54, $2,100 each.
Bull riding: 1. Trey Benton III, 89.5 points on Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Cherry Bomb, $6,800; 2. Cody Teel, 88, $5,200; no other qualified rides.
Courtesy of PRCA