Rodeo Contestants Thrive in FWSSR ProRodeo Tournament Wildcard Round
By: Susan Kanode
Bareback rider Chad Rutherford from Hillsboro, Texas was a last-minute replacement for the Wild Card round at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s ProRodeo Tournament. He took advantage of the opportunity, scoring 88 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s horse named High Heels. That gave him the win on Wednesday night and now he advances to the Semi-Finals hoping for a chance in Saturday night’s championship round. FWSSR photo by James Phifer.
FORT WORTH, Texas — It was Wildcard Wednesday at the 126th Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo in Dickies Arena.
The qualifying brackets of the $1.2 million FWSSR ProRodeo Tournament finished on Tuesday with contestants advancing to the two Semi-finals, the Wild Card, or packing up to head to the next rodeo. Will Lowe competed here in Bracket 5 during the ninth and tenth performances. He did well enough to qualify for the Wild Card round and headed home to Amarillo, Texas.
Icy weather and circumstances were going to keep him from returning to Fort Worth on Wednesday, so he called the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association headquarters and let them know. Then rodeo officials started going down the list of competitors in that bracket to find a replacement for Wednesday night’s rodeo.
They found that replacement in Chad Rutherford who lives an hour south of Dickies Arena at Hillsboro. Rutherford took advantage of the opportunity, came here and rodeo the horse named High Heels owned by Carr Pro Rodeo. When the judges added up their scores, he had an 88 by his name, earned $1,000 and a spot in one of the semifinals performances on Thursday or Friday.
Jackie Ganter and her great horse Howes a Tycoon are also headed to one of the semifinals performances. Ganter and Tycoon had the fastest run of this year’s rodeo at 16.30 seconds. She qualified for Wednesday’s Wild Card by winning the first round of Bracket 7. Tycoon is one of the biggest barrel racing horses in the field and seems to love the atmosphere in Dickies Arena. To top off her win, her mother and grandmother have been here to support her. It’s been a special family time.
Now Ganter has the opportunity to win her first FWSSR buckle. If she advances from the semifinals to the championship round, she could add an additional $20,000 to her earnings which would put her on pace for a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification.
Jackie Ganter of Abilene, Texas and her great horse Howes a Tycoon set the pace in the women’s barrel racing and held the lead to win the Wild Card round at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s ProRodeo Tournament. Ganter stopped the clock in 16.30 seconds, the fastest so far at the 2023 edition of the rodeo. FWSSR photo by James Phifer.
Semifinals 1 begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2 with eight contestants in each event. The four fastest times and highest scores will advance into Saturday night’s championship round. Semifinals 2 will be held on Friday and again, the four best will advance. That gives eight contestants in each event an opportunity to win one of the most prestigious and legendary titles in rodeo.
FORT WORTH, Texas – The following are unofficial results from the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s Pro Rodeo Tournament after the Wild Card Round, February 1, 2023.
Bareback riding: 1, Chad Rutherford, Hillsboro, Texas, 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s High Heels, $1,000. 2, Kade Sonnier, Carencro, La., 85.5, $600. 3, Trenton Montero, Winnemucca, Nev., 83, $400.
Semi-finals qualifiers: Rutherford and Sonnier
Steer wrestling: 1, J.D. Struxness, Milan Minn., 3.9 seconds, $1,000. 2, Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif., 4.3, $600. 3, Ty Allred, Tooele, Utah, 4.5, $400.
Semi-finals qualifiers: Struxness and Allen
Breakaway roping: 1, Jackie Crawford, Stephenville, Texas, 2.3 seconds, $1,000. 2, Erin Johnson, Fowler, Colo., 2.4, $600. 3, Jacey Fortier, Billings, Mont., 2.5, $400.
Semi-finals qualifiers: Crawford and Johnson
Saddle bronc riding: 1, Cash Wilson, Wall, S.D., 86.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Toma Jo, $1,000. 2, Kole Ashbacher, Arrowwood, Alberta, Canada, 85.5, $800. 3, Parker Fleet, Axtell, Texas, 84, $400.
Semi-finals qualifiers: Wilson and Ashbacher
Tie-down roping: 1, Zach Jongbloed, Iowa, La., 7.6 seconds, $1,000. 2, Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, $6000. 3, Glenn Jackson, Okmulgee, Okla., 9.0, $400.
Semi-finals qualifiers: Jongbloed and Cooper
Team Roping: 1, Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil, 5.6, $1,000 each. 2, Cash Duty, Weimar, Texas, and Sid Sporer, Cody Wyo., 6.7, $600 each. 3, Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah, and Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alberta, Canada, $400 each.
Semi-finals qualifiers: Driggers and Nogueira; and Duty and Sporer
Barrel Racing: 1, Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas, 16.30 seconds, $1,000. 2, BryAnna Haluptzok, Tenstrike, Minn., 16.53, $600. 3, Shannon McReynolds, La Luz, N.M., $400.
Semi-finals qualifiers: Ganter and Haluptzok
Bull Riding: (two rides) 1, Jordan Hansen, Amisk, Alberta, Canada, 88 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Bumpstock, $ 1,200. 2, Dalan Duncan, Heber City, Utah, 85.5, $800.
Semi-finals qualifiers: Hansen and Duncan