Barker’s Return to Bull Riding a Success in Caldwell

by Jim Bainbridge | Aug 13, 2014
By Susan Kanode/for the Caldwell Night Rodeo

CALDWELL, Idaho – Less than a month ago, bull rider Reid Barker from Comfort, Texas, butted heads with a bull in Casper, Wyo., resulting in injuries that might have had other athletes sidelined indefinitely.

A serious concussion, a fractured eye socket, and surgery to fix it were barely blips on Barker’s radar. The determined young bull rider returned to Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) action Aug. 12 in Canby, Ore., then came to the Caldwell Night Rodeo on Wednesday.

He found his stride here riding Powder River Rodeo’s bull named Jugs for 83 points to take the lead in the bull riding, and is one of only two men to make it to the eight second whistle.

Barker was fourth in the PRCA world standings at the time of his injury and has slipped to sixth place. He is still well positioned to be one of the top 15 who qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in December.

The other successful bull ride on Aug. 13 was made by Tyler Smith from Fruita, Colo., aboard D&H Cattle Company’s Captain America. When the judges added up the scores, Smith had a 76 by his name and while he and the fans here were hoping for more points, he is likely to get a check in the first round and be back here on Saturday night to compete in the championship finals.

Smith is currently 13th in the Windham Weaponry High Performance PRCA World Standings and if he remains in the top 15 through the next six weeks, he will be headed to his third NFR.

Rodeo competition continues here on Aug. 14, with the third performance beginning at 8 p.m.

CALDWELL, Idaho – The following are unofficial results from the Caldwell Night Rodeo, Wednesday, August 13, 2014.

Second Performance —

Bareback Riding: 1, Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La., 84 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Loaded Deck. 2, (tie) Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba; Kash Wilson, Gooding, Idaho; and Jessy Davis, Power, Mont.; 77 each.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Dru Melvin, Hebron, Neb., 5.2 seconds. 2, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 5.4. 3, Kody Woodward, Dupree, S.D., 5.9. 4, Sean Mulligan, Coleman, Okla., 6.0.

Team Roping: 1, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., and Tex Suftin, Homedale, Idaho, 6.4 seconds. 2, Pace Freed, Pocatello, Idaho and Keagan Duncan, Midland, Texas, 14.5. 3, Nick Sartain, Dover, Okla., and Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, 16.3. 4, Casey Mahoney, College Station, Texas, and Jake Rodriguez, Livermore, Calif., 19.5.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Joaquin Real, Woody, Calif., 79 points on Burch Rodeo’s Bloody Mary. 2, (tie) Dusty Hausauer, Dickinson, N.D., and Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 77 each. 4, Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., 73.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Jade Lyon, Meadow, S.D., 8.6 seconds. 2, Jordan Ketscher, Squaw Valley, Calif., 9.7. 3, Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 10.5. 4, Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, 13.0. .

Barrel Racing: 1, Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 17.36 seconds. 2, Carmel Wright, Roy, Mont., 17.38. 3, Pamela Capper, Cheney, Wash., 17.64. 4, Sheena Robbins, fresno, Calif., 17.74.

Bull Riding: (two rides) 1, Reid Baker, Comfort, Texas, 83 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Jugs. 2, Tyler Smith, Fruita, Colo., 76.

The following are current Leaders —

Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Brian Bain, Powell Butte, Ore., 86 points on Burch Rodeo’s Jim Dandy. 2, Luke Creasy, Lubbock, Texas, 85. 3, (tie) Caleb Bennett, Tremonton, Utah, and Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La., 84.

Steer Wrestling: (second round) 1, Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif., 4.0. 2, Trygve Pugh, Ponoka, Alberta, 4.1. 3, Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan., 4.2. 4, (tie) Beau Clark, Belgrade, Mont.; Andy Weldon, Greenleaf, Idaho; Rowdy Parrott, Mamou, La.; and Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla.; 4.7 each. (total on two) 1, K.C. Jones, Decatur, Texas, 8.9. 2, Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif., 9.1. 3, Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev., 9.5. 4, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 10.7.

Team Roping: (second round) 1, Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah and Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alberta, 4.3 seconds. 2, (tie) Billy Bob Brown, Stephenville, Texas, and Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz.; and Chace Thompson, Munday, Texas, and Jett Hillman, Jones, Okla.; 4.4. 4, Spencer Mitchell, Colusa, Calif., and Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 4.5. (total on two) 1, Brandon Beers, Powell Butte, Ore., and Jim Ross Cooper, Monument, N.M., 9.8. 2, (tie) Rob and Dan Webb, Wendell, Idaho; and Chace Thompson, Munday, Texas, and Jett Hillman, Jones, Okla.; 10.0. 4, Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore., and Shay Carroll, La Junta, Colo., 11.1.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round)1, Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., 84 points on Burch Rodeo’s Family Tradition. 2, Jacobs Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, 81. 3, (tie) Jeremy Ray Melancon, Huntsville, Texas, and Joaquin Real, Woody, Calif., 79 each.

Tie-Down Roping: (second round) 1, Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas, 7.8 seconds. 2, Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 7.9. 3, Roger Nonella, Klamath Falls, Ore., 8.3. 4, (tie) Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas, and Trent Creager, Stillwater, Okla., 8.4 each. (total on two) 1, Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 16.6. 2, Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla., 17.0. 3, J.C. Malone, Hooper, Utah, 17.3. 4, Clif Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 18.1.

Barrel Racing: (second round) 1, Jody Sheffield, Ogden, Utah, 17.24 seconds. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 17.36. 3, Carmel Wright, Roy, Mont., 17.38. 4, Samantha Lyne, Cotulla, Texas, 17.48. (total on two) 1, Carmel Wright, Roy, Utah, 34.92. 2, Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 35.03. 3, Pamela Capper, Cheney, Wash., 35.05. 4, Jody Sheffield, Ogden, Utah, 34.92.

Bull Riding: (first round – two rides) 1, Reid Baker, Comfort, Texas, 83 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Jugs. 2, Tyler Smith, Fruita, Colo., 76.

Courtesy of PRCA