Bull Rider Takes Center Stage at National Western Stock Show Rodeo
By: Susan Kanode
DENVER, Colo. – In spite of riding two bulls at the 2020 National Western Stock Show Rodeo, Levi Gray of Dairy, Oregon hadn’t won a dime at this year’s event – until Saturday night.
His two preliminary rides were extremely important even though they didn’t come with cash. Those two scores were easily enough to advance him to Saturday’s semifinals where the 20-year-old shined. Gray was one of eight bull riders to attempt an eight-second ride at the night performance. Three of them were successful.
Gray was at the top of the pack with a 91-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Rumpshaker, good for $3,047. The money is nice, but getting to ride for the championship here on Sunday is even nicer for the up and coming rodeo athlete.
Gray is a two-time College National Finals Rodeo qualifier who has a degree in artistic silversmithing from Mesalands Community College at Tucumcari, New Mexico. He also qualified for the National High School Rodeo Finals.
After graduating in June, he planned his schedule on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit. It was a learning experience to prepare him for his goal of qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo that was cut short. By the end of July he was on the injured list and headed home to heal up.
He is healthy now and riding better than ever. He will be drawing on his confidence from his three previous rides on Sunday and hoping the momentum from his semifinals win carries him to a new title in the Denver Coliseum.
Sunday’s rodeo will feature 12 contestants in each of the events. They all start on an even playing field and the high score or fast time will win the 2020 buckle for being Denver’s best. Action gets underway at 2 p.m.
The following are results from the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.
Seventeenth Performance – Semifinals 1 winners and final qualifiers
Bareback Riding: 1, Richmond Champion, The Woodlands, Texas, 88.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Firefly, $3,377. 2, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 88, $2,532. 3, Logan Patterson, Kim, Colo., 86, $1,688. 4, (tie) Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas, and Dantan Bertsch, Eastend, Saskatchewan, 84.5 and $422 each. *Tutor advances based on tie-breaker.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Jake Nelson, Bozeman, Mont., 4.0 seconds, $3,429. 2, Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho, 4.4, $2,572. 3, (tie) Cade Goodman, Waelder, Texas; Justice Johnson, Bismark, N.D.; Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla.; and Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., 5.3 and $643 each. *Goodman advances based on tie-breaker.
Team Roping: 1, Garrett Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas, and Dustin Davis, Terrell, Texas, 4.6 seconds, $3,403. 2, Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah and Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alberta, 6.0, $2,552. 3, Steven Duby, Hereford, Ore., and Jason Duby, Klamath Falls, Ore., 6.1, $1,701. 4, Turner Harris, Killdeer, N.D., and Jade Nelson, Midland, S.D., 6.2, $851.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (three rides) 1, Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, 87 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s On Fire, $3,230. 2, Logan Cook, Alto, Texas, 82, $2,422. 3, Kolby Wanchuk, Sherwood Park, Alberta, 79.5, $1,615.
Tie Down Roping: 1, Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 7.4 seconds, $3,429. 2, (tie) Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, and Buck Tate, McClean, Texas, 7.9 and $2,143 each. 4, Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas, and Clay McCuistion, Sanger, Texas, 10.7, $429. *Vest advances based on tie-breaker.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Sissy Winn, Chapman Ranch, Texas, 15.21, $3,456. 2, Carly Taylor, Andersonville, Tenn., 15.49 seconds, $2,592. 3, Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas, 15.53, $1,728. 4, Ashley Castleberry, Montgomery, Texas, 15.67, $864.
Bull Riding: 1, Dillon Tyner, Eaton, Colo., 87.5 points on C5 Rodeo’s Director’s Assistant, $3,048. 2, Coy Pollmeier, Fort Scott, Kan., 84.5, $2,286. 3, (tie) Trey Holston, Fort Scott, Kan., and Trey Benton III, Rock Island, Texas, 80.5, $1,143.
Eighteenth Performance – Semifinals 1 winners and final qualifiers
Bareback Riding: 1, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 90 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Amos Mosses. 2, Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 89, $2,432. 3, Craig Wiesehart, Kersey, Colo., 87, $1,688. 4, Jesse Pope, Marshall, Mo., 86, $422.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D., 5.5 seconds, $3,429. 2, Bubba Boots, St. Anthony, Idaho, 5.7, $2,572. 3, (tie) Jacob Edler, State Center, Iowa, and Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore., 6.0, $1,286.
Team Roping: 1, Paul David Tierney, Oklahoma City, and Cody Doescher, Webers Falls, Okla., 5.0, $3,403. 3, Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla., and Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., 5.5, $2,552. 4, Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla., and Buddy Hawkins III, Columbus, Kan., 7.9, $1,701. 4, Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif., and Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 9.4, $851.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Ben Andersen, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, 91 points on C5 Rodeo’s Trump Card, $3,230. 2, Leon Fountain, Socorro, N.M., 84.5, $2,422. 3, Wyatt Casper, Pampa, Texas, 83.5, $1,615. 4, Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas, 83, $807.
Tie Down Roping: 1, Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., 7.6 seconds, $3,429. 2, Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas, 7.7, $2,572. 3, Chase Williams, Stephenville, Texas, 7.8, $1,714. 4, Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif., 9.6, $857.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Tillar Murray, Fort Worth, Texas, 15.10 seconds, $3,456. 2, Jimmie Smith, McDade, Texas, 15.11, $2,592. 3, Ryann Pedone, Sunset, Texas, 15.16, $1,728. 4, Tiany Schuster, Krum, Texas, 15.18, $863.
Bull Riding: (one ride) 1, Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., 74 points on C5 Rodeo’s Grasshopper, $3,048.
Nineteenth Performance – Semifinals 1 winners and final qualifiers
Bareback Riding: 1, Cole Goodine, Carbon, Alberta, 90 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Fire’s Easy, $3,377. 2, Kody Lamb, Sherwood Park, Alberta, 85.5, $2,532. 3, (tie) Mason Clements, Draper, Utah, and Wyatt Bloom, Belgrade, Mont., 86, $1,266.
Steer Wrestling: Justin Kimsey, Kennewick, Wash., 4.3 seconds, $3,429. 2, Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho, 4.4, $2,572. 3, Chisum Docheff, Mead, Colo., 5.2, $1,715. 4, Carson Good, Long Valley, S.D., 5.3, $857.
Team Roping: 1, Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan., 5.2 seconds, $3,403. 2, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Paul Eaves, Lonedell, MO., 5.7, $2,552. 3, Coy Rahlmann, Ellsinore, Mo., and Ryan Von Ahn, Palmyra, Mo., 5.8, $1,701. 4, Kolton Schmidt, Barrhead, Alberta, and Hunter Koch, Vernon, Texas, 6.0, $851.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah, 88 points on The Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s Buckin Crazy, $3,230. 2, Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo., 87.5, $2,422. 3, Lefty Holman, Visalia, Calif., 86.5, $1,615. 4, Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla., 85.5, $807.
Tie Down Roping: 1, Preston Pederson, Hermiston, Ore., 8.1 seconds, $3,429. 2, John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, 8.4, $2,572. 3, Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla., 9.1, $1,715. 4, Jarrett Oestmann, Limon, Colo., 12.7, $857.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Abby Phillips, Marshall, Texas, 15.07, $3,456. 2, Hailey Lockwood, Cotulla, Texas, 15.12, $2,592. 3, Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, 15.12, $1,728. 4, Karson Bradley, Big Piney, Wyo., 15.29, $864.
Bull Riding: 1, Levi Gray, Dairy, Ore., 91 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Rumpshaker. 2, Brody Yeary, Morgan Mill, Texas, 84.5, $2,286. 3, Matt Palmer, Poplar Grove, Ill., 77, $1,524.