Champs in St. Paul
Montana cowboy matches arena record with saddle bronc riding win; California cowgirl wins barrel racing
Sage Newman, Melstone, Mont., ranked number one in the PRCA world standings, wins the saddle bronc riding at the 2022 St. Paul Rodeo. Photo by Hoot Creek.
St. Paul, Ore. – If Sage Newman ever decides he’s done riding bucking horses, he could always be part of a NASCAR pit crew.
He and his 3 saddle bronc riding buddies had to change a tire a few miles out of St. Paul on the night of July 3, after a blown tire, and they made it fast, working together so they could get back on the road to Mandan, N.D., a nineteen hour drive.
But that was after the Melstone, Mont. man won the saddle bronc riding at the St. Paul Rodeo.
He scored 89 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Pendleton Roundup Marquee, a horse he’d ridden at the Ft. Worth Stock Show earlier this year. “That was a nice bronc,” he said. “I’d been on him before. He does the same thing every time, and I was happy to draw him here. He lets you do your job.”
The 24-year-old Newman is ranked number one in the PRCA world standings, after having qualified for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2021.
Last year, he finished the rodeo season eleventh in the world, and he’s hoping to improve this year. “I’m headed to my second (National) Finals,” he said. “That’s the plan, and I hope to better myself. I hope to go there and finish in the top five this year.”
Newman and his traveling partners, Chase Brooks, Kolby Wanchuck and Tanner Butner, left St. Paul, headed to Mandan, N.D. to a July 4 evening rodeo. The men blew a tire a few hours outside St. Paul. They drove on their spare “donut” for nine hours, until they arrived in Missoula, Montana. There, they called a tire shop, and persuaded the owner to open up on the holiday, July 4, to fix the tire. “The guy really didn’t want to come in, but lucky for us he did, and we were on our way.”
The trip was worth it; Newman’s traveling partner Wanchuck won the Mandan Rodeo; Chase Brooks tied for third.
In the barrel racing, a California cowgirl won the St. Paul title on the last day of the rodeo.
Barrel racer Katie Pascoe, Morro Bay, Calif., is the 2022 St. Paul Rodeo barrel racing champion. Photo by Hoot Creek.
Katie Pascoe, Morro Bay, Calif., rounded the barrels in a time of 17.42 seconds to win the championship at the rodeo, the nation’s largest over the Independence Day holiday.
She was aboard her main horse, a thirteen-year-old sorrel whose registered name is JR Naughty Jet, “Naughty.”
The horse worked well for her, she said. “He felt really strong tonight, and really fast. I was just really excited.”
Naughty was raised by Pascoe and her husband Bear Pascoe, which makes him more significant to her. “We raised him, and we’ve had him since day one,” she said. “He’s extremely special to me for that reason. He’s an awesome horse, and kind of my best friend.”
Naughty’s name came from his behavior as a youngster, but he’s grown up. “He’s got a pretty calm, unaffected demeanor most of the time, but he can still have a little bit of that naughty characteristic in him.”
Pascoe is traveling over the “Cowboy Christmas” holiday, the busiest time of the pro rodeo season, with fellow barrel racer Nellie Miller. The two cowgirls haven’t hit the rodeo road as hard as they usually do.
“We took it easier this year,” Pascoe said, “and went to places where we thought our horses would like, and tried to put a few less miles on them than normal.” They still covered a lot of miles, competing in Reno, Nev., then Greeley, Colo., then on to Prescott, Ariz., before coming to St. Paul on July 4.
Pascoe has competed at the California Circuit Finals rodeo the past several years. She is currently ranked thirteenth in the California Circuit standings.
Other 2022 St. Paul Rodeo champions include bareback rider Kaycee Feild, Genola, Utah (89.5 points) and bull rider Hayes Weight, Goshen, Utah (91 points).
In the timed events, 2022 champs include steer wrestler Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore. (8.2 seconds on two head); tie-down roper Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas (16.3 seconds on 2 head); and team ropers Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas and Junior Nogueira, Lipan, Texas (10.1 seconds on 2 head).
The 87th St. Paul Rodeo will take place June 30-July 4, 2023. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.
Results from the 2022 St. Paul Rodeo, June 30-July 4, 2022.
All-around champion: Connor Murnion, Jordan, Montana
Bareback riding champion: Kaycee Feild, Genola, Utah
1. Kaycee Feild, Genola, Utah 89.5 points on Four Star Rodeo’s Big Star; 2. Cole Reiner, Weatherford, Texas 86; 3. (tie) R.C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif. and Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa 85.5 each; 5. Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore. 85; 6. (tie) Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif. and Jacob Lees, Caldwell, Idaho 83 each; 8. Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas 82.5.
Steer wrestling champion: Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore.
1st round
1. (tie) Jace Melvin, Bluff Dale, Texas and Dalton Massey, Hermiston, Ore. 3.9 seconds each; 3. Tristan Martin, Sulphur, La. 4.0; 4. Cody Devers, Balko, Okla. 4.2; 5. (tie) Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif., Dakota Eldridge, Reedley, Calif. and Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho 4.3 each; 8. Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore. 4.4.
2nd round
1. Timmy Sparing, Helena, Mont. 3.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Joe Nelson, Watford City, N.D., Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., Ryan Nettle, Goldthwaite, Texas and Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alb. 3.8 each; 6. Will Lummus, Byhalia, Miss. 3.9; 7. (tie) Gus Franzen, Kearney, Neb. and Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas 4.0 each.
Average on two head
1. Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore. 8.2 seconds on two head; 2. Dakota Eldridge, Reedley, Calif. 8.4; 3. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho and Gus Franzen, Kearney, Neb. 8.5 each; 5. (tie) Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alb., Timmy Sparing, Helena, Mont. and Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. 8.7 each; 8. Tristan Martin, Sulphur, La. 8.8.
Bull riding champion:
1. Hayes Weight, Goshen, Utah 91 points on Big Stone’s Mr. Clean; 2. Trey Kimzey, Strong City, Okla. 90.5; 3. Lukasey Morris, Union City, Okla. 88.5; 4. Justin Houston, Sandy, Ore. 87.5; 5. Connor Murnion, Jordan, Mont. 87; 6. Ouncie Mitchell, Houston, Texas 86.5; 7. Trey Holston, Ft. Scott, Kan. 85; 8. Riker Carter, Stone, Idaho 84.
Tie-down roping champion: Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas
1st round
1. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas 7.8 seconds; 2. (tie) King Pickett, Stephenville, Texas and Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas 8.0 each; 4. Shane Hanchey, Carmine, Texas 8.4; 5. (tie) Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas and Reese Riemer, Stinnett, Texas 8.5 each; 7. Kase Bacque, Huntsville, Texas 8.9; 8. (tie) Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb., Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont., Kincade Henry, Mt Pleasant, Texas and Bo Pickett, Caldwell, Idaho 9.0 each.
2nd round
1. (tie) Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. and Cooper Martin, Alma, Kan. 7.7 each; 3. Westyn Hughes, Caldwell, Texas 7.8; 4. (tie) Chase Joyce, Drewsey, Ore. and Michael Otero, Millsap, Texas 7.9 each; 6. (tie) Kincade Henry, Mt. Pleasant, Texas, Luke Potter, Maple City, Kan., and Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas 8.2 each.
Average on two head
1. Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas 16.3 seconds on 2 head; 2. Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. 16.7; 3. Kincade Henry, Mt. Pleasant, Texas 17.2; 4. (tie) Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif., and Shane Hanchey, Carmine, Texas 17.4 each; 6. Kase Bacque, Huntsville, Texas 17.6; 7. Reese Riemer, Stinnett, Texas 17.8; 8. Justin Smith, Leesville, La. 17.9.
Saddle bronc riding champion: Sage Newman, Melstone, Mont.
1. Sage Newman, Melstone, Mont. 89 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Pendleton Roundup’s Marquee; 2. Kade Bruno, Challis, Idaho 87; 3. (tie) Damian Brennan, Inune, Queensland, Aus. and Kole Ashbacher, Arrowwood, Alb. 85.5 each; 5. Jake Clark, Crane, Ore. 84; 6. Blaise Freeman, Snyder, Texas 83; 7. Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alb. 82; 8. (tie) Jacobs Crawley, Stephenville, Texas and Dawson DAhm, Tomahawk, Alb. 81 each.
Team roping Champions: Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas/Junior Nogueira, Lipan, Texas
1st round
1. Cody Snow, Stephenville, Texas/Wesley Thorp, Stephenville, Texas 4.5 seconds; 2. Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas/Junior Nogueira, Lipan, Texas 4.6; 3. Brenten Hall, Helena, Mont./Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont. 5.1; 4. Dalton Turner, Sidney, Ark./Blaine Turner, Batesville, Ark. 5.2; 5. (tie) Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D./Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D. and Clay Tryan, Lipan, Texas/Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 5.3 each; 7. Joshua Torres, Stephenville, Texas/Jonathan Torres, Stephenville, Texas 5.4; 8. Reno Stoebner, Stephenville, Texas/Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore. 5.6.
2nd round
1. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla./Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M. 4.6 seconds; 2. Dustin Egusquiza, Mineral Wells, Texas/Travis Graves, Jay, Okla. 4.9; 3. Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alb./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas 5.4; 4. (tie) Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas/Junior Nogueira, Lipan, Texas and Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. 5.5 each; 6. (tie) Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Lane Mitchell, Stephenville, Texas and Joshua Torres, Stephenville, Texas/Jonathan Torres, Stephenville, Texas 5.6 each; 8. (tie) Jason Stewart, Pendleton, Ore./BJ Campbell, Aguila, Ariz. and JC Yeahquo, Crescent, Okla./LJ Yeahquo, Crescent, Okla. 6.4 each.
Average on two head
1. Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas/Junior Nogueira, Lipan, Texas 10.1 seconds on 2 head; 2. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla./Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M. 10.3; 3. Joshua Torres, Stephenville, Texas/Jonathan Torres, Stephenville, Texas 11.0; 4. Dustin Egusquiza, Mineral Wells, Texas/Travis Graves, Jay, Okla. 11.3; 5. (tie) Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alb./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas and Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Jeremy Buhler, Roosevelt, Utah 11.5 each; 7. JC Yeahquo, Crescent, Okla./LJ Yeahquo, Crescehnt, Okla. 12.4; 8. Jason Stewart, Pendleton, Ore./BJ Campbell, Salome, Ariz. 12.8.
Barrel racing champion: Katie Pascoe, Morro Bay, Calif.
1. Katie Pascoe, Morro Bay, Calif. 17.42 seconds; 2. Tristan Parrish, Yakima, Wash. 17.55; 3. Abby Sutfin, Homedale, Idaho 17.57; 4. Leia Pluemer, Bosque Farms, N.M. 17.58; 5. Shelley Morgan, Eustace, Texas 17.62; 6. Rainy Robinson, Caldwell, Idaho 17.63; 7. Lexie Goss, Redmond, Ore. 17.64; 8. Steely Steiner, Weatherford, Texas 17.65; 9. (tie) Emily Beisel, Weatherford, Okla. and Stephanie Fryar, Waco, Texas 17.68; 11. Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, Calif. 17.71; 12. Sissy Winn, Chapman Ranch, Texas 17.73; 13. Megan Champion, Ukiah, Calif. 17.79; 14. Timber Allenbrand, Paola, Kan. 17.80; 15. Mackenzie Huggler, Roy, Wash. 17.83.