Colt Gordon Ties Nampa Record for the Win
By Matt Naber
NAMPA, Idaho – It was one for the record book at the 2019 Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho, as saddle bronc rider Colt Gordon tied the two-head average record and bareback rider Tanner Aus broke Bruce Ford’s 37-year-old record – all while competing for the biggest payout in Nampa’s history at $410,502.
“I’ll definitely be back there trying to beat that, but I’m dang-sure excited about the win,” said Gordon, 22.
The Oklahoma cowboy won Round 1 with an 87-point ride on Rosser Rodeo’s California Dreamin and repeated the feat atop Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s Ricky Bobby to place third in the final round, which combined for 174 points on two-head, trying Chad Ferley’s 2007 record in the two-head average.
“I had seen her (California Dreamin) a few times before,” Gordon said. “I’d seen her buck Joe Lufkin off at Reno (Nev.), but you have to do stuff right on her since she can get a guy down.
“I’d watched Dawson Hay get on the horse I rode in the final round, Ricky Bobby, and he was 89 on him in San Antonio. And I’d seen him buck people off too, so I knew if he had a good trip I had to be on my game.”
Before Nampa, Gordon was ranked 13th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $53,006. Gordon’s been climbing the ladder in recent weeks, having launched from 21st to 14th during Cowboy Christmas and then moving from 14th to 13th during the second week of July.
“Coming into the position I’m in now right in the bottom of the Top 15, I need to win as much as I can to make the Finals for the first time,” Gordon said.
Gordon has gotten closer to making his first qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo each year since his rookie year in 2017 when he finished 47th in the world standings and 21st in 2018.
Now he’s on a hot streak, cashing in:
• $2,301 at the Rodeo of The Ozarks in Springdale, Ark., June 29.
• $1,658 at the Cody (Wyo.) Stampede, July 4.
• $6,096 at the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo, July 6
• $3,516 at the West Jordan (Utah) Western Stampede, July 6
• $4,259 at the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park, Colo., July 13
“I’m feeling like myself again and just getting in with good guys is the main part,” Gordon said about his traveling partners Tegan Smith and reigning world champion Wade Sundell.
In addition to a boost in the world standings, Gordon also earned points in the ProRodeo Tour where he was ranked 18th with 1,927.54 points as of July 16.
Gordon’s keeping an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach to the final two months of the season.
“I try to stay cool, calm and collected,” Gordon said. “I’ll get a little fired up, but I’ll have to calm down before getting on; it’s a mentality of just giving it everything you got.”
Gordon went straight from Nampa to California Rodeo Salinas where Saturday’s win has him feeling confident for Sunday’s short go.
Other changes to Nampa’s record book included Aus breaking Ford’s 90-point record from 1982 with his 91-point ride on Flying U Rodeo’s Lil Red Hawk in the final round and the Snake River Stampede breaking its 2018 record payout of $401,192 with a 2019 total of $410,502.
Other winners at the $410,502 rodeo were bareback riders Zach Hibler and Tanner Aus (172 points on two head each); steer wrestler Hunter Cure (12.0 seconds on three head); team ropers Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord (15.1 seconds on three head); tie-down roper Caleb Smidt (25.0 seconds on three head); barrel racer Terri Wood Gates (31.86 seconds on two head); and bull rider Foster McCraw (178 points on two head).
For more coverage of the Snake River Stampede, check out the Aug. 2 issue of ProRodeo Sports News.
Courtesy of PRCA