Field Set for National Western Stock Show Rodeo Semi-Finals
By Susan Kanode
World champion bareback rider Clayton Biglow is competing for his first National Western Stock Show Rodeo championship. He scored 85.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Grub and Tugg Friday night to advance to Saturday’s semi-finals. NWSS photo by Ric Andersen.
DENVER, Colo. — For the past 14 days, the National Western Stock Show has celebrated everything western in the Denver Coliseum.
The rodeo has taken center stage since January 13 and has seen contestants from all over the United States, Canada, Australia and Brazil compete. Now the field of contestants has been narrowed down to the 24 best in each event who will start with a clean slate at Saturday’s semi-finals.
Moving into the field of bareback riders on Friday was Clayton Biglow, the 2019 world champion from Clements, California. Biglow joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2015, and since then he has earned over $1 million. He has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo six times and is looking for a seventh.
He rode Friday at the matinee and scored 79 points. He came back Friday night and scored 85.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Grub and Tugg. That was good enough to put him second in the second round and give him a spot in the semi-finals.
Biglow is currently second in the world standings and even though it is early in the season, he is looking good for a seventh trip to Las Vegas to compete at rodeo’s championships. A win here at the National Western would certainly add to his earnings and help him accomplish that goal.
LuKasey Morris from Union City, Okla., became the fifth man to ride both of his bulls this year. Morris scored 75.5 during the matinee, then came back and was 82 on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Magnum Friday night. If he rides again successfully on Saturday, he will compete for the Denver championship Sunday.
Morris is a second-generation cowboy is a rookie this year, leads those standings and is second in the bull riding. A win at the National Western would be the biggest of his career and would help him secure his first trip to the NFR. The win would be especially gratifying for the 19-year-old who nearly lost his life in a bull riding accident two years ago. He was competing at the National High School Rodeo Finals in Guthrie, Oklahoma, got bucked off and spent six days in the hospital with two brain bleeds. Three months later he was back on a bull and is now making it a full-time career.
There are three semi-finals performances of the rodeo in the Denver Coliseum on Saturday at 11 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
DENVER, Colo. — The following are results from the PRCA and WPRA rodeo at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022.
15th Performance —
Bareback Riding: 1, Sam Petersen, Helena, Mont., 82 points on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Black Sunday. 2, Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., 79. Ben Kramer, Max, N.D., 75.5. 4, (tie) Trenten Montero, Winnemucca, Nev., and R.C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif., 75.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Jaret Whitman, Belgrade, Mont., 4.0 seconds. 2, Adam Lynn Musil, Cresent, Okla., 4.3. 3, Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 4.9. 4, Baylor Roche, Tremonton, Utah, 5.2.
Team Roping: 1, Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D., and Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D., 4.6 seconds. 2, Tanner Tomlinson, Angleton, Texas, and Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 6.5. 3, Cameron Ritchey, Brighton, Colo., and Jason Gilchrist, Elizabeth, Colo., 7.7. 4, Austin Christ, Fountain Colo., and Josh Fillmore, Penrose, Colo., 8.5.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Kolby Wanchuk, Sherwood Park, Alberta, 80.5 points on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Kenmare Honker. 2, Jake Finlay, Goondiwindi, Australia, 76. 3, Sage Newman, Melstone, Mont., 74. 4, (tie) Colt Gordan, Comanche, Okla., and Ira Dickinson, Rock Springs, Wyo., 73.
Tie Down Roping: 1, Riley Webb, Denton, Texas, 7.5 seconds. 2, (tie) Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., and Tanner Green, Cotulla, Texas, 8.2. 3, Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas, 8.3.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D., 15.46 seconds. 2, Emily Beisel, Weatherford, Okla., 15.57. 3, Macee McAllister, St. George, Utah, 15.68. 4, Paige Jone, Wayne, Okla., 15.73.
Bull Riding: (one qualified ride) Lakasey Morris, Union City, Oka., 75.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Greeley Hat Works Wildside.
16th Performance —
Bareback Riding: 1, Clayton Biglow, Hat Creek, Calif., 85.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Grub and Tugg. 2, Sam Petersen, Helena, Mont., 80.5. 3, (tie) A.J. Ruth, Huntsville, Texas, and R.C. Landingham, Clements, Calif., 78.
Steer Wrestling: 1, J.D. Struxness, Milan, N.M., 4.3 seconds. 2, Baylor Roche, Tremonton, Utah, 5.2. 3, (tie) Slick Pickerill, Raymond, Ill., and Adam Lynn Musil, Cresent, Okla., 6.0.
Team Roping: 1, Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil, 4.4. 2, Joshua and Jonathan Torres, Ocala, Fla., 4.7. 3, Tanner Tomlinson, Anleton, Texas, and Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 6.3. 4, Austin Crist, Fountain, Colo., and Josh Filmore, Penrose, Colo., 9.2.
Saddle Bronc: 1, Sage Newman, Melstone, Mont., 86 points on Burch Rodeo’s Rev Runner. 2, Kolby Wanchuck, Sherwood Park, Alberta. 3, Tanner Butner, Daniel, Wyo., 79. 4, Jake Finlay, Goondiwindi, Australia, 76.
Tie Down: 1, Zack Jongbloed, Iowa, La., 8.5 seconds. 2, King Ladd, Harrisville, Utah, 11.7. 3, Tanner Green, Cotulla, Texas, 12.7. 4, Colton Kofoed, Bear River, Wyo., 14.7.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Megan Champion, Ukiah, Calif., 15.35 seconds. 2, Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D., 15.38. 3, Emily Beisel, Weatherford, Okla., 15.48. 4, (tie) Lake Mehalic, Wellington, Colo., and Tarryn Lee, St. David, Ariz., 15.65.
Bull Riding: (two qualified rides) 1, Lakasey Morris, Union City, Okla., 82 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Magnum. 2, Trey Benton III, Richards, Texas, 79.5.