Gold Medals Awarded at Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo
SALT LAKE CITY – The 2022 edition of the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo came to a close on Monday night, July 25, with gold, silver and bronze medals handed out. The Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo is the Only Gold Medal Rodeo in the World and featured a total of 288 competitors, that competed for share of the $562,500 in prize money.
The women’s breakaway roping is the fastest growing event in rodeo right now and it was by far the quickest event on the night. Josie Conner of Iowa, LA, won the gold medal in record fashion. Conner broke Jackie Crawford’s arena record, set on opening night, stopping the clock in 1.85 seconds to win her first gold medal. She had competed at this rodeo each year breakaway has been offered but this is the first time she stood on the medal platform.
“I love this rodeo and last year when I missed it lit a fire under me and totally changed my roping,” said Conner following her win. “I look up to Jackie but was so glad to get the record tonight. It was long time coming.”
Third time was definitely the charm. Crawford, who has also competed all three years in Salt Lake City, captured her third silver medal after stopping the clock in 2.36 seconds. Taylor Hanchey, who made history being the first WPRA member to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo as a barrel racer and breakaway roper, won the bronze with a time of 2.42 seconds.
Hanchey’s husband Shane won the gold medal in the tie-down roping in a time of 8.65 seconds. Nate Baldwin of Blackfoot, ID, took the silver in 9.12 seconds.
The full field of 32 competitors in each of the events of bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing and bull riding were divided into four groups of eight each and competed in one of the first four performances (July 20-23). The one (1) highest score/fastest time from each discipline of each performance advanced to the Gold Medal Round along with the three (3) highest scores/fastest times overall, from all four combined Semi-Final performances that have not yet advanced. In addition, the #1 ranked athlete in each discipline (for team roping it is highest ranked team after pairing) of the final audited standings of the WCRA Days of ’47 Rodeo Leaderboard automatically qualified for the Gold Medal Round making a total of eight (8) contestants in each discipline that competed in the Gold Medal Round. Scores/times from the Semi-Final performances did NOT carry forward to the Gold Medal Round (only to break ties). The 8 competitors in each event in the Gold Medal Round competed in a sudden-death format with the winner collecting a Gold Medal and $25,000 cash.
Utah had several cowboys to cheer on and they cheered two to gold medal performances. Cash Robb of Altonah won the steer wrestling gold medal in a time of 4.38 seconds. Saddle bronc rider Allen Boore also brough home the gold for the Beehive State with an 86.5-point ride aboard Sankey Rodeo’s Big Bay. Boore hails from Axtell and this was his first medal.
The Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo presented by Zions Bank, is taking place at the $17.5 million state-of-the-art Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairpark, custom designed and built for rodeo. The venue—an outdoor arena located in the heart of Salt Lake City—features over 10,000 stadium-style seats.
Jordon Briggs won her first gold buckle in December and now she has a gold medal to add to her collection. Briggs of Tolar, Texas, rode her world champion horse Rollo to the win stopping the clock in 17.195 seconds, to outrun Stevi Hillman with a 17.220 and last year’s gold medalist Wenda Johnson with a 17.266.
Another set of world champions took home the gold medal in the team roping. Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogeira stopped the clock in 4.06 seconds to take home the gold. Andrew Ward and Buddy Hawkins was silver in 4.36.
RC Landingham is one step closer to becoming a millionaire. Landingham of Hat Creek, California, won the bareback riding with a 90.5-point ride aboard Championship Pro Rodeo’s Frontier Coffee’s Hooey Rocks. This was Landingham’s second consecutive win in the WCRA, so if he is able to win one more time, he will become their first million-dollar Triple Crown bonus winner. World Champion Tim O’Connell won silver with an 88.5 aboard Sankey Rodeo’s Silver Screen.
Cole Fisher closed out the night and this year’s event with a 90-point ride on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Geronimo. Fisher was the bull rider out and set the bar high on a previously unridden bull. Dekland Garland took silver with an 89.5 on Macza’s OLS Tubs Ugly Wish.
For only the seventh time in the history of rodeo, riders had the opportunity to compete for Gold, Silver or Bronze Medals. The first two times were in conjunction with the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary (1988) and Salt Lake City (2002), when rodeo was part of the Cultural Olympiad and the other four times being the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo 2017-2021. 2022 marks an official name change of the event to Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo. This was the third time for breakaway ropers as their event was added to the roster in 2019. The medals that were awarded at the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo were produced by OC Tanner, the same company that made the Olympic medals for the champions of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
CBS will air the Gold Medal Round of the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo on July 31 at 11 a.m. MT.
Results: – Performance 5 – July 25, 2022
Bareback riding: 1. RC Landingham, Hat Creek, CA, 90.5 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Frontier Coffee’s Hooey Rocks, $25,000; 2. Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, IA, 88.5 on Sankey Rodeo’s Silver Screen, $12,500; 3. Dean Thompson, Altamont, UT, 85.5 on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Pow Wow Nights, $6,000; 4. George Gillespie, Darby, MT, 76.5 on C5 Pro Rodeo’s Black Moon, $3,000
Gold Medal medalist: RC Landingham
Silver medalist: Tim O’Connell
Bronze medalist: Dean Thompson
Steer wrestling: 1. Cash Robb, Altonah, UT, 4.38 seconds, $25,000; 2. Mason Couch, Cassville, MO, 4.43, $12,500; 3. Sam Powers, Sonora, TX, 4.76, $6,000; 4. Tristan Martin, Sulphur, TX, 4.81, $3,000
Gold Medal medalist: Cash Robb
Silver medalist: Mason Couch
Bronze medalist: Sam Powers
Team roping: 1. Kaleb Driggers, Hobken, GA/Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prudente, Brazil, 4.06 seconds, $25,000 each; 2. Andrew Ward, Edmond, OK/Buddy Hawkins, Stephenville, TX, 4.36, $12, 500; 3. Brady Tryan, Huntley, MT/Jake Long, Coffeyville, KS, 4.66, $6,000; 4. Cody Tew, Belgrade, MT/Coy Brittain, Rockwall, TX, 4.79, $3,000
Gold Medal medalist: Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira
Silver medalist: Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins
Bronze medalist: Brady Tryan/Jake Long
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Allen Boore, Axtell, UT, 86.5 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Big Bay, $25,000; 2. Jarrod Hammon, Stephenville, TX, 75.5 on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Twisted Cinches, $12,500; 3. Cameron Messier, Herald, CA, 74.5 on Sankey Rodeo’s Robin Hood; no other qualified rides
Gold Medal medalist: Allen Boore
Silver medalist: Jarrod Hammons
Bronze medalist: Cameron Messier
Tie-down roping: 1. Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, LA, 8.65 seconds, $25,000; 2. Nate Baldwin, Blackfoot, ID, 9.12, $12,500; 3. Ace Sloe, Cuero, TX, 10.93, $6,000; no other qualified times
Gold Medal medalist: Shane Hanchey
Silver medalist: Nate Baldwin
Bronze medalist: Ace Slone
Breakaway roping: 1. Josie Conner, Iowa, LA, 1.85 seconds, $25,000; 2. Jackie Crawford, Stephenville, TX, 2.36, $12,50; 3. Taylor Hanchey, Carmine, TX, 2.42, $6,000; no other qualified times
Gold Medal medalist: Josie Conner
Silver medalist: Jackie Crawford
Bronze medalist: Taylor Hanchey
Barrel racing: 1. Jordon Briggs, Tolar, TX, 17.195 seconds, $25,000; 2. Stevi Hillman, Granbury, TX, 17.220, $12,500; 3. Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, OK, 17.266, $6,000; 4. Jana Guthrie, Canton, TX, 17.311, $3,000.
Gold Medal medalist: Jordon Briggs
Silver medalist: Stevi HillmanBronze m
edalist: Wenda Johnson
Bull riding: 1. Cole Fisher, Jefferson City, MO, 90 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Geronimo, $25,000; 2. Dekland Garland, Marlow, OK, 89.5 on Macza’s OLS Tubs Ugly Wish, $12,500; no other qualified rides
Gold Medal medalist: Cole Fischer
Silver medalist: Dekland Garland
Bronze medalist: Dalton Rudman*
*based off semifinal performance since no other qualified rides
About Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo
The event takes place at the $17.5 million, state-of-the-art Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairpark each July. The venue—an outdoor arena located in the heart of Salt Lake City—features over 10,000 stadium-style seats. The Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo is one of Utah’s longest-standing traditions – celebrating Utah’s heritage since 1847. The rodeo, and other Days of ’47 events, commemorate the day – July 24, 1847 – when a determined company of Mormon pioneers realized their dreams upon entering the Great Salt Valley. The Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo is a private, non-profit, volunteer, charitable organization. Our mission is to honor Utah’s pioneer heritage and educate Utah’s kids. Please visit utahdaysof47rodeo.com for more information.
About WCRA
WCRA is a professional sport and entertainment entity, created to develop and advance the sport of rodeo by aligning all levels of competition. In association with the PBR, WCRA produces major rodeo events, developing additional opportunities for rodeo-industry competitors, stakeholders, and fans. To learn more, visit wcrarodeo.com. For athletes interested in learning more about the WCRA Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) system, visit app.wcrarodeo.com.