Hansen, Wilson Lead Semifinal Qualifiers After Fourth Round at Fort Worth Rodeo
By Johna Cravens
FORT WORTH, Texas — Bull rider Jordan Hansen and barrel racer Jill Wilson are two of the 16 rodeo athletes who earned a berth at the semifinals of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s $1 million ProRodeo Tournament on Sunday.
Eight contestants in each event competed in two rounds during second set of the tournament with the top two money winners in each event qualifying for one of two semifinals to be held February 6 and 7.
Hansen left little doubt he’d be in that group after he scored 91 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s bull King Herod for 91 points and over $1900 Saturday night. Any doubt that might have been remaining was erased when, as the final rider to compete, he mastered United Pro Rodeo’s bull Apollo’s Ghost for 86 points Sunday afternoon. That added another $1,466 to his winnings and assured him a semifinals spot.
Hansen, who lives in Ponoka, Alberta, finished the 2019 season ranked fifth for the bull riding world title after qualifying for his second Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR). He also made his seventh trip to the Canadian Finals Rodeo.
If he can continue his winning ways when he returns for the semifinals, Hansen could win a hefty paycheck. That would be welcomed as he and his longtime girlfriend Sara West are planning a May wedding.
Barrel racer Jill Wilson of Snyder, Texas, also earned a semifinals berth, but she did it the hard way. Wilson knocked over a barrel Saturday night, taking her out of the prize money quest. Her only chance to continue in the tournament was to perform well Sunday and she did.
She was the second cowgirl to run and her time of 16.45 seconds was just one-hundredth off the fastest time thus far in Dickies Arena. She won $1,760 and that was enough to put her in the semifinals along with Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs, S.D., who won Saturday night’s round and finished fourth on Sunday.
Wilson, the mother of three teenage sons, is currently ranked 17th in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association’s world championship standings. She finished 2019 ranked 26th and started 2020 well when she won the Texas Circuit Finals January 2-4 in Waco. Wilson is a big fan of the Western Texas College since her sons Blaise and Tanner both compete on the school’s rodeo team.
The third set of 56 rodeo athletes compete Monday and Tuesday nights at 7:30 p.m. at Dickies Arena.
The following are unofficial results from the FWSSR ProRodeo Tournament at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, Sunday, January 26, 2020.
Second set – Round 2
Bareback riding: 1, Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, 89 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Pow Wow Rocks, $1,760. 2, Leighton Berry, Weatherford, Texas, 87, $1,320. 3, Jamie Howlett, Rapid City, S.D., 85.5, $880. 4, Tanner Fine, Pomona, Kan., 83.5, $440.
Semifinals Qualifiers: Larsen, $3,080, and Howlett, $2,640. Wild Card Qualifier: Leighton Berry, Weatherford, Texas, $1,760.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, 4.0 seconds, $1,760. 2, Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La., 4.1, $1,320. 3, Don Payne, Stephenville, Texas, 6.2, $880. 4, Levi Rudd, Chelsea, Okla., 6.7, $440.
Semifinals Qualifiers: Reeves and Talley, $2,640. Wild Card Qualifier: Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., $1,760.
Breakaway Roping: 1, Jackie Crawford, Stephenville, Texas, 2.1 seconds, $1,760. 2, Taylor Munsell, Alva, Okla., 2.3, $1,320. 3, (tie) Tierra Grey, Lovington, N.M., and Martha Angelone, Aledo, Texas, 2.5, $660 each.
Semifinals Qualifiers: Crawford, $2,420, and Angelone, $1,980 each. Wild Card Qualifier: Samantha Jorgenson, Watford City, N.D., $1,760.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Mitch Pollock, Winnemucca, Nev., 88.5 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Awesome Sauce, $1,760. 2, Jesse Kruse, Great Falls, Mont, 88, $1,320. 3, Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 84.5, $880. 4, Riggin Smith, Winterset, Iowa, 78, $440.
Semifinals Qualifiers: Pollock, $3,080, and Boore, $2,640. Wild Card Qualifier: Kruse, $1,320.
Tiedown Roping: 1, Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont., 8.7 seconds, $1,760. 2, Sterling Smith, Stephenville, Texas, 9.2, $1,320. 3, Cole Bailey, Okmulgee, Okla., 9.7, $880. 4, Darnell Johnson, Fowler, Colo., 10.4, $440.
Semifinals Qualifiers: Meged, $3,080, and Smith, $2,200. Wild Card Qualifier: Tyson Durfey, Brock, Texas, $1, 760.
Team Roping: 1, Kal Fuller, Bozeman, Mont., and Reagan Ward, Edmond, Okla., 9.3 seconds, $1,760. 2, Tate Kirchenschlager, Yuma, Colo., and Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas, 10.1, $1,320. 3, Mitchell Barney, Logan, Iowa, and J.W. Nelson, Alta, Iowa, 10.6, $880. 4, Brandon Webb, Big Wells, Texas, and Matt Kasner, Cody, Neb., 13.1, $440.
Semifinals Qualifiers: Kirchenschlager and Ashford, $3,080 each, and Fuller and Ward, $1,760 each. Wild Card Qualifiers: Garett Chick, Salado, Texas, and Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, $1,320 each.
Barrel Racing: 1, Jill Wilson, Snyder, Texas, 16.45 seconds, $1,760. 2, (tie) Kricket Gintner, Eau Claire, Wis., and Teri Bangart, Olympia, Wash., 16.58, $1,100 each. 4, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 16.60, $440
Semifinals Qualifiers: Lockhart, $3,520, and Smith, $2,640. Wild Card Qualifier: Roberts, $1,760.
Bull Riding: (three rides) 1, Elliot Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas, 87.5 points on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Rusty, $1,966.66. 2, Jordan Hansen, Ponoka, Alberta, 86, $1,466.66. 3, Brady Portneier, Caldwell, Idaho, 83, $1,026.66.
Semifinals Qualifiers: Hansen, $3,373.32, and Portneier, $2,493.32. Wild Card Qualifier: Jacoby, $1,906.66