Newcomers Advance to Semi-Finals at FWSSR ProRodeo Tournament

By: Susan Kanode

FORT WORTH, Texas — Summer Kosel’s name may not be a familiar one to rodeo fans yet, but if she continues the success she is having at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s $1.2 million FWSSR ProRodeo Tournament, she will gain fans across the country.

Kosel, from Glenham, South Dakota, competed in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association-sanctioned barrel race in Dickies Arena on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Riding her great horse Firewaterfrenchfame “Apollo,” she finished in second place Saturday night behind Paige Jones from Wayne, Oklahoma.

Sunday, Kosel was in the middle of the pack of barrel racers and stopped the clock in 16.57 seconds. So far, she has earned $3,080. Last July, she and Apollo set the arena record at Wyoming’s Cheyenne Frontier Days. She had a shot at her first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) qualification, but unfortunately Apollo was hurt the first of September so they went home.

She finished 26th in the world standings which was good enough for her to qualify here and for other big winter rodeos. Apollo is feeling great and after their success in Bracket 6, they will be back in the Semi-finals.

Another contestant in Bracket 6 who is in a similar situation is Jacob Lees from Caldwell, Idaho. Lees competed in the bareback riding and finished at the top of the leaderboard to advance to the semifinals.

Born in California, he competed in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association for West Hills College in Coalinga. He then moved to Texas to continue improving his skills at Western Texas College in Snyder.

He finished 22nd in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings in 2022 and now lives in the hometown of his favorite rodeo, the Caldwell Night Rodeo in August.

Gavin Michal was inside the top 30 in the world bull riding standings last year. This year, the Nixa, Missouri, resident is hoping to break into the top 15. He was the lone bull rider to make it to the eight-second mark on Sunday which netted him all of the prize money, $4,400. That put him at the top of Bracket 6, and he will ride again during the semifinals.

Four-time NFR tie-down roper Ty Harris also advanced to the Semi-Finals. Harris won round one of bracket 6 Saturday night and finished second to Kansan Luke Potter on Sunday. Potter also advances.

The top two money earners in each bracket advance to compete in one of two semifinal rounds while the third-highest money winner advances to the Wild Card round on Wednesday.

The first round of Bracket 7 starts Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in Dickies Arena

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FORT WORTH, Texas – The following are unofficial results from the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s Pro Rodeo Tournament after Bracket 5, January 29, 2023.

(Qualifiers are based on tie-breaker rules.)

Bracket 5, Round 2

Bareback riding: 1, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 88.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Zig Zag Cherry, $1760. 2, Evan Kesler Betony, Tonalea, Ariz., 86.5, $1,320. 3, Jacob Lees, Caldwell, Idaho., 84.5, $880. 4, (tie) Lane McGehee, Victoria, Texas, and Donny Proffit, Diamondville, Wyo., 84.5, $220 each.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Lees, $1,980, and Aus, $1,760. Wild card qualifier: Lammers, $1,780.

Steer wrestling: 1, Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore., 4.4 seconds, $1,760. 2, (tie) Don Payne, Stephenville, Texas, and Jace Melvin, Fort Pierre, S.D.,4.7, $1,100 each. 4, Stephen Culling, Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, 5.3, $440.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Payne, $2,420, and Brown, $1,760. Wild Card Qualifier: Harmon, $1,760.

Breakaway roping: 1, Jackie Crawford, Stephenville, Texas, 1.9 seconds, $1,760. 2, Madison Outhier, Fulshear, Texas, 2.4, $1,320. 3, Hope Thompson, Abilene, Texas, 2.5, $880. 4, Amber Crawford, Boyd, Texas, 2.8, $440.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Outhier, $2,640, and Danielle Lowman, Gilbert, Ariz., $1,760. Wild Card Qualifier: Crawford, $1,760.

Saddle bronc riding: 1, Layton Green, Millarville, Alberta, Canada, 89 points on Calgary Stampede’s Come Along, $1,760. 2, Kole Ashbacher, Arrowwood, Alberta, Canada, 85, $1,320. 3, Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, 81.5, $880. 4, (tie) Lucas Macza, High River, Alberta, and Jacobs Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, 80, $220 each.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Green, $2,860, and Riggin Smith, Winterset, Iowa, $1,760. Wild Card qualifier: Ashbacher, $1,540.

Tie-down roping: 1, Luke Potter, Maple City, Kan., 8.8 seconds, $1,760. 2, Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas, 8.7, $1,320. 3, Kincade Henry, Mount Pleasant, Texas, 9.5, $880. 4, Paul David Tierney, Oklahoma City, Okla., 10.4, $440.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Harris, $3,080 and Potter, $2,640. Wild Card qualifier: Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, $1,320.

Team Roping: 1, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 5.0, $1,760 each. 2, Kolton Schmidt Barrhead, Alberta, Canada, and Jake Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 5.5, $1,320 each. 3, Jake Orman, Prairie, Miss., and Brye Crites, Welch, Okla., 9.4, $880 each. 4, Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., and Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M., 9.6, $440 each.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Snow and Thorp, $3,080 each, and Proctor and Medlin, $2,200. Wild Card qualifier: Schmidt and Minor, $2,200 each.

Barrel Racing: 1, Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D., 16.57 seconds, $1,760. 2, BryAnna Haluptzok, Tenstrike, Minn., 16.75, $1,320. 3, Jessica Routier, Buffalo, S.D., 16.79, $880. 4, Paige Jones, Wayne, Okla., 16.94, $440.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Kosel, $3,080 and Jones, $2,200. Wild Card qualifier: Haluptzok, , $2,200.

Bull Riding: (one ride) 1,Gavin Michel, Nixa, Mo., 79 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Johnny Depp.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Michel, $4,400, and T.J. Gray, Dairy, Ore., $2,420. Wild card qualifier: Jake Gardner, Fort Scott, Kan., $1,980.