Piva Alone at Top of San Antonio Rodeo Leaderboard
By Susan Kanode
Ruger Piva of Challis, Idaho was the lone bull rider to last eight seconds at the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo on Wednesday night. He rode Powder River Rodeo’s Tried & Tested for 90 points to add $13,000 to his earnings. San Antonio Rodeo photo by Scott Foley.
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo offered thrills and spills like no one could have imagined on Wednesday night.
Bucking bulls were at the top of their game sending all but one rider to the dirt. Ruger Piva of Challis, Idaho stayed the course for a 90-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Tried & Tested. If four riders would have ridden, Piva would have gotten $5,000 of the $13,000 purse for his ride. Because he was the only successful bull rider in the AT&T Center he added the whole pot to his checking account. He has total earnings of $16,222 here this year and stands to add to that again Thursday night and during the Championship Finals on Saturday.
“Each year I’ve come to San Antonio, I’ve done a little better,” Piva said. “Last year I won about $18,000 here. I’m hoping that this will be the year that I leave with the buckle.”
Piva finished third at the 2019 Xtreme Bulls here a year ago where he won $16,750. He also won money at the rodeo and at the end of the rodeo season, he was just two spots away from qualifying for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at 17th in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings.
Piva’s climb up the rodeo ladder has been steady, and he is ready to compete at rodeo’s championships next December. A big win here would help him accomplish that goal. Prior to San Antonio’s rodeo he was 12th in the world standings with $16,856. He has already nearly doubled that and when the numbers are tabulated at this rodeo’s completion should make a big jump.
On the spill side, reigning world champion all-around cowboy Stetson Wright came down early and ended up underneath the bull that he had attempted to ride. Wright was helped from the arena and examined by the Justin Sportsmedicine Team onsite. He had the expected bruises and although he is sore he is expected to ride again in the bull riding Thursday night. He will compete in Saturday night’s finals in the saddle bronc riding and is hoping to qualify in both of his events.
Jake Vold is making the most of his trip to San Antonio. The bareback rider from Ponoka, Alberta is competing at his first rodeo of the year and thanks to a round win on Wednesday has earned $9,500 so far. Vold had an 88.5-point ride on Picket Rodeo’s Faded Nights to take the victory lap.
When rodeo officials determined that conditions for the women’s barrel race were unfavorable, they stopped the competition and gave the contestants the option to run again Thursday morning. Jill Wilson of Snyder, Texas, was one of those competitors. She stopped the clock in 13.82 seconds for the win and $5,000.
Right behind her was Ryann Pedone, of Sunset, Texas, who had a clean sweep in her bracket. Pedone stopped the clock in 13.86 seconds and with the $4,0000 she won has earned $11,500 here so far.
Round two of Semifinals 2 will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
The following are unofficial results from the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, the 14-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year. Complete results are at www.sarodeo.com.
Semifinals 2 Round 1 followed by money leaders –
Bareback Riding: 1, Jake Vold, Ponoka, Alberta, 88.5 points on Pickett Rodeo’s Faded Nights, $5,000. 2, Jamie Howlett, Rapid City, S.D., 87, $4,000. 3, Cole Reiner, Kaycee, Wyo., 85.5, $2,500. 4, Dantan Bertsch, Eastend, Saskatchewan, 84, $1,500. (total money) 1, Vold, $9,500. 2, Bertsch, $7,625. 3, Howlett, $7,250. 4, Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., $6,750.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan., 3.6 seconds, $5,000. 2, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 3.8, $4,000. 3, Tanner Bruner, Ramona, Kan., 4.2, $2,500. 4, Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 4.5, $1,500. (total money) 1, Hazen, 49,000. 2, Knowles, $8,500. 3, Brunner, $7,000. 4, Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alberta, $4,750.
Team Roping: 1, (tie) Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo.; and Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Tanner Braden, Dewey, Okla; 4.8 seconds and $4,500 each. 3, Tanner Baldwin, Vail, Ariz., and Nano Garza, Las Cruces, N.M., 5.1, $2,500. 4, Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., and Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 5.5, $1,500. (total money) 1, (tie) Sherwood and Yates; and Brown and Braden, $7,000 each. 3, Baldwin and Garza, $6,000. 4, Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., and Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas, $4,500.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Joe Harper, Paradise Valley, Nev., 82 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Greeley Hat Works Two Cookies, $5,000. 2, Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 79.5, $4,000. 3, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 76, $2,500. 4, Lefty Holman, Visalia, Calif., 72, $1,500. (total money) 1, Harper, $8,000. 2, Boore, $6,250. 3, Crawley, $6,041. 4, Tegan Smith, Winterset, Iowa, $6,000.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Catfish Brown, Collinsville, Texas, 8.2 seconds, $5,000. 2, Chance Oftedahl, Pemberton, Minn., 8.3, $4,000. 3, Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., 8.9, $2,500. 4, Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D., 9.2, $1,500. (total money) 1, Brown, $10,750. 2, Oftedahol, $7,875. 3, Mayfield, $7,500. 4, (tie) John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, and Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas, $4,500 each.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Jill Wilson, Snyder, Texas, 13.82 seconds, $5,000. 2, Ryann Pedone, Sunset, Texas, 13.86, $4,000. 3, Hailey Lockwood, Cotulla, Texas, 14.03, $2,500. 4, Dona Kay Rule, Minco, Okla., 14.13, $1,500. (total money) 1, Pedone, $11,500. 2, Wilson, $9,750. 3, Lockwood, $5,750. 4, Rule, $5,250.
Bull Riding: (one ride) 1, Ruger Piva, Challis, Idaho, 90 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Tried & Tested, $13,000. (total money) 1, Piva, $16,222. 2, Colten Fritzlan, Rifle, Colo., $4,972. 2, Tyler Bingham, Honeyville, Utah, $4,250. 4, Denton Fugate, Niangua, Mo., $3,500.