PRCA Weekly Recap: Feb. 1-7
Steer wrestler Jake Kraupie had to wait four days to find out if he made the biggest win of his ProRodeo career. On Feb. 2, he posted a 3.5-second run during slack for Rodeo Rapid City (S.D.), but the rodeo didn’t end until Feb. 6.
Not only did he make the fastest run of the rodeo, but he made the fastest run of the week.
“You have to have everything go right and fall in your favor to be that fast,” Kraupie said. “You need a good start, a good steer and don’t run too hard, and then have everything line up. Stuff happens fast and hopefully you’ll react since there’s no time to think about it.”
The 31-year-old Nebraska cowboy had plenty of time to think after his run, with about 30 more steer wrestlers left to go.
“I was like, ‘Well, it’s a good run and I hope it holds up,'” Kraupie said. “I was just waiting to see what happened, and I knew the guys up later had the ability and the talent to be faster than that, but it worked out in my favor.”
Kraupie started competing in the PRCA in 2012, with his best season happening in 2019 with $16,834. His 3.5-second run was worth $4,644 as he hit the ProRodeo road with full force for the first time.
“You always want to get the year started off as fast as you can,” Kraupie said. “In the past, I was slow on getting started, but this win is exciting and hopefully it keeps going for the rest of the season.”
With $205,943 in prize money and the second opportunity to score valuable ProRodeo Tour points, Rodeo Rapid City attracted cowboys from across the country. Fans in the stands and watching from home via The Cowboy Channel witnessed some high scores and fast runs during the first week of February.
As expected, when the money is good the level of competition becomes just as great, and the following ProRodeo athletes rose to the top last week.
Two bareback riders posted 89.5-point rides to split the win in Rapid City. Jess Pope made his ride on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ Prairie Rose, Feb. 5, and Jayco Roper matched that score on Fettig Pro Rodeo’s Pop A Top a day later.
Team ropers John Gaona and Trevor Nowlin stopped the clock in 4.1 seconds in Rapid City, Feb. 4.
Saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss rode Sutton Rodeos’ Face Book for 91 points and the win at Rapid City, Feb. 6. He also set a Rodeo Rapid City record, breaking the 90.5-point record Shorty Garrett set in 2020.
Tie-down roper Shad Mayfield made Rapid City’s fastest run with an 8.0-second time on Feb. 3.
Barrel racer Randee Prindle had to wait nearly a week to find out if her Feb. 1 run of 11.8 seconds would remain the winning time in Rapid City. Prindle won Rapid City and broke the previous record of 12.21 seconds set by Shandi Metzinger-Scales in 2002.
Rookie bull rider JR Stratford set a Rapid City record with his 93.5-point ride on New Frontier Rodeo’s High Expectations, Feb. 6. Rodeo Rapid City’s previous bull riding record was nearly as old as Stratford, set by Terry Don West in 2003. (See Full Story)
Meanwhile, steer ropers gathered for the Levelland (Texas) Steer Roping and a shot at their share of the competition’s $58,045.
Although they didn’t place in the average at Levelland, steer ropers Mike Chase and Jim Locke each posted the fastest runs of the week at 10.6 seconds Feb. 6. Chase won Round 5 and Locke won Round 6.
For more coverage on Rodeo Rapid City, check out the Feb. 19 edition of ProRodeo Sports News.
Courtesy of PRCA