Rodeo Three-Peat
By: Ruth Nicolaus
Iowa man wins bareback riding at Elk City rodeo for a third time; several contestants pad their world standings leads
Bull rider Colten Fritzlan won his event at his inaugural trip to the Elk City Rodeo. The Rifle, Colo. cowboy is in his rookie year of PRCA competition.
ELK CITY, OKLA. – The third time’s just as charming as the first time for a world champion.
For the third time in four years, Tim O’Connell won the bareback riding at the Elk City (Okla.) Rodeo of Champions, sponsored by Lucky Star Casino.
The three-time PRCA world champion bareback rider scored 87 points on the Beutler and Son Rodeo horse Anything Goes for the win.
It was a ride the perfectionist found reasons to critique. “It wasn’t the ride I wanted to put on,” O’Connell said. “I felt like I was in a dog fight tonight. I felt like he knocked me forward, out of position. It wasn’t the controlled, snappy, sharp ride I wanted. But it was a really good ride. I’m just super-critical of myself.”
O’Connell stands on the top of the PRCA world standings, heading into the last few weeks of the PRCA season, which ends Sept. 30. He is about $26,000 ahead of the number two bareback rider, Kaycee Feild, but that doesn’t matter to O’Connell. “There’s no such thing as a safe lead. I’ve had that number one spot pretty much the whole year, and I don’t plan on giving it up.”
O’Connell won the Elk City Rodeo last year (88.5 points) and in 2017 (85 points).
A Texas woman won the barrel racing in Elk City.
Shelley Morgan, Canton, Texas, turned in a time of 15.64 seconds, three-tenths of a second faster than the second place finisher, Sadie Wolaver, Weatherford, Okla. (15.98 seconds)
She’s aboard a sorrel mare named Kiss, whose registered name is FamesKissandTell. The mare is “all woman,” Morgan said. “She’s definitely a big old diva mare. She loves people, just loves people, and always has. The more they pet her, the better she likes it.”
Cody DeMoss stands with Bennie Beutler, of Beutler and Son Rodeo Co., at the 2020 Elk City Rodeo. DeMoss, of Heflin, La., won the saddle bronc riding at the rodeo.
Morgan is ranked seventh in the world standings, and is headed to her second Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, after competing in the 2009 Wrangler NFR. She and husband Rex gave the five-year-old mare much of the month of August off. The horse is young, “and I didn’t want to throw too much at her,” Morgan said.
A rookie won the bull riding in Elk City.
Colten Fritzlan, Rifle, Colo., rode the Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. bull Smoke Stack for 88.5 points.
The bull “felt good out there,” he said. “He had a lot of timing to him, and you couldn’t have picked anything better to come and get on today. I just had to keep moving and we made it work. It felt good.”
The twenty-year-old is in his rookie year of PRCA competition, ranked fourteenth in the PRCA standings and third in the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings. He’s traveling with fellow bull rider Ky Hamilton of Australia, who is third in the PRCA world standings, first in the rookie race, and who tied for second place in Elk City.
Fritzlan would rather not know where he is in the world standings, as the top fifteen qualify for the Wrangler NFR. “I try not to look at that stuff,” he said. “I’m trying not to put unnecessary pressure on myself.” He needs to finish the season strong, but he’s excited. “I think about (competing at the Wrangler NFR) every day, and you know what, it tickles me.”
Jule Hazen (left), of Ashland, Kan., is the 2020 Elk City Rodeo steer wrestling champion. His hazer, Cody Devers, and their horses, pose with him.
Because of COVID-19, the Wrangler NFR’s location is unknown; it will not be held in Las Vegas but as of press time, the PRCA had not announced where it will be held. For Fritzlan, he doesn’t care where it is. “As long as they have it, I’ll dang sure be there.”
Other champions include steer wrestler Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan. (3.6 seconds); saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La. (86.5 points); tie-down roper Macon Murphy, Keatchie, La (8.5 seconds); and team ropers Britt Smith and Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla. (5.0 seconds).
Next year’s rodeo will be September 3-5, 2021.
Complete results follow. More information can be found at www.elkcityrodeo.com.
Results, Elk City Rodeo of Champions, sponsored by Lucky Star Casino
September 4-6, 2020
All-Around Champion: Maverick Harper, Iowa, La.
Bareback Riding
1. Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa 87 points on Nutrena’s Anything Goes; 2. Jayco Roper, Oktaha, Okla. 85.5; 3. Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas 84; 4. Paden Hurst, Huntsville, Texas 79; 5. Will Lowe, Amarillo, Texas 76; 6. (tie) Anthony Thomas, Houston, Texas and Zach Hibler, Wheeler, Texas 74.5 each; 8. Kolt Dement, Rusk, Texas 73.
Steer Wrestling
1. Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan. 3.6 seconds; 2. Gabe Soileau, Bunkie, La. 3.7; 3. Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas 3.8; 4. Walt Arnold, Coleman, Texas 4.0; 5. (tie) Zack Jongbloed, Iowa, La. and Colt Honey, La Junta, Colo. 4.1 each; 7. (tie) Bryton Edmundson, Henryetta, Okla., Weston Taylor, Perryton, Texas and Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla. 4.2 each.
Team Roping
1. Britt Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla. 5.0 seconds; 2. Cory Smothers, Henryville, Ind./Brandon Gonzales, Seboyeta, N.M. 5.6; 3. Maverick Harper, Iowa, La./Tanner Nall, Alva, Okla. 5.8; 4. Miles Baker, Mountain Home, Okla./Blayne Horne, McAlester, Okla. 5.9; 5. Bubba Buckaloo, Kingston, Okla./Dustin K. Searcy, Mooreland, Okla. 6.6; 6. Brandon Webb, Big Wells, Texas/Kollin Von Ahn, Blanchard, Okla. 7.0.
Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La. 86.5 points on Four Aces; 2. (tie) Shorty Garrett, Dupree, S.D. and Chase Brooks, Deer Lodge, Mont. 84 each; 4. Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla. 81.5; 5. (tie) Logan Hay, Wildwood, Alb., Wyatt Casper, Pampa, Texas and Tegan Smith, Winterset, Iowa 81 each; 8. Cash Wilson, Wall, S.D., 80.5.
Tie Down Roping
1. Macon Murphy, Keatchie, La. 8.5 seconds; 2. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas 8.7; 3. Kincade Henry, Mt. Pleasant, Texas 8.8; 4. Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 9.0; 5. Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M. 9.2; 6. Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla. 9.3; 7. Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas 9.6; 8. Tyler Prcin, Alvord, Texas 9.7.
Barrel Racing
1. Shelley Morgan, Canton, Texas 15.64 seconds; 2. Sadie Wolaver, Weatherford, Okla. 15.98; 3. Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, Okla. 15.99; 4. Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas 16.00; 5. Cierra Chapman, Kiowa, Okla. 16.07; 6. Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas 16.08; 7. Emily Miller, Weatherford, Okla. 16.13; 8. (tie) Lacinda Rose, Willard, Mo. and Tamara Reinhardt, Canadian, Texas 16.15; 10. Paige Jones, Wayne, Okla. 16.17.
Bull Riding
1. Colten Fritzlan, Rifle, Colo. 88.5 points on Smoke Stack; 2. (tie) Ky Hamilton, Mackay, Australia and Trey Kimzey, Strong City, Okla. 86.5 each; 4. EJ Bechtold, Booker, Texas 80; 5. Clayton Sellars, Fruitland Park, Fla. 79; 6. Roscoe Jarboe, New Plymouth, Idaho 78; 7. Trevor Kastner, Roff, Okla. 77; 8. Alex Cardozo, Loving, Texas 76.