San Antonio’s million dollar rodeo off to great start
By Susan Kanode/For the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Rodeo cowboys and cowgirls have converged on the Alamo City hoping to get a piece of the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo’s huge purse, the largest of the PRCA’s regular season.
The nine-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year features more than $1 million in prize money and a fan-friendly tournament style of competition. The first of five brackets got underway on Feb. 6 in the AT&T Center with 10 contestants in each of the standard rodeo events doing their best to get a check. Each bracket has three rounds of competition with the best four contestants advancing to the semifinals based on money won.
It was a great night for the Canadians in bareback riding and saddle bronc riding. Orin Larsen from Inglis, Manitoba, was the big money winner in bareback riding with an 85-point effort on Rafter H Rodeo’s Storm Cloud. Larsen is currently attending Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, and is a former College National Finals Rodeo qualifier while attending College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
In the saddle bronc riding, a Canadian horse and rider took the top spot. Sam Kelts, from Millarville, Alberta was 79 points on Calgary Stampede’s Mad Money.
Steer wrestlers from Alberta also earned checks here on Feb. 6. Curtis Cassidy, from Donalda, finished third for $978 and Tanner Milan, from Cochrane, finished fourth to win $489. Aaron Vosler, from Cheyenne, Wyo., had the fastest time of 4.5 seconds, earning $1,955.
Reigning National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association champion bull rider Tim Bingham from Honeyville, Utah, beat Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers Chandler Bownds, Trevor Kastner, Bobby Welsh and reigning World Champion J.W. Harris in the first round. Bingham had a score of 86 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Spin Bo for $1,955. Bownds finished second with 84, Kastner third with 82 and Harris and Welsh tied for fourth place with 80s.
All of these contestants will compete in the second round of bracket one on Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. (CT).
Courtesy of PRCA