Oregon Cowboy Leads Bareback Riding
Bareback rider Austin Foss leads his event at the St. Paul Rodeo with a score of 87.5 points on Flying Five Rodeo’s Cougar Country. He is from Terrebonne, Oregon. Photo by Hoot Creek.
St. Paul, Ore. – An Oregon man is at the top of the leaderboard after the fourth performance of the St. Paul Rodeo.
Austin Foss, Terrebonne, rode the Flying 5 Rodeo’s horse Cougar Country for 87.5 points, to be three points over the number two man, Kade Bruno, Challis, Idaho, who rode on Friday night.
Foss had seen the horse compete at different rodeos through the years, but had never drawn it, and when he saw his draw, he was happy. “I’ve seen that horse go for four or five years, and I never had a shot at it. This was definitely the right place to have it.”
Foss, who has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, where PRCA world champions are crowned, four times (2013-15, 2019), isn’t rodeoing hard this year and hasn’t traveled much over Cowboy Christmas, the busiest part of the rodeo season in the days before and after July 4.
The 29-year-old has been selective about where he is competing. Traveling mostly by himself, he’s not going to as many rodeos as he used to.
“I’ve been kind of picking and choosing (rodeos),” he said. “I’m not 21 (years old) anymore., and it takes $120 to fill the truck” with fuel.
His lead in St. Paul is good encouragement, he said. “This is a huge confidence booster,” Foss said. “If a guy does well and 87 (points) holds up for the win tomorrow, it’s a good check at St. Paul. It will pay $11,000 to win it, and that’s probably more than I’ve won this year, so that really helps.
“It’s a neat arena, a cool rodeo, and it’s even cooler when it’s this close to home and you do this well.”
Foss was the 2009-2010 Oregon High School Rodeo Association champion bareback rider and, in college, qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo twice (2011-2012).
Other high scores and fast times from slack and the fourth performance of the St. Paul Rodeo are saddle bronc rider (and two-time PRCA world champion) Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alb. (88 points); and barrel racer Jennifer Barrett, Buhl, Idaho (17.62). No bull riders made qualified rides.
In the steer wrestling, first round fast time is a tie between Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif. and Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif. (4.2 seconds); Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho was the fast time in the second round (3.9). Tie-down roper and reigning world champion Shad Mayfield was the fast time in the second round (8.1); Quade Hiatt, Canyon, Texas, has the fast time in the second round (8.2).
In the team roping, the team of Steven Duby, Hereford, Ore. and Andy Carlson, Hermiston, Ore., had the fast time in the first round (4.8) and Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla. and Buddy Hawkins II, Columbus, Kan. turned in the fast time for the second round (5.5).
The St. Paul Rodeo wraps up on July 4 with two performances: a 1:30 pm matinee and a 7:30 pm performance. The parade takes place at 10 am through downtown St. Paul.
Tickets are available online at www.StPaulRodeo.com and at the gate. For more information, visit the website.
Results from the slack and fourth evening performance, St. Paul Rodeo, July 3, 2021
Bareback Riding
1. Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore. 87.5 points on Flying Five’s Cougar Country; no other qualified rides.
Steer wrestling
1st round leaders:
1. (tie) Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif. and Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif. 4.2 seconds; 3. Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev. 4.3; 4. (tie) Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La. and Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, Texas 4.4.
2nd round leaders:
1. Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho 3.9 seconds; 2. Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif. 4.2; 3. Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La. 4.4; 4. Payden McIntyre, Douglas, Wyo. 4.5.
Bull riding
No qualified rides.
Tie-down roping
1st round leaders:
1. Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M. 8.1 seconds; 2. Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 9.2; 3. Quade Hiatt, Canyon, Texas 9.5; 4. Pacen Marez Granger, Wash. 9.6.
2nd round leaders:
1. Quade Hiatt, Canyon, Texas 8.2 seconds; 2. Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 8.7; 3. Roger Nonella, Redmond, Ore. 9.7; 4. Hunter Reaume, Meeteetse, Wyo. 12.0.
Saddle bronc riding
1. Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alb. 88 points on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Broken Camp; 2. Dawson Hay, Wildwood, Alb. 84; 3. Sam Harper, Paradise Valley, Nev. 83.5; 4. Jake Watson, Hudsons Hope, B.C. 83.
Team roping
1st round leaders
1. Steven Duby, Hereford, Ore./Andy Carlson, Hermiston, Ore. 4.8 seconds; 2. Clint Summers, Lake City, Fla./Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas 5.0; 3. Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif./Chris Young, Wittman, Ariz. 6.0; no other qualified runs.
2nd round leaders
1. Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla./Buddy Hawkins II, Columbus, Kan. 5.5 seconds; 2. Clint Summers, Lake City, Fla./Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas 5.6 seconds; 3. Jack Fischer, Ellensburg, Wash./Brent Falon, Yakima, Wash. 6.5; 4. Jeff Flenniken, Caldwell, Idaho/Wyatt Hansen, Oakdale, Calif. 15.0.
Barrel racing
1. Jennifer Barrett, Buhl, Idaho 17.62 seconds; 2. Danyelle Williams, Vale, Ore. 17.94; 3. Britni Carlson, Hermiston, Ore. 17.96; 4. Shayla Currin, Dayton, Wash. 17.97.