Family Night a Success for Howard

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Chance Howard’s first trip packing his son by himself made for a successful Family Night for the Sadler, Texas, cowboy at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo.

He posted a 3.5-second run, which was the fastest time in the first round of steer wrestling on Wednesday morning, and followed that with a 3.9-second run in the evening during the first performance of the PRCA rodeo at Jake McClure Arena. It was also Faith and Family night at the southeastern New Mexico exposition, so it was only fitting.

Howard owns the lead in both go-rounds and the two-run aggregate. After his final run for the day, he walked behind the timed event chutes, scooped up his son, Luke Thomas, and proceeded to pick up all of his son’s toys as well.

This trip marks the first time Howard has taken his son rodeoing with him without his wife, Kelsey.

“I just had to have somebody watch him while I bull dogged, and right back to it,” Howard said.

Steer wrestling is a fast-paced game, and the quickest time wins. Cowboys must take a good start, then understand the steer. They are vital components in each run.

“I had a steer that they’d been good on before, they broke the barrier a couple times, but we just made it work,” he said of his first-round steer. “I just capitalized on opportunity.”

Another key factor in making a solid run is having a solid mount. Howard’s is an 8-year-old horse owned by Travis Burgett they call Train that just began his time on the road this year after being started on bulldogging last December.

“We went to Cheyenne (Wyoming) and Deadwood (South Dakota) last week,” Howard said. “I ended up (placing second) at both the semifinals and the short go last week (in Cheyenne. That helped me out a bunch.”

Howard also won his performance and left Cheyenne with $9,125 in total earnings. He is now 16th in the world standings.

Howard, who is in his 11th year in the PRCA, has yet to make the National Finals Rodeo, which takes the top 15 contestants in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season. With momentum rolling – he has a good chance to collect payouts in both rounds and a high placing in the average race – he has the opportunity to earn one of those coveted spots this year.

“I’m trying to make the NFR,” he said. “We’ve got (two months) left, so we’ll see where it all falls.”

Howard comes from a family of bulldoggers, and there may be another one in waiting. If his son continues to travel with him, witnessing runs like those from Lovington, Luke Thomas may be inspired to follow his father’s footsteps.

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Lea County Fair and Rodeo
Lovington, N.M.
Aug. 4-7

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Reiner, 84 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Betty Boop; 2. Logan Patterson, 80.5; 3. Tilden Hooper, 80; no other qualified rides.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 3.5 seconds; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 4.0; 3. Rooster Yazzie, 4.3; 4. Tanner Brunner, 4.4; 5. Matt Reeves, 5.0; 6. Dustin Merritt, 5.1; 7. Austin Eller, 6.8; 8. Denard Butler, 10.1; Second round leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Denard Butler, Tyler Waguespack and J.D. Struxness, 4.0; 5. Cody Harmon, 4.8; 6. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Marc Joiner, 4.9; 8. Jay Williamson, 5.2; Average leaders: 1. Chance Howard 7.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 8.0; 3. Rooster Yazzie, 10.7; 4. Denard Butler, 14.1; 5. Tanner Brunner, 16.7;6. Matt Reeves, 18.5; 7. (tie) Jay Williamson and Cody Harmon, 19.0

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. J.D. McCuistion, 8.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Ty Harris and Ryan Jarrett, 9.0; 4. Ryle Smith, 9.5; 5. Wyatt Imus, 10.9; 6. Brokk Baldwin, 11.4; 7. Reese Riemer, 11.7; 8. Richard Newton, 12.8; Second round leaders: 1. J.D. McCuistion, 8.7 seconds; 2. Charlie Gibson, 8.9; 3. Trenton Smith, 9.0; 4. Ty Harris, 9.4; 5. Robert Mathis, 9.8; 6. Hudson Wallace, 11.4; 7. Ryle Smith, 12.6; 8. Wyatt Imus, 13.0; Average leaders: J.D. McCuistion, 17.2 seconds on two runs seconds; 2. Ty Harris, 18.4; 3. Ryle Smith, 22.1; 4. Charlie Gibson, 22.7; 5. Wyatt Imus, 23.9; 6. Robert Mathis, 26.7; 7. Reese Riemer, 30.7; 8. Brian Garr, 44.7.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Brody Cress 83.5 points on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Fort Concho; 2. Logan Cook, 81; 3. Keene Justesen, 78; 4. Colt Cunningham, 50; (no other qualified rides).

Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Cody Lee, 13.6 seconds; 2. Jarrett McKade Holliday, 15.7; 3. Dan Fisher, 16.1; no other qualified times. Second round leaders: Second round: 1. (tie) Cody Lee and Shay Good, 11.4 seconds; 3. Dan Fisher, 13.1; no other qualified times; Third round leaders: 1. Dan Fisher, 12.5 seconds; 2. Reo Lohse, 12.6; 3. Cody Lee, 13.7; Average leaders: 1. Cody Lee, 38.7 seconds on three runs; 2. Dan Fisher, 41.7; 3. Shay Good, 11.4 seconds on one run; 4. Reo Lohse, 12.6; 5. Jarrett McKade Holliday, 15.7; no other qualified times.

Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Kassidy Denisson, 2.3 seconds; 2. Kelsie Chace, 2.5; 3. Jackie Crawford, 3.2 seconds; 4. Katie Mundorf, 3.3 seconds; 5. Bradi Good, 3.4 seconds; 6. Makayla Boisjoli, 3.6 seconds; 7. Morgan Orman, 7.9 seconds; 8. Alex Loiselle, 12.2 seconds. Second round leaders: 1. Bradi Good, 2.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Kelsie Chace and Kassidy Dennison, 3.7; 4. Katie Mundorf, 12.3; Average Leaders: 1. Kassidy Dennison, 6.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Kelsie Chace, 6.2; 3. Bradi Good, 6.3; 4. Katie Mundorf, 15.6; 5. Jackie Crawford, 3.2 seconds on one run, 6. Makayla Boisjoli, 3.6.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.5 seconds; 2. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 5.0; 3.Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.3; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 6.2; 5. Korbin Rice/Jace Davis, 10.5; (no other qualified times) Second round leaders: 1. Korbin Rice/Jace Davis, 4.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens and Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 4.9 seconds; 4. Nick Sartain/Reagan Ward, 5.4; 5. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.5; 6. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 6.0; 7. Kreece Thompson/Chad Williams, 14.4; 8. Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison; Average leaders: 1 Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 10.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 11.0; 3. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 11.1; 4. Tyler Wade/Tyler McKnight, 39.2; 5. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.5 seconds on one run; 6. Nick Sartain/Reagan Ward, 5.4; 7. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.5; 8. Kreece Thompson/Chad Williams, 14.4.

Barrel racing leaders: Delayed due to ground issues.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Clayton Sellars, 84.5 points on Harper Morgan’s Sling Shot; 2. (tie) Ky Hamilton and Josh Frost, 83.5; 4. Sage Kimzey, 83; 5. Dustin Boquet, 71; no other qualified rides.

Courtesy of twisTEDrodeo.com