Field Set for Championship Finals at Cheyenne Frontier Days
By: Susan Kanode
Leslie Smalygo of Skiatook, Okla., finished as Cheyenne Frontier Days reserve champion barrel racer last year. She’s making a bid for the title this year as she won Semi Finals 2 on Saturday with a time of 17.27 seconds, advancing her to Sunday’s finals. PRCA photo by Click Thompson
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – A sold-out rodeo crowd of more than 15,000 watched the final contestants in the Semi Finals at Cheyenne Frontier Days advance to Sunday’s Championship Finals.
Saturday was filled with surprises during the rodeo in every event. The bareback riding win went to reigning world champion Jess Pope from Waverly, Kansas. Pope got on the Three Hills Rodeo horse named Short Stuff Bucks for 86.5 points. That gives him the opportunity to win the title here for the first time. While seeing Pope do well here is no surprise, watching his friend and traveling partner Tim O’Connell come up short was. O’Connell nearly bucked off before the eight-second buzzer but managed to score 79, just short of qualifying for Sunday’s finals. The Zwingle, Iowa, native is a three-time world champion and a three-time champion here. He has won the last two titles in Frontier Park and was hoping to make it three in a row.
Reigning world champion bareback rider Jess Pope rode Three Hills Rodeo’s horse Short Stuff Bucks for 86.5 points to win Semi Finals 2 at the 127th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. The Kansas cowboy has won the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo multiple times but will be shooting for his first title at the “Daddy of ‘em All” on Championship Sunday at Frontier Park. PRCA photo by Click Thompson
In the breakaway roping KeAnn Hayes was the first competitor out, put her name at the top of the leaderboard and it stayed there. The Blanchard, Oklahoma, cowgirl had a time of 3.5 seconds and will be hoping to add her name to the history books as a champion at the “Daddy of ‘em All.”
Jake Pratt may be from Ellensburg, Washington, but winning the tie-down roping here would be really special for him. After graduating from high school, he moved to Laramie to attend the University of Wyoming. He qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo while in Laramie and has fond memories from the Cowboy State. He had the fastest time on Saturday at 12.3 seconds and will rope again on Sunday.
South Dakota’s Cole Elshere and Lefty Holman who grew up in California tied in the saddle bronc riding. Elshere rode the Summit Pro Rodeo horse named Big John. Holman got on United Pro Rodeo’s Awesome Sauce. When the judges added up their scores, they each had an 85 by their names. Both have qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo but have yet to win a title here.
There was also a tie in Saturday’s team roping at 8.9 seconds and all four men hale from Oklahoma. Curry Kirchner from Ames did the heading for Billy Jack Saebens from Nowata to set the pace. Three teams later, Corben Culley (header) from Muse, and Blayne Horne (heeler) from McAlester had an identical time.
The winner in the steer wrestling was Dakota Eldridge from Elko, Nevada. The nine-time NFR qualifier stopped the clock in 6.6 seconds and has a chance to win his first buckle from Cheyenne. Eldridge got to see his nephew, Lefty Holman, win in the saddle bronc riding.
Dakota Eldridge, a nine-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo steer wrestler, won Semi Finals 2 at the 127th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo on Saturday. The Nevada cowboy stopped the clock in 6.6 seconds and will be trying to win his first championship in Frontier Park at Sunday’s Championship Finals. PRCA photo by Jackie Jensen
Leslie Smalygo finished as the reserve champion in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel race here last year. She had the fast time on Saturday and the Skiatook, Oklahoma resident will be a favorite for the championship.
When bull riders get hurt, there may be an option for a healthy rider to take his place. That’s what happened in the bull riding. Bryce Jensen, a recent high school graduate from Huntsville, Texas, competed in the Quarter Finals, advanced to the Semi Finals where he was the winner on Saturday. He scored 89.5 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Redneck Romeo and will compete for the title on Sunday. If he wins, he will be one of the youngest CFD champions on record.
Stetson Wright, from Beaver, Utah, who won the last two saddle bronc riding titles in Frontier Park won’t be able to repeat. He rode here in that event on Saturday and fell short of the top six scores that advance. He was among Friday’s bull riders and will have an opportunity to win that title for the second time in his career. He also is a favorite to win the prestigious all-around award that goes to the contestant who wins the most money in more than one event.
Rodeo action at Frontier Park starts at 12:45 on Sunday where champions in all of these events will be crowned.