Listen to Clint Cannon’s interview with Rob Matthews

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – In his career, Clint Cannon has earned many significant titles.

Eleven years ago, he was the Resistol Bareback Rookie of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Since then, he’s followed that with wins at RodeoHouston, the Calgary (Alberta) Stampede and numerous other ProRodeo events. He’s a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Waller, Texas.

He had never won the championship at the Waller County Fair and Rodeo … until Saturday night. He rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Night Bells for 87 points to win the championship, pocketing $2,121 in the process.

“I’ve been coming to the Waller County rodeo since I was little,” Cannon said. “We got it to be a ProRodeo four years ago, and I never even placed this year. To win in front of everybody – I’m getting toward the end of my career – feels good to let everybody come out and see in person that I can ride.

“A lot of people in my hometown never get to see me win, they just get to see me on TV.”

It marked the second time in two nights that Cannon won in Hempstead; on Friday night, he was part of the 8 Second Bareback Shootout, a head-to-head match against rising star Richie Champion of The Woodlands, Texas. In all, Cannon pocketed more than $3,600 at his hometown rodeo, and he topped it off on the final night on Night Bells, a horse that’s been to the NFR for several years.

“That was my first time on that horse, and he’s awesome,” he said. “He blows out of the chute hard and comes across the arena. I’ve wanted to get on that horse for a while.”

Casey Huckabee had been Pete Carr’s Line Man before, so he knew a little about the big spotted bull. On Saturday, he posted a 90-point ride on the bull that’s been to the NFR each of the past two seasons.

“Winning this rodeo means a lot, because I came down here and didn’t have anything,” said Huckabee, 25, of Grand Saline, Texas, indicating he had little to no money in his rodeo bank account. “I thought I forgot how to ride.”

Apparently he figured it out just in time, earning $1,433 for the victory. For every buck, jump and twist Line Man threw at him, Huckabee responded well.

“It was touch-and-go from the time I nodded my head,” he said. “I thought he was going to get me any second, but I kept going.”

Other winners were all-around champion Landon McClaugherty, steer wrestler Darrell Petry, team ropers Tyler Wade and Kinney Harrell, saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley, tie-down roper Matt Shiozawa, barrel racer Kelly Tovar and steer roper Trevor Brazile.

Waller County Fair and Rodeo
Oct. 2-4
Hempstead, Texas
All-Around: Landon McClaugherty, $1,179 in team roping, tie-down roping and steer roping

Bareback riding: 1. Clint Cannon, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Night Bells, $2,121; 2. Winn Ratliff, 86, $1,623; 2. Kyle Brennecke, 84, $1,202; 4. Wyatt Denny, 82, $778; 5. (tie) Evan Jayne and Scotty NeSmith, 81, $424 each; 7. Matt Bright, 80, $283; 8. (tie) Will Lowe and Anthony Thomas, 79, $106 each.

Steer wrestling: 1. Darrell Petry, 4.0 seconds, $1,411; 2. (tie) Bill Pace and Cooper Shofner, 4.4, $1,046 each; 4. (tie) Aaron Vosler and Tommy Cook, 4.6, $559 each; 6. Ted Gollaher, 4.7, $243.

Team roping: 1. Tyler Wade/Kinney Harrell, 4.4 seconds, $2,562; 2. Lane Ivy/Tommy Zuniga, 5.0, $2,228; 3. Kenton Woodson, 5.5, $1,894; 4. (tie) Logan Olson/Travis Woodard, Tyler Waters/Kory Koontz, Jake Cooper.Tyler McKnight and David Key/Martin Lucero, 5.8, $1,058 each; 8. Justin Davis/Colby Lovell, 5.9, $223-.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Jacobs Crawley, 80 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Icycle, $1,284; 2. Bradley Harter, 79, $973; 3. (tie) Dean Wadsworth, Justin Caylor, Kobyn Williams and Tab Hildreth, 78, $409.

Tie-down roping leaders: 1. Matt Shiozawa, 7.9 seconds, $1,963; 2. Houston Hutto, 8.9, $1,624; 3. Ross Tucker,9.0, $1,286; 4. Ace Slone, 9.2, $948; 5. Timber Moore, 9.3, $609; 6. Marty Yates, 9.6, $338.

Barrel racing leaders: 1. Kelly Tovar, 14.52 seconds, $2,051; 2. Amanda Davenport, 14.64, $1,743; 3. Mary Walker, 14.75, $1,436; 4. Sydni Blanchard, 14.82, $1,231; 5. Lisa Thornton, 14.85, $1,026; 6. Morgan Breaux, 14.89, $718; 7. Brittany Grant, 14.90, $513; 8. Christy Loflin, 14.91, $410; 9. Courtney Sokol, 14.92, $359; 10. Taylor Jacob, 14.93, $308; 11. Stephanie Jacks, 15.01, $256; 12. Brittany Kelly, 15.02, $205

Steer roping: First round: 1. Scott Snedecor, 9.8 seconds, $963; 2. Trevor Brazile, 10.4, $797; 3. Roger Branch, 11.2, $631; 4. Rocky Patterson, 11.5, $465; 5. (tie) Vin Fisher Jr. and JB Whatley, 12.0, $232 each. Second round: 1. J.P. Wickett, 10.0 seconds, $963; 2. Mike Chase, 10.9, $797; 3. Landon McClaugherty, 11.3, $631; 4. Cody Lee, 11.7, $465; 5. Guy Allen, 12.4, $299; 6. Tony Reina, 12.7, $166. Third round: 1. Joe O’Rourke, 11.0 seconds, $963; 2. Trevor Brazile, 11.2, $797; 3. (tie) Rocky Patterson and Landon McClaugherty, 11.3, $548 each; 5. Cody Lee, 11.4, $299; 6. Mike Outhier, 11.5, $166. Average: 1. Trevor Brazile, 36.4 seconds on three head, $1,445; 2. Scott Snedecor, 37.4, $1,196; 3. Vin Fisher Jr., 38.4, $947; 4. Tony Reina, 39.4, $697; 5. Will Gasperson, 39.6, $448; 6. Paul Patton, 43.7, $249.

Bull riding: 1. Casey Huckabee, 90 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Line Man, $1,433 2. (tie) Zeb Lanham and Chad German, 85, $934 each; 4. Jay Turner, 83, $521; 5. Nile Lebaron, 81, $304; 6. Caleb Sanderson, 76, $217.