SAN ANGELO, Texas – It wasn’t much, but Jesse Bail needed it.
On Thursday night during the 10th performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, Bail matched moves with Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Sin Fire Kate for 82.5 points; that matched Doug Aldridge of Carthage, Mo., who rodeo Carr’s Gold Coast to share fifth place in the opening go-round. Both cowboys pocketed $671.
More importantly, they qualified for Friday’s championship round, which features the top contestants in all events from the preliminary rounds.
“I won the round on her about two months ago,” Bail said of Sin Fire Kate. “I knew it was a good horse. She stalls (coming out of the chute, but she was good and it worked out good.”
The South Dakota cowboy knows the importance of doing well in San Angelo. He won the bronc riding title in this West Texas town in 2013 and also claimed the bull riding championship in 2002.
“I haven’t had a lot of luck here, but it’s been really good at times,” he said of his tenure of competing in San Angelo. “It means a bunch, especially this year. I’ve been in San Antonio and didn’t do no good there. This is kind of the end of my winter run. I’ve got this and Tucson, so I was needing to hit a lick.”
Bail has been at this game for quite a while. He started competing in ProRodeo 19 seasons ago and first qualified for the NFR in 2000. He hasn’t been back to the sport’s grand finale since 2011, so collecting the title in San Angelo would help pave the way back to Las Vegas in December.
“I’ve been coming here for a long time, and every year this rodeo’s just gotten better and better,” Bail said. “Comparing this year to the first year I came, it’s changed a bunch for the better. It’s dang sure one of the top rodeos now, and they put on a good show.”
Aldridge has never qualified for the NFR, but he’s been a regular fixture among the top 30 in the world standings at the end of the season. He’s had some big victories along the way, but he’s still new to the game; he joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association just three seasons ago.
They’ve got some ground to make up, though. Reigning world champion Jacobs Crawley of Boerne, Texas, won the first round with an 88-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Rich n Fancy and owns a 5.5-point lead over Bail and Aldridge heading into the final round.
But anything can happen on championship night, and Bail knows that as well as anyone.
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
Feb. 5-7, Feb. 12-14, Feb. 17-19
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tanner Aus, 90 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Pass The Hat, $4,256; 2. Jake Vold and R.C. Landingham, 88, $2,837 each; 4. Caleb Bennett, 86.5, $1,560; 5. (tie) Mason Clements, Jamie Howlett and Tim O’Connell, 84.5, $757 each; 8. (tie) Luke Creasy and Jake Brown, 84, $213 each; 10. Teddy Athan, 83; 11. Clayton Biglow, 82.5.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Josh Clark and Riley Duvall, 3.6 seconds, $3,321 each; 3. (tie) K.C. Jones, T.J. Hall, Dakota Eldridge and Heath Thomas, 3.9, $1,931 each; 7. (tie) Stan Branco and Orrin Fontenot, 4.0, $541 each. Second round leaders: 1. Jacob Talley, 3.5 seconds, $,3552; 2. (tie) Blake Knowles and Kody Woodward, 3.8, $2,857 each; 4. (tie) Clayton Tuchscherer and Mike McGinn, 3.9, $1,931 each; 6. Justin Morehouse, 4.0, $1,236; 7. (tie) Rowdy Parrott and Clint Shofner, 4.1, $541 each. Average leaders: 1. K.C. Jones, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 8.3; 3. Riley Duvall, 8.4; 4. Justin Morehouse, 8.7; 5. Stan Branco, 8.8; 6. (tie) Nick Guy and Trevor Knowles, 9.1 each; 8. Jacob Edler, 9.5; 9. (tie) Timmy Sparing and Scott Guenthner, 9.7 each; 11. (tie) Jace Melvin and Matt Reeves, 10.0 each.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Adam Rose/Walt Woodard, 4.0 seconds, $3,506; 2. Colby Lovell/Will Wodfin, 4.1, $3,049; 3. Cody Snow/Dugan Kelly, 4.2, $2.592; 4. (tie) Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess and Bart Brunson/Zack Mabry, 4.5, $1,906 each; 6. (tie) Nathan McWhorter/Dustin Davis and Justin Davis/Zane Bruce, 4.6, $991 each; 8. (tie) Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, Tyler Wade/Kinney Harrell and Spencer Mitchell/Justin Davis, 4.7, $102 each. Second round leaders: 1. Kolton Schmidt/Shay Carroll, 3.6 seconds, $3,506; 2. (tie) Spencer Mitchell/Justin Davis, Brady Tryan/Tommy Zuniga and Tate Kirchenschlager/Trevor Kirchenschlager, 3.9, $2,592 each; 5. (tie) Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler, Lane Ivy/Allen Bach, Casey Tew/John Robertson and Drew Horner/Trey Johnson, 4.0, $991 each. Average leaders 1. Spencer Mitchell/Justin Davis, 8.6 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Adam Rose/Walt Woodard and Colby Lovell/Will Woodfin, 8.7 each; 4. Nathan McWhorter/Dustin Davis, 9.0; 5. (tie) Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess and Blake Hirdes/Joseph Shawnego, 9.3 each; 7. Tyler Wade/Kinney Harrell, 9.4; 8. Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 9.5; 9. (tie) Brandon Webb/Mickey Gomez and Justin Davis/Zane Bruce, 9;8; 11. Kelsey Parchman, 10.0; 12. Cody Snow/Dugan Kelly, 10.6.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Jacobs Crawley, 88 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Rich n Fancy, $3,353; 2. Allen Boore, 85.5, $2,571; 3. Rusty Wright, 85, $1,900; 4. Curtis Garton, 83, $1,229; 5. (tie) Jesse Bail and Doug Aldridge, 82.5, $671 each; 7. Joey Sonnier III, 82, $447; 8. Tyrell Smith, 81.5, $335; 9. Ryan Mackenzie, 81; 10. (tie) Brody Cress and Nick LaDuke, 80.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Jake Pratt, 7.9 seconds, $4,106; 2. (tie) Michael Otero, Caleb Smidt and Neil Dove, 8.0, $3,035 each; 5. (tie) Garrett Hale and E.J. Roberts, 8.1, $1,696 each; 7. (tie) Chant DeForest and Ike Fontenot, 8.2, $625 each. Second round leaders: 1. Marcos Costa, 7.4 seconds, $4,106; 2. Riley Pruitt, 7.7, $3,571; 3. (tie) Timber Moore and J.D. Kibbe, 7.8, $2,767 each; 5. (tie) Hunter Herrin and Justin Macha, 7.9, $1,696 each; 7. Sterling Smith, 8.1, $893; 8. (tie) Tyler Prcin, Quay Howard and Jerrad Hofstetter, 8.2, $119 each. Average leaders: 1. Caleb Smidt, 16.7 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Tyler Prcin and Timber Moore, 17.4 each; 4. E.J. Roberts, 17.6; 5. Garrett Hale, 17.7; 6. Chant DeForest, 17.8; 7. Marcos Costa, 18.0; 8. (tie) Trey Young, Cody Owens and Jayce Johnson, 18.2 each; 11. Zeb Chapman, 18.4; 12. Michael Otero, 18.5.
Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Tana Poppino, 13.97 seconds, $4,624; 2. Kathy Grimes, 13.98, $3,963; 3. Paxton Segelke, 14.15, $3,303; 4. Alexa Lake, 14.19, $2,862; 5. Cayla Melby, 14.20, $2,202; 6. Jackie Ganter, 14.21, $1,762; 7. Lisa Thornton, 14.22, $1,321; 6. (tie) Kristen Darnell and Mary Walker, 14.23, $771 each; 10. Tori Morris, 14.25, $440. Average leaders: 1. Kathy Grimes, 29.81 seconds on two runs; 2. Mary Walker, 29.82; 3. Pamela Capper, 29.96; 4. Jana Bean, 29.97; 5. Tana Poppino, 29.98; 6. Jackie Ganter, 30.00; 7. Tiany Schuster, 30.;04; 8. Kristen Darnell, 30.05; 9. Sherry Cervi, 30.09; 10. Kelley Schnaufer, 30.16; 11.Callie duPerier, 30.17; 12. Nicole Riggle, 30.19.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Dustin Bowen, 87.5 points on Lancaster & Jones’ Total Bull Battle Born; 2. Joseph McConnel, 86.5; 3. Tim Bingham, 86; 4. Josh Koschel, 85.5; 5. (tie) Reagan Avery, Jeff Bertus, John Young and Kanin Asay, 84.5 each.