DODGE CITY, Kan. – Cody Doescher had planned to only compete in one event at Dodge City Roundup Rodeo this week.
That changed a couple weeks ago for the all-around cowboy from Oklahoma City. When world champion heeler Steve Northcott opted to return to his Odessa, Texas, home, header Cale Markham of Vinita, Okla., was looking for a temporary partner.
Enter Doescher, who was scheduled to compete only in steer wrestling this week. When Markham called, Doescher answered.
“(My) dad was going to come up here and see me, so he brought my heel horse with him,” Doescher said.
It worked out great Wednesday night during the opening performance at Roundup Arena. Markham and Doescher lead the opening go-round with a 5.6-second run on Wednesday morning. They followed that with a 7.1 in the second round; their two-run cumulative time of 12.7 seconds leads the average race and virtually secures their spot for Sunday’s championship round – the top 12 times and scores from the four preliminary performances advance to the short round.
“I’ve made the short round here twice” in team roping, said Doescher, 26, who also sits fourth in the steer wrestling average. “Right now I’m making it back in two events. Hopefully the bulldogging will hold up and I can make it back in two.
“Tonight we just went and caught one. We could’ve exposed ourselves a little more, but we decided to do the safe thing and just go catch.”
Safe is the smart thing this early in the game. The ultimate goal in Dodge City is to make it back to the final round for a chance to win the championship.
“It’s always good to make the short round,” he said. “There are less guys and more money. We were just fortunate to draw two pretty good steers.”
Doescher has competed in ProRodeo for eight years and spent much of his time focused on team roping. He has turned his attention more toward steer wrestling in the past couple of years, and it’s paying off. In the Prairie Circuit – which consists primarily of contestants and events in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska – he sits sixth in the all-around standings, eighth in heeling and 14th in steer wrestling.
He would like to not only excel at the circuit level but carry that over toward qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
“Eventually I’m going to chase the all-around hard,” he said. “I’m trying to get my ducks in row with the business part of it.
“My ultimate goal is to make the NFR in two events. I have gold buckle dreams, of course. I just don’t want to be forgettable.”
Doescher is making it hard to forget in Dodge City.
Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
Aug. 3-7
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Blake Smith, 83 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Hot Valley; 2. Jordan Pelton, 82; 3. Joel Schlegel77; 4. George Gillespie, 75; 5. Caine Riddle, 71; 6. Troy Vaira, 68; 7. Will Martin, 64; no other qualified rides.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Kyle Whitaker, 4.3 seconds; 2. Trevor Nelson, 4.5; 3. (tie) Aaron Vosler and Jacob Talley, 4.6; 5. Cody Doescher, 5.4; 6. (tie) Kurt Goulding and J.D. Struxness, 5.5; 8. Tanner Brunner, 5.9. Second round leaders: 1. Jacob Edler, 4.2 seconds; 2. Aaron Vosler, 4.3; 3. (tie) Jacob Talley and Kyle Whitaker, 4.8; 5. Cody Doescher, 5.0; 6. J.D. Struxness, 5.6; 7. Tom Littell, 5.7; 8. Cody Devers, 6.3. Average leaders: 1. Aaron Vosler, 8.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Kyle Whitaker, 9.1; 3. Jacob Talley, 9.4; 4 Cody Doescher, 10.5; 5. J.D. Struxness, 11.1; 6. Cody Kroul, 12.5; 7. Trevor Nelson, 12.6; 8. Tom Littell, 15.1; 9. Joe Buffington, 21.5; 10. Cody Devers, 26.1; 11. Nick Guy, 44.8; no other qualified times.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 5.6 seconds; 2. Jake Pancost/Chase Boekhaus, 6.7; 3. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 7.3; 4. Chase Wiley/Ace Pearce, 9.2; 5. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 11.2; 6. Payden Emmett/Justin Pruitt, 11.7; 7. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 12.3; 8. Casey Gattis/Kirt Jones, 12.6. Second round leaders: 1. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.8 seconds; 2. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 7.1; 3. Peyton Holliday/Clay Casper, 8.4; 4. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 20.1; no other qualified times. Average leaders: 1. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 12.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 13.1; 3. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 32.3; 4. Jake Pancost/Chase Boekhaus, 6.7 seconds on one run; 5. Peyton Holliday/Clay Casper, 8.4; 6. Chase Wiley/Ace Pearce, 9.2; 7. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 11.2; 8. Payden Emmett/Justin Pruitt, 11.7.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Taos Muncy, 83.5 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Mountain Climber; 2. Zeke Thurston, 80.5; 3. Louie Brunson, 77; 4. Colt Gordon, 75; 5. (tie) Dalton Davis and Sam Spreadborough, 71; 7. Tyrel Larsen, 69; no other qualified rides.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Marcos Costa, 8.4 seconds; 2. Tylen Layton, 9.0; 3. Cheyenne Harper, 9.2; 4. Cory Solomon, 9.3; 5. (tie) Cade Swor and Riley Pruitt, 9.6; 8. L.D. Meier, 9.9; 8. David Moore, 10.0. Second round leaders: 1. Cory Solomon, 7.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Sterling Smith and RileyPruitt, 8.2; 4. William Whayne Jr., 8.4; 5. L.D. Meier, 9.4; 6. Dillon Holder, 9.6; 7. Marcos Costa, 10.5; 8. Ike Fontenot, 12.2. Average leaders: 1. Cory Solomon, 17.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Riley Pruitt, 17.8; 3. Marcos Costa, 18.9; 4. L.D. Meier, 19.3; 5. Cheyenne Harper, 24.3; 6. Sterling Smith, 27.8; 7. Dillon Sherrick, 29.5; 8. Paul David Tierney, 41.8.
Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Paige Willis, 17.15 seconds; 2. Emily Miller, 17.21; 3. Jana Griemsman, 17.4; 4. Carol Waters, 17.45; 5. Kelly Schnaufer, 17.55; 6. Cierra Chapman, 17.50; 7. Jordan Bassett,17.75; 8. Edi Williams, 17.76; 9. (tie) Ashley Bauer and Katie Garen, 17.88. Second round leaders: 1. Edi Williams, 17.29 seconds; 2. Kelley Schnaufer, 17.30; 3. Carol Waters, 17.36; 4. Jana Griemsman, 17.39; 5. Katie Garen, 17.40; 6. Paige Willis, 17.45; 7. Tana Renick, 17.48; 8. (tie) Ashley Bauer and Jordan Bassett, 17.56; 10. Kyra Travis, 17.58. Average leaders: 1. Paige Willis, 34.60 on two runs; 2. Jana Griemsman, 34.79; 3. Carol Waters, 34.81; 4. Emily Miller, 34.84; 5. Kelley Schnaufer, 34.85; 6. Edi Williams, 35.05; 7. Katie Garen, 35.28; 8. Jordan Bassett, 35.31; 9. Ashley Bauer, 35.44; 10. Tana Renick, 36.01; 11. Kyra Travis, 36.03; 12. Alexa Lake, 36.14.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Nate Perry, 85.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Boom Boom; 2. Jordan Wacey Spears, 84.5; 3. (tie) Joe Frost and Dalan Duncan, 81; 5. Aaron Russell Williams, 76; no other qualified rides.