ESTES PARK, Colo. – For Cort Scheer, there is nothing better than being on the rodeo trail.
“I’m having fun again,” said Scheer of Elsmere, Neb. “We’re back in the old traveling group again. We’re laughing, we’re golfing, we’re fishing. I give God all the glory; I got a lot closer to God this year.
“I’m really excited, and I’m having a blast.”
It showed Sunday night during the fifth performance of Rooftop Rodeo, where he rode Cervi Rodeo’s Shot Glass for 82.5 points to move fifth place in saddle bronc riding. With one performance remaining in this year’s event, he stands a good chance to add to his season earnings in Estes Park.
“When you draw good horses like that, and it’s just fun,” he said. “Half the battle is drawing good horses; the rest of it is just getting lucky and staying on.”
He’s more than lucky. Scheer is good. He’s a five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier who has finished No. 2 in the world standings twice. He’s and an established veteran of the game, and so is Shot Glass.
“He’s been a good horse for a long time,” he said. “I was really happy to get on him. My job was just to take care of business.”
If he remains in that same position when the rodeo concludes Monday, Scheer will add about $1,300 to his pocket. He can use every dollar possible; he is 25th in the world standings with $27,629, but only the top in the standings in each event at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the NFR, ProRodeo’s grand championship that takes place each December in Las Vegas.
“We’ve been going up and down the road hoping we know where we’re going and hoping the family can find us,” he said with a laugh. “
Scheer and several other cowboys took the 2016 season away from rodeo, but now he’s back with a vengeance. He realized that while he was away from the game, he still had a great opportunity to hone his skills.
“Last year all I did was get on good horses everywhere I went, and it helped with my confidence,” he said. “Now I don’t have to worry about anything. It makes a guy ride good when all he gets on is good horses.”
That included Sunday night in Estes Park.
“I’ve only been here maybe five times,” Scheer said. “I love this place. This is one of the prettiest places in the world. We golfed two miles north of here, and it’s one of the nicest courses I’ve ever hit.
“The committee around here bends over backwards for you. It’s great.”
Rooftop Rodeo
Estes Park, Colo.
July 5-10, 2017
Leaders through third performance
Bareback riding: 1. Jake Brown, 84.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Rose Puff; 2. Steven Dent, 873; 3. (tie) Buck Lunak and Orin Larsen, 81.5; 5. (tie) Dantan Bertsch, Seth Hardwick and Zach Hibler, 81.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Billy Bugenig, 3.8 seconds, $1,573; 2. Cody Doescher, 3.9, $1,302; 3. Wade Sumpter, 4.0, $1,031; 4. Blaine Jones, 4.1, $760; 5. (tie) Justice Johnson and Errol Frain, 4.4, $380 each. Second round leaders: 1. Blaine Jones, 3.5 seconds; 2. Blare Romsa, 3.7; 3. Cody Cabral, 3.9; 4. (tie) Cody Pratt, Cameron Morman and Billy Bugenig, 4.0; 7. (tie) Baylor Roche and Hunter Cure, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. Blaine Jones, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Billy Bugenig, 7.8; 3. Cody Cabral, 8.6; 4. (tie) Cody Pratt and Hunter Cure, 8.7; 6. Baylor Roche, 8.8.
Team roping: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.7 seconds; 2. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins, 5.1; 3. Matt Sherwood/Walt Woodard, 5.2; 4. Ty Blasingame/Tanner Luttrell, 5.3; 5. (tie) Marcus Theriot/Cody Doescher and Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.4.
Saddle bronc riding 1. Layton Green, 84.5 points on Cervi Rodeo’s Payback; 2. Hardy Braden, 84; 3. (tie) Tanner Lockhart and Brody Cress, 83.5; 5. Cort Scheer, 82.5 points; 6. (tie) Colt Gordon and Roper Kiesner, 82.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Cooper Martin, 7.8 seconds; 2. Westyn Hughes, 8.0, $1,314; 3. (tie) Tim Pharr, Jake Pratt and Tuf Cooper, 8.1, $767 each; 6. (tie) Tyler Prcin and Lane Livingston, 8.2, $137 each. Second round leaders: 1. Taylor Santos, 7.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Blane Cox and Westyn Hughes, 7.8; 4. (tie) Justin Smith, Scott Kormos, Cimarron Boardman and Caleb Smidt, 7.9. Average leaders: 1. Westyn Hughes, 15.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Caleb Smidt, 16.5; 3. Jake Pratt, 16.8; 4. Sterling Smith, 17.6; 5. Robert Mathis, 17.9; 6. Blane Cox, 18.0.
Barrel racing: 1. Taci Bettis, 17.36 seconds; 2. Kelley Schnaufer, 17.48; 3. Christine Laughlin, 17.51; 4. Tammy Fischer, 17.56; 5. Sidney Forrest, 17.58; 6. Ashley Shafer, 17.59; 8. (tie) Shelby Janssen and Kaylee Burnett, 17.66; 10. Ari-Anna Flynn, 17.68.
Bull riding: 1. Scottie Knapp, 87 points on Cervi Brothers’ Po-Boy; 2. Remi Wildeman, 83; 3. (tie) Tyler Ray Viers and Hawk Whitt, 81; 5. Trevor Reiste, 79; 6. Garrett Uptain, 77.
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