Meiers makes Big move in Eagle

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J.W. Meier rides Pete Carr's Big Tex for 83 points to finish the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo in third place in saddle bronc riding. (TODD BREWER PHOTO)
J.W. Meier rides Pete Carr’s Big Tex for 83 points to finish the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo in third place in saddle bronc riding. (TODD BREWER PHOTO)

EAGLE, Colo. – As he stood behind the bucking chutes before the final performance of the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo on Saturday night, there was a bit more electricity sparking out of J.W. Meiers.

“I was excited, and I couldn’t believe I had a horse like that here,” Meiers said of his saddle bronc riding partner, Big Tex, a former horse of the year from the Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo string. “He was everything I had ever hoped for.

“He actually bucked harder, so I was trying to hustle. I did everything I could to stay on him. He’s an amazing horse.”

Yes, he is. Now 17 years old, the big bay gelding was the 2010 Bareback Horse of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He has bucked at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo each of the last 11 years, the last five in saddle bronc riding.

Oh, and cowboys have won many of the biggest rodeos in the country on the powerful and electric horse’s back. On Saturday night, he was matched with Meiers, a 22-year-old cowboy from Mills, Wyo., who has been riding broncs for eight years.

“We had a pretty good match-up today,” he said.

The duo danced across the Johnette Phillips Arena dirt for 83 points, which was worth $1,534 for the Wyoming cowboy. He needs every dollar he can get in this region, because they count toward qualifications to the RAM Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo, which takes place this fall in Great Falls, Mont.

“I made the circuit finals last year, and it’s always a goal to keep going back,” said Meiers, who is just five years older than Big Tex but far less experienced. “At this stage, there shouldn’t be a year I don’t go back. Hopefully I get a few more rodeos in me, I can go harder and hopefully make the (National Finals Rodeo) someday.”

For now, though, he’ll continue to work on the basics of the game and chase his dreams of qualifying for the NFR, ProRodeo’s grand finale that features only the best in the game each season.

“Everything can always have work,” he said. “Today I was ready to have a strong mark-out and lift on my rein. That’s what I needed to focus on every ride.

“Hopefully in five years I can be riding at the NFR and hopefully riding broncs as good ever day as I did today.”

Eagle County Fair and Rodeo
Eagle, Colo.
July 19-22
Bareback riding:
1. Jake Brown, 86 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Bright Lights, $2,256; 2. Devan Reilly, 82.5, $1,730; 3. Joel Schlegel, 82, $1,278; 4. Trenten Montero 81.5, $827; 5. Will Lowe, 81, $526; 6. (tie) Weston Garrett and Mike Fred, 80, $338 each; 8. Zach Hibler, 79.5, $226.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Beau Clark, 3.2 seconds, $645; 2. Justin Blain Davis, 4.8, $483; 3. Brian Snell, 5.0, $322; 4. Cutter DeHart, 5.2, $161. Second round: 1. Wyatt Johnson, 4.4 seconds, $645; 2. Chisum Docheff, 4.7, $483; 3. Cole McNamee, 5.0, $322; 4. Cutter DeHart, 5.3, $161. Average: 1. Beau Clark, 10.0 seconds on two runs, $967; 2. Chisum Docheff, 10.2, $725; 3. Cutter DeHart, 10.5, $483; 4. Logan McDonald, 12.1, $242.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Kyle Dickens, 8.7 seconds, $677; 2. Brice Ingo, 10.4, $508; 3. Taylor Skinner 11.2, $338; 4. Ricky Lambert, 11.4, $169. Second round: 1. Brandon Neugebauer, 9.1 seconds, $677; 2. Joey Dickens 9.2, $508; 3. Dylan Marks, 10.7, $338; 4. Carter Davis, 11.4, $169. Average: 1. Kyle Dickens, 21.0, $1,015; 2. Brice Ingo, 23.5, $761; 3. Ricky Lambert, 23.6, $508; 4. Taylor Skinner, 24.1, $254.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. (tie) Wyatt Casper, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deuces Wild, and Bradley Harter, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Maria, 83.5 points, $2,391 each; 3. JW Meiers, 83, $1,534; 4. Chet Johnson, 81.5, $993; 5. (tie) Dawson Jandreau and Tyler Turco, 81, $541 each; 7. (tie) Sam Harper and Chanse Darling, 79.5, $316 each.

Team roping: 1. Cole Dorenkamp/Bret Tonozzi, 6.0 seconds, $752; 2. Britt Ellerman, 6.7, $564; 3. Eric Martin/Cody Howa, 7.1, $376; 4. Travis Bounds/Jesse Sheffield, 7.3, $188. Second round: 1. Nick Pullara/Shawn Darnall, 5.0 seconds, $752; 2. Levi O’Keeffe/Jade Nelson, 5.3, $564; 2. B.J. Campbell/Lane Siggins, 5.5, $376; 4. (tie) Tanner Baldwin/J.W. Borrego and Tyler Schnaufer/Trevor Schnaufer, 5.8, $94 each; 4. Denton Taylor/Dusty Taylor, 6.2. Average: 1. Brit Ellerman/J.D. Yates, 13.1 seconds on two runs, $1,128; 2. Jay Tittel/Richard Durham, 13.6, $846; 3. B.J. Campbell/Lane Siggins, 16.2, $564; 4. Nick Pullara/Shawn Darnall, 16.3, $282.

Barrel racing: 1. Ericka Nelson, 17.17 seconds, $1,532; 2. Shali Lord, 17.32, $1,313; 3. Kelly Koeppen, 17.36, $1,094; 4. Melanie Roman, 17.62, $948; 5. Jean Winters, 17.64, $729; 6. Cambra Smith, 17.71, $584; 7. Andrea Busby, 17.76, $438; 8. Wendy McKee, 17.80, $292; 9. Dani Durham, 17.81, $219; 10. Abby Phillips, 17.85, $146.

Bull riding: 1. Lex Oakley, 85 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Son of Sam, $3,211; 2. Dillon James Tyner, 83, $2,565; 3. Nic Lica, 81.5, $2,010; 4. Fulton Rutland, 79, $1,456; no other qualified rides.

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