DODGE CITY, Kan. – Every Kansas cowboy has one title they want to own: Dodge City Roundup Rodeo champion.

Buddy Hawkins is no different. Raised 326 miles east of Dodge City in the tiny southeastern Kansas town of Columbus, he has had aspirations of collecting the most prized rodeo trophy in the Sunflower State.

“Being born and raised in Kansas, Dodge was a dream for me,” said Hawkins, a heeler who qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2013. “I didn’t even get to watch this rodeo until I was competitive in the PRCA because we couldn’t afford to come over here and buy a ticket.”

He can afford to now but is hoping for a nice payback. During Friday’s third performance, he and his header, Lane Ivy of Adrian, Texas, stopped the clock in 5.6 seconds. That, combined with their 4.7-second run in the first round Friday morning, moved them to the top spot in the two-run aggregate heading into the final day of preliminary rounds.

Hawkins wasn’t the only Kansan-born cowboy to do well Friday. Bull rider Tyler Hessman of Beaver, Okla., was born in Dodge City, and he posted an 87-point ride on 4L and Diamond S Rodeo’s Foolish Dreams to take the lead.

They are almost guaranteed a good position at the top of the leaderboard for Sunday’s championship night, which will feature only the top 12 contestants in each event from the weeklong competition.

“We had a really good steer this morning,” Ivy said Friday evening. “We knew we had to put on some sort of 5-second or 6-second run to put ourselves in good position for the short round Sunday. We drew a good steer and made a great run. We’ve got two really good horses and are drawing good steers.”

It’s been working well. The tandem has earned four key victories over the last month and a half, including three during the Fourth of July run of lucrative rodeos. Ivy sits 15^th in the heading world standings with $42,778, while Hawkins is 14^th in heeling with $54,298.

Now they will wait out Saturday’s competition to see if they’ll hold down the No. 1 spot heading into the final night of Roundup.

“Everybody that’s out here rodeoing this time of year has done great, but the odds are that we’ll make it back to the short round in good position,” said Hawkins, who earlier this year won the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, the national championship.

“This rodeo counts for the Prairie Circuit, which is more important now that the All-American Finals, the circuit finals and the RAM finals all count toward the world standings.”

Now 30, he’s the veteran in the rig and has the NFR experience to boot.

“Buddy just makes your job a whole lot easier,” Ivy said. “He’s an outstanding heeler and an even better person.”

Now they stand a chance to win the biggest rodeo in Hawkins’ home state and one of the most prestigious trophy buckles in the game.

“Of the top five rodeos I’d like to win, it’s definitely going to be on that list,” Hawkins said. “I’ve won a few big rodeos in my career, but it would be a big thing for a Kansas kid to win a big Kansas rodeo.”

Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
Aug. 2-6
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tilden Hooper, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist; 2. Tim O’Connell, 86.5; 3. Shane O’Connell, 85.5; 4. Clayton Biglow, 84.5; 5. Mason Clements, 84; 6. Wyatt Denny, 83; 7. J.R. Vezain, 81.65; 8. Austin Foss, 80; 9. (tie) Anthony Thomas, Steven Dent and Justin McDaniel, 79; 12. Luke Creasy, 77.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Clay Mindemann, 3.8 seconds; 2. (tie) Tom Lewis and Levi Rudd, 4.1; 4. (tie) Levi Rudd, Cody Charmasson and Ryan Swayze, 4.3; 7. Jacob Talley, 4.4; 8. (tie) Richard Coats and Blair Jones, 4.7. Second round leaders: 1. Ryle Smith, 3.7 seconds; 2. Tom Lewis, 3.8; 3. Kyle Whitaker, 4.1; 4. Kyle Eike, 4.3; 5. (tie) Riley Krassin and Aaron Vosler, 4.4; 7. Tristan Martin, 4.5; 8. (tie) Blake Mindemann, Cody Doescher, J.D. Struxness, 4.6. Average leaders: 1. Tom Lewis, 7.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Ryle Smith, 8.5; 3. (tie) Nick Guy and Jacob Talley, 9.4; 5. Levi Rudd, 9.7; 5. Laine Herl, 10.1; 7. Kyle Whitaker, 10.1; 8. Tristan Martin, 10.3; 9. Riley Krassin, 10.6; 10. Richard Coats, 10.7; 11. J.D. Struxness, 10.8; 12. Cody Doescher, 11.0.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.6 seocnds; 2. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins, 4.7; 3. (tie) Marcus Theriot/Cody Doescher and Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, 5.1; 5. Hayes Smith/Justin Davis, 5.6; 6. Brett Stuart/Wesley Moss, 6.1; 7. Jake Pancost/David Hinman,6.2; 8. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 6.4. Second round leaders: 1. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 4.4 seconds; 2. Paul David Tiereney/Levi Tyan, 4.5; 3. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 4.7; 4. Jesse Stipes/Jake Clay, 5.1; 5. Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, 5.4; 6. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins, 5.6; 7. Dylan Gordon/Hunter Koch, 6.1; 8. Jake Pancost/David Hinman, 6.5; 9. Marcus Theriot/Cody Doescher, 6.7; 10. Cale Markham/Austin Rogers, 7.1. Average leaders: 1. 2. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins, 10.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, 10.5; 3. (tie) Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward and Marcus Theriot/Cody Doescher, 11.8; 5. Jake Pancost/David Hinman, 12.7; 6. Cale Markham/Austin Rogers, 13.6; 7. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 15.5; 8. Jesse Stipes/Jake Clay, 16.5; 9. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 16.5; 10. Thompson Berryhill/Cody Heflin, 18.2; 11. Brit Ellerman/J.D. Yates, 18.5; 12. Will Clark/Tanner Ward, 24.9

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Jacobs Crawley, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Rooster; 2. Brody Cress, 84; 3. Shade Etbauer, 83.5; 4. Dean Wadsworth, 82.5; 5. Wade Sundell, 81; 6. (tie) Dylan Henson and Zeke Thurston, 79.5; 8. Cody DeMoss, 79; 9. (tie) Jace Lane and Leon Fountain, 77.5; 11. Jake Wright, 77; 12. CoBurn Bradshaw, 76.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Riley Pruitt, 8.0 seconds; 2. Scott Kormos, 9.1; 3. Jerome Schneeberger, 9.6; 4. Tuf Cooper, 9.7; 5. Timber Moore, 9.8; 6. Ty Baker, 9.9; 7. Stran Smith, 10.0; 8. Bryson Sechrist, 10.1. Second round leaders: 1. Caddo Lewallen, 7.4 seconds; 2. Randall Carlisle, 7.9; 3. Kelsey Garrison, 8.2; 4. Paul David Tierney, 8.9; 5. (tie) Cory Solomon and Blane Cox, 9.1; 7. Timber Moore, 9.2; 8. Ross Tucker, 9.3. Average leaders: 1. Timber Moore, 19.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Blane Cox, 19.7; 3. Riley Pruitt, 20.5; 4. Tuf Cooper, 21.3; 5. Trent Creager, 22.4; 6. (tie) Paul David Tierney, J.D. McCuistion and Jerome Schneeberger, 22.5; 9. Ace Slone, 22.8; 10. (tie) Kelsey Garrison and Trell Etbauer, 23.2; 12. Ty Baker, 23.8.

Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Dona Kay Rule and Christine Laughlin, 17.35 seconds; 3. Emily Miller, 17.42; 4. Laura Kennedy, 17.43; 5. Sidney Forrest, 17.45; 6. Jacie Etbauer, 17.47; 7. (tie) Elizabeth Broussard and Bonnie Baughman, 17.50; 9. (tie) Kristin Shoppa and Ivy Hurst, 17.55. Second round leaders: 1. Michelle Darling, 17.16 seconds; 2. Jean Winters, 17.17; 3. Kelly Bruner, 17.25; 4. Ivy Hurst, 17.27; 5. (tie) Sandy McElreath and Sidney Forrest, 17.46; 7. (tie) Holly Wright and Hollie Etbauer, 17.48; 9. Deb Cox, 17.49; 10. (tie) Dona Kay Rule and Laura Lambert, 17.52; 12. (tie) Morgan Breaux, Paige Wiseman and Christine Laughlin, 17.53; 9. Kortney Kizer, 17.55; 10. Jane Fambro, 17.56. Average leaders: 1. Ivy Hurst, 34.82 seconds on two runs; 2. Dona Kay Riule, 34.87; 3. Christine Laughlin, 34.88; 4. (tie) Sidney Forrest and Jean Winters, 34.91; 6. Sandy McElreath, 35.06; 7. Paige Wiseman, 35.12; 8. Bonnie Baughman, 35.16; 9. Laura Lambert, 35.18; 10. Laura Kennedy, 35.27; 11. (tie) Morgan Breaux and Jane Fambro, 35.32.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Tyler Hessman, 87 points on 4L and Diamond S Rodeo’s Foolish Dreams; 2. Shane Proctor, 85.5; 3. (tie) Joseph McConnel and Ednei Caminhas, 84.5; 5. Clayton Sellars, 82; 6. Chris Bechthold, 81.5; 7. Logan Hunter, 80.5; 8. (tie) Kyle Zeigler and Jordan Wacey Spears, 79; 10. Lon Danley, 78; 11. (tie) Fultan Rutland and Nate Perry, 77.5.