SAN ANGELO, Texas – Cody DeMoss has won just about every major title there is in saddle bronc riding, but there are two items missing on his resume:
- He’s never won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world championship
- He’s never won the outright title at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo.
He’s well on his way to erasing the latter. On Friday night during the opening performance of the 2019 rodeo, DeMoss rode Lancaster and Jones’ Total Equine Angel Fire for 87 points to take the bronc riding lead. He is given himself a solid chance to earn that first San Angelo title, but first he will advance to the championship round, which will take place Friday, Feb. 15.
DeMoss just turned 38 a few weeks ago, and this marks his 20th year riding broncs professionally. He has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 13 times in his storied career, and he just missed the mark last season; he finished 23rd in the world standings, but only the top 15 on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season advance to rodeo’s grand championship.
Over his career, DeMoss has ridden inside Foster Communications Coliseum numerous times. In 2006, he won the championship round, back when the PRCA conducted its nationally televised tour. This will be the closest to the title he has been since that glorious season.
He’s one of two saddle bronc riding brothers from Heflin, Louisiana; his younger sibling, Heith, is a nine-time NFR qualifier. Cody DeMoss, though, has the edge in most categories. Since he began in the PRCA in 2000, he has earned just shy of $2.3 million.
His earnings, though, go well beyond that. He’s won several titles at events that didn’t count toward in the PRCA, including the Calgary (Alberta) Stampede, RodeoHouston and The American, which takes place at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. When DeMoss won that title in 2017, he pocketed $433,000 for eight seconds of work.
He’s won the average championship at the NFR, ProRodeo’s finale that takes place over 10 December nights in Las Vegas. That happened in 2012, the last of five times the Louisiana cowboy finished the season No. 2 in the world standings – he was also the reserve world champ in 2004, ’05, ’06 and ’09.
He took advantage of a strong horse in Angel Fire, a Texas-raised horse that has been to the NFR each of the past several years. In fact, the athletic bay gelding was still sporting the NFR tag during Friday’s performance.
That strong bucker was just the first of what DeMoss hopes is two great horses he’ll get to ride in San Angelo. Now he’ll await Championship Friday in two weeks to see if fortune finds him.
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
Feb. 1-3, Feb. 8-10, Feb. 13-15
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Taylor Broussard, 84 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Lady’s Man; 2. Tristan Hansen, 64; no other qualified rides.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Jacob Talley, 4.0 seconds; 2. Blake Knowles, 4.9; 3. Steven Culling, 5.5; 4. Dalton Massey, 70; Jake Fulton, 7.3; no other qualified times.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Justin Yost/Jake Edwards, 4.3 seconds; 2. Eli Lord/J.W. Beck, 4.6; 3. Billy Bob Brown/Shay Carroll, 4.7; 4. Jacob Dagenhart/Zack Mabry, 9.6; Rhen Richard/Quinn Kessler, 14.2; no other qualified times.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Cody DeMoss, 87 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Total Equine Angel Fire 2. Tate Owens, 81; 3. Josh Davison, 79.5; 4. Dean Wadsworth, 74; 5. Tyrel Larsen, 73; 6. Scott Davis, 70; 7. Nick LaDuke, 66; no other qualified rides.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Jake Pratt, 7.0 seconds; 2. Haven Meged, 7.9; 3. (tie) Ike Fontenot and Westyn Hughes, 8.0; 5. Shad Mayfield, 8.7; 6. Cody Quaney, 9.2; 7. Ryle Smith, 10.4; 8. Cody Craig, 10.5.
Barrel racing: First round: 1. Wenda Johnson, 15.91 seconds, $4,295; 2. Jill Tanner, 15.97, $3,681; 3. Sidney Forrest, 15.99, $3,068; 4. Ryann Pedone, 16.00, $2,659; 5. Jackie Jatzlau, 16.04, $2,045; 6. Angela Ganter, 16.05, $1,636; 7. Kelly Bruner, 16.07, $1,227; 8. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 16.08, $819; 9. Hailey Kinsel, 16.09, $614; 10. (tie) Sara Withers, Nisa Berry, Jimmie Smith, Brittney Barnett and Kenna Squires, 16.10, $82 each. Second round leaders: 1. Stevi Hillman, 14.32 seconds; 2. Jill Wilson, 14.60; 3. Hanna Forbes, 14.63; 4. Tori Morris, 14.65; 5. Lindsay Kruse, 14.72; 6. Sara Ward, 15.11; 7. Jody McPherson, 15.12; 8. Katie Carroll, 15.26; 9. Toni Dixon, 19.46; 10. Sadye Simpson, 19.91. Average leaders: 1. Stevi Hillman, 30.62 on two runs; 2. Jill Wilson, 30.93; 3. Tori Morris, 31.26; 4. Hanna Forbes, 31.62; 5. Lindsay Kruse, 31.40; 6. Sarah Ward, 31.86; 7 Jody McPherson, 31.87; 8. Katie Carroll, 32.00; 9. Toni Dixon, 35.92; 10. Sadye Simpson, 36.66.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Brady Portenier, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Beauty; 2. Rorey Maier, 85; 3. Dalan Duncan, 70; no other qualified rides.