(PHOTO BY RIC ANDERSEN)
SAN ANGELO, Texas – Peggy Harris had her seat inside Foster Communications Coliseum.
Her grandson, Ty, likely looked for her there before he competed during Thursday’s 10th performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. Though her seat was vacant, her presence was still felt, and he roped himself into the lead of his hometown rodeo heading into Friday’s championship round.
“This is the first time I’ve roped at the San Angelo rodeo without her,” Ty Harris said, noting that his grandmother died last June.
“If there was one thing I wished is my granny sitting right there,” he told announcer Boyd Polhamus as he pointed in the direction of the seat, “but she’s got the best seat in the world.”
Ty Harris roped and tied his calf in 7.7 seconds to move into aggregate lead with the best two-run cumulative time of 15.6 seconds. That puts him top position as he prepares for Friday’s short go-round, which will feature only the top 12 contestants in each event based on the 10 preliminary performances that concluded Thursday.
“I like to say that people who really have pressure are the ones battling cancer or have something they’re really struggling with,” said Harris, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “The truth is, I get more nervous roping at this arena than I get roping anywhere else.”
Pressure tests an athlete’s will and fortitude. It’s one thing to ride a horse and rope a calf, but it’s quite another when the weight of an entire community rests on one’s shoulders before they even nod their head in competition. The last time Harris was in this position was two seasons ago, and he entered the championship night in 11th place. Being the man with a target on his back is considerably different.
He’s focused and ready for the shot at claiming one of the most cherished titles in ProRodeo.
“If I were to win this rodeo, it would be a top three accomplishment for me ever,” he said. “Making my first NFR was huge, but winning this rodeo would be everything.”
He’s just 23, so he’ll have plenty of chances to do so, but there’s always something lurking in the back of a competitor’s mind when he enters a coliseum he has been in since he was very young.
While Foster Communications Coliseum is home to Harris, it’s become quite comfortable to bareback rider Caleb Bennett, a two-time champion who punched his short-round ticket with an 84-point ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Put It Away on Thursday.
“It has been a honey hole for me,” said Bennett, 33, a nine-time NFR qualifier from Corvallis, Montana. “Obviously the big thing is you have the opportunity to draw good ones in San Angelo. I seem to draw the right horse that fits me and make it work.”
Only four points – 86 to 82 – separates the top bareback rider in the first round, Keenan Reed Hayes, from 12th man entering Friday’s championship.
“That shows how good the guys are and how consistent the bucking horses are,” said Bennett, who won San Angelo in 2019 and 2021. “Everybody’s got a chance to win this title. That’s one of the cool things about this rodeo is that Pete Carr brings in all these other contractors, which gives us the opportunity to get on more good bucking horses.
“San Angelo’s cool, because the people are always into it. It’s a hell of a rodeo. The crowd loves it … eats it up. When the crowd gets into it like they do here, it just helps me feed off them and helps me do my job better.”
Maybe that’s why the competition is so sharp for the best cowboys in the game.
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
April 1-15
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Keenan Reed Hayes, 86 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Rising Tide, $7,428; 2. (tie) Tanner Aus and Tim O’Connell, 85, $4,952 each; 4. (tie) Bronc Marriott and Luke Barlow Thrash, 84.5, $2,228; 6. (tie) Seth Hardwick, Jayco Roper, Tim Murphy, Caleb Bennett and Bradlee Miller, 84, $594 each; 11. (tie) Chad Rutherford and Gavin French, 82.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Cade Goodman, 3.5 seconds, $6,236; 2. (tie) Talon Roseland, Bryn Roy, Trell Etbauer, Gus Franzen and Gavin Soileau, 3.8, $3.796 each; 7. (tie) Dakota Eldridge, Brandon Harrison, Justin Shaffer and Tyler Waguespack, 3.9, $475 each. Second round leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 3.3 seconds, $6,236; 2. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Walt Arnold, 3.5, $5,016 each; 4. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Kyle Irwin, 3.6, $3,389 each; 6. (tie) Dakota Eldridge, Rowdy Parrott and Dirk Tavenner, 3.7, $1,356 each. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Stetson Jorgensen, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 3. Walt Arnold, 7.7; 4. Clayton Hass, 7.9; 5. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Payden McIntyre, 8.1; 7. Dirk Tavenner, 8.2; 8. Tory Johnson, 8.3; 9. (tie) Landris White and Winston McGraw, 8.4; 11. Gus Franzen, 8.5; 12. Brandon Harrison, 8.6.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 3.5 seconds, $5,206; 2. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.7, $4,527; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.8, $3,848; 4. (tie) J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo and Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 3.9, $2,830 each; 6. Caleb Smidt/Sergio Gonzales, 4.1, $1,811; 7. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Paul Eaves and Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.2, $792 each. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 3.5 seconds, $5,206; 2. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 3.6, $4,527; 3. Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell and Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 3.8, $3,509 each; 5. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 3.9, $2,490; 6. (tie) Clint Summers/Ross Ashford, Erich Rogers/Paden Bray and Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 4.1, $1,132 each. Average leaders: 1. Aaron Tsinigine/Paul Eaves, 8.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.9; 3. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 9.2; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 9.4; 5. Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 9.5; 6. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 9.6; 7. Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson, 9.8; 8. Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 10.2; 9. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Boogie Ray and Cinch Moody/Rich Skelton, 10.4; 11. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 12.5; 12. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 12.6.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Wright, 89 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Uptuck, $7,047; 2. Spencer Wright, 88, $5,403; 3. Jake Finlay, 86, $3,993; 4. Rusty Wright. 85.5, $2,584; 5. Allen Boore, 85, $1,644; 6. Chase Brooks, 84.5, $1,175; 7. Statler Wright, 84, $940; 8. Stetson Wright, 83.5, $705; 9. (tie) Riggin Smith, Samuel Kelts, Kole Ashbacher, Jack Wright and Creighton Curley, 83. (Rusty Wright likely will not be able to ride because of an injury)
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Tyler Milligan and Travis Rogers, 7.6 seconds, $6,219 each; 3. (tie) Kase Bacque and Marty Yates, 7.7, $4,483 each; 5. (tie) Hudson Wallace, Dakota Felton and Tuf Cooper, 7.8, $2,314 each; 8. (tie) Michael Otero and Ty Harris, 7.9, $289 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Riley Webb and Tuf Cooper, 7.3 seconds, $6,219 each; 3. (tie) John Douch and Zack Jongbloed, 7.4, $4,483 each; 5. (tie) Marcos Costa and Kincade Henry, 7.5, $2,748 each; 7. (tie) King Pickett, Ty Harris and Trenton Smith, 7.7, $675 each. Average leaders: 1. Ty Harris, 15.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Milligan, 15.7; 3. Marty Yates, 16.4; 4. (tie) Zack Jongbloed and J.D. McCuistion, 16.7; 6. Dakota Felton, 16.8; 7. (tie) Luke Potter and Cody McCartney, 16.9; 9. (tie) Marcos Costa and Travis Rogers, 17.5; 11. Lane Livingston, 17.7; 12. (tie) Shane Hanchey and Brushton Minton, 17.9.
Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Shannon McReynolds, 14.12 seconds, $5,773; 2. Michelle Alley, 14.16, $4,948; 3. Chani Graves, 14.19, $4,124; 4. Kailee Murdock, 14.21, $3,574; 5. (tie) Jordon Briggs and Dona Kay Rule, 14.29, $2,474; 7. Sherry Cervi, 14.30, $1,649; 8. (tie) Shelley Morgan and McKenzie Morgan, 14.31, $962; 10. Laura Mote, 14.34, $550. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Shannon McReynolds and Dona Kay Rule, 29.76 seconds on two runs; 3. Wenda Johnson, 29.83; 4. (tie) Lisa Zachoda and Ericka Nelson, 29.96; 6. Margo Crowther, 29.98; 7. (tie) Jordon Briggs and Michelle Alley, 29.99; 9. Bayleigh Choate, 30.02; 10. McKenzie Morgan, 30.03; 11. Emma Charleston, 30.06; 12. Shelley Morgan, 30.07.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Laramie Mosley, 90 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Road Warrior, $7,259; 2. Stetson Wright, 88, $5,565; 3. Riley Barg, 87, $4,113; 4. Ky Hamilton, 85.5, $2,662; 5. Zach Parker, 85, $1,694; 6. Tristen Hutchings, 84.5, $1,210; 7. (tie) Jaron Sheehan, Tyler Bingham and Jordan Wacey Spears, 84, $565 each; 10. Parker Breding, 83; 11. Garrett Wall, 82; 12. Toby Collins, 80.5.