BY TRISHA PRICE
Rodeo Media Relations
GUYMON, Okla. – No stranger to winning or the Guymon community, two-time world champion saddle bronc rider Taos Muncy of Corona, N.M., has made a name for himself in the rodeo industry.
“This is where it all started for me,” Muncy said referring to Guymon, home of this week’s Pioneer Days Rodeo.
Muncy rodeoed for Oklahoma Panhandle State University, just 10 miles down the road in Goodwell.
“As soon as I came here for the bronc school my freshman year of high school, I knew where I wanted to go to college and where I wanted to hang out,” he said.
As an Aggie, he won the college and world championships in bronc riding as just a sophomore in 2007, becoming just the third cowboy in the history of the sport to win the two titles in the same event in the same calendar year; he joined bull rider Matt Austin and all-around cowboy Ty Murray.
An 88-point ride aboard Powder River Rodeo’s Miss Chestnut put Muncy in a position to take home his second championship title in Guymon – he won Pioneer Days in that magical 2007 season. He has encountered that horse before while winning the title in Caldwell, Idaho.
“I had a pretty good idea of what he was and I was really excited it was nice weather to get on him,” Muncy said.
The sunny, 80-degree weather made it the perfect saddle bronc riding conditions at the Saturday afternoon performance for Muncy.
He was joined in the winner’s circle Saturday by two other world champions who also took the lead in each of their events. Three-time and defending tie-down roping champion Tuf Cooper of Decatur, Texas, took the lead in the steer roping with an aggregate time of 106.9 seconds on five runs, and reigning bull riding world champion Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Okla., took the lead in the bull riding with a 86-point ride.
Cooper, a seven-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier, is excited about taking the lead in the steer roping, an event he began competing in just a year ago.
“To win one of my first big steer roping’s would be a big breakthrough for me and give me a lot of confidence,” Cooper said. “I’ve placed in some rounds won enough to stay in the all-around but nothing big.
“This is one of the bigger steer ropings; it’s a five-header, so you have to keep roping because a lot of guys can go out. My dad has won it plenty of times, my uncle has won it and my brother-in-law so it would be cool to win.”
His father is eight-time world champion Roy Cooper, who won rodeo’s Triple Crown in 1983 by claiming the all-around, tie-down roping and steer roping gold buckles.
Now Tuf Cooper is carrying on a family tradition.
Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo
April 27-May 3
Results through the first performance
Bareback riding leaders: 1. (tie) Zachariah Phillips, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Cool Change, and Tim O’Connell, on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Fancy Free, 85 points each; 3. Wes Stevenson, 81; 4. Mason Clements, 80; 5. (tie) Devan Reilly and Richmond Champion, 78 each; 7. Will Martin, 77; 8. Kody Lamb, 74.
Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. (tie) Clayton Hass/Logan Medlin and Luke Brown and Kollin VonAhn, 6.8 seconds; 3. Colby Lovell/Kory Koontz, 7.1; 4. (tie) Turtle Powell/Dakota Kirchenschlager and Calvin Brevik/Wade Masters, 7.2; 6. Jake Cooper/Tyler McKnight, 7.5;. Aggregate leaders: 1. Colby Lovell/Kory Koontz, 20.1 seconds on three runs; 2. Jake Cooper/Tyler McKnight, 21.0; 3. Calvin Brevik/Wade Masters, 22.6; 4. Jess Tierney/Jace Crabb, 24.6; 5. Turtle Powell/ Dakota Kirckenschlager, 26.3; 6. Brandon Webb/Kaleb Driggers, 29.8; 7. Clayton Hass/Logan Medlin, 30.0; 8. Zayne Dishion/Tommy Zuniga, 30.7.
Steer roping: Fifth round leaders: 1. Rocky Patterson, 11.8 seconds 2. Chance Kelton, 12.2; 3. Jess Tierney, 13.4; 4. Shay Good, 13.6; 5. Scott Snedecor, 14.3; 6. Wade Shoemaker, 15.0; no other qualified times. Aggregate leaders: 1. Tuf Cooper, 106.9 seconds on five runs; 2. Scott Snedecor, 68.8 seconds on four runs; 3. Chance Kelton, 69.6; 4. Jess Tierney, 74.4; 5. JoJo LeMond, 93.2; 5. Vin Fisher Jr., 110.2.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Taos Muncy on Powder River Rodeo’s Miss Chesnut, 88 points; 2. Isaac Diaz, 85; 3. (tie) Tyler Corrington and Wade Sundell, 78; 4. (tie) Chet Johnson, Cort Scheer, and Zeke Thurston, 77; 5. Jade Blackwell and Tyrel Larson, 76; 6. Chase Bennett, 75; 7. Chanse Darling, 73; 8. Casey Maddox, 70.
Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Wade Sumpter, 3.9 seconds; 2. Michael Bates Jr., 4.6; 3. Forest Sainsbury, 4.7; 4. Sean Mulligan, 4.8; 5. (tie) Stan Branco and Jon Herl, 4.9; 7. Ace Campbell, 5.1; 8. Dean Stermer, 5.8.Aggregate leaders: 1. Forest Sainsbury, 19.4 seconds on three runs; 2. Darrell Petry, 20.5; 3. Sean Mulligan, 24.0; 4. Wade Sumpter, 25.4; 5. Dean Sterner, 26.2; 6. Dean Boldon, 28.2; 7. Juan Alcazar Jr., 31.4; 8. Hunter Lewis, 8.4 seconds on two runs.
Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Cade Swor, 7.4 seconds. 2. Shane Hanchey, 7.9; 3. Sterling Smith, 8.3; 4. Trey Young, 8.8; 5. Cory Solomon, 9.1; 6. Jess Woodward and Dane Kissack, 9.7; 8. Robert Mathis 9.8. Aggregate leaders: 1. Shane Hanchey, 24.8 seconds on three runs; 2. Cory Solomon, 26.0; 3. Sterling Smith, 26.0; 4.Jake Pratt, 26.5; 5.Blane Cox, 27.5; 6.Cade Swor, 27.7; 7. Dane Kissack 28.9; 8.Trey Young, 29.8.
Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Heather Clayton, 16.94 seconds; 2. Mary Walker, 17.12; 3. (tie) Laura Kennedy and Carley Richardson, 17.19; 5. Ivy Conrado, 17.24; 6. Brittany Pozzi, 17.25; 7. Fallon Taylor, 17.29; 8. Rebecca Hughes, 17.30; 9. Lanita Peirce, 17.31; 10.Chelsey Kleinvachter, 17.32. Aggregate leaders: 1. Mary Walker, 34.13 seconds on two runs; 2. Brittany Pozzi, 34.52; 3. Ivy Conrado, 34.70; 4. Jaime Hinton, 34.74; 5. Chelsey Kleinvackter,34.75; 6. Fallon Taylor, 34.81; 7. Natalie Bland, 34.87; 8. Karisa Brookshire, 34.93; 9. Jenna Waggoner, 34.94; 10. Rebecca Hughes, 34.96.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Trevor kastner, 86 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Sazerac; 2. Brett Stall, 84; 3. Chris McCombs, 83; 4. Chris McCombs, 82; no other qualified rides.