SAN ANGELO, Texas – Timber Moore knew he had been matched with the right animal at San Angelo Arena on Sunday afternoon.
He just needed to take advantage of it if he had any hopes of winning the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo tie-down roping title for the second time. His 7.8-second run during the eighth performance of the rodeo allows him that chance.
“Cheyenne Harper tied that calf in 8.8 the other day, so I knew she was one of the better calves in the pen,” said Moore, a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Aubrey, Texas. “Everything worked pretty well, and I made a good run on her.
“I knew I needed to do something if I wanted to make the short round. Just to make the short round, I had to be 9.0 to have a good chance. To tie one in 7.8 seconds gives me a chance to place in the average or have a chance to win, so that’s important for me.”
Sunday’s run moves Moore into third place in the second round; his two-run cumulative time of 17.4 seconds also puts him in a tie for second place in the average with Tyler Prcin of Alvord, Texas.
“In the first round, I had a big black calf, and she wanted to jump up when we were tying them down earlier,” Moore said. “When I got to her, she jumped up and knocked me off balance. The calf I had today was littler and faster handling, and that made a lot of difference.”
He is just two years removed from winning the San Angelo championship, so he knows just how special it is to win in this West Texas town.
“San Angelo is a great rodeo town, and everybody out there loves calf roping,” he said. “I had always wanted to win this rodeo, and I’ve done it once. If I could come back and have a chance to win it again, it would great. Actually it would be outstanding for it to happen twice.”
It also would serve as a bit of redemption for the north Texas cowboy. He finished the regular season second in the world standings, then had some trouble during the NFR this past December. He placed in two go-rounds and still pocketed $26,654 during his 10-day run in Las Vegas. He ended the year 10th in the world standings.
“I had an unbelievable year, then I got to the finals, and my horse could’ve worked better and I could’ve roped better,” Moore said. “If I could start this year off like I finished last year off, it would help me a lot. It would help my confidence.
“I haven’t drawn just a whole lot of chances to be able to win or even make some good runs. Hopefully I can get on the right end of the draw and start making things happen.”
He’d like Sunday’s performance to be the start that positive roll of the dice. He’ll wait through two preliminary performances on Wednesday and Thursday to see where he sits for Friday’s championship round, but he likes his position so far.
“Coming back and tying one fast today gave me a chance to get out of there with a lot more money than if I would’ve tied one in 9.0,” he said. “If you come back toward the bottom of the field for the short round, then you don’t have high expectations for winning a good average check. Now I’ve given myself a solid chance to come out of here with a good check.”
That also would be a boost to the cowboy’s confidence.
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
Feb. 5-7, Feb. 12-14, Feb. 17-19
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tanner Aus, 90 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Pass The Heat; 2. Jake Vold and R.C. Landingham, 88 each; 4. Caleb Bennett, 86.5; 5. (tie) Mason Clements and Jamie Howlett, 84.5 each; 7. (tie) Luke Creasy and Jake Brown, 84 each.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Josh Clark and Riley Duvall, 3.6 seconds each; 3. (tie) K.C. Jones, T.J. Hall, Dakota Eldridge and Heath Thomas, 3.9 each; 7. (tie) Stan Branco and Orrin Fontenot, 4.0 each. Second round leaders: 1. Jacob Talley, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Blake Knowles and Cody Woodward, 3.8 each; 4. (tie) Clayton Tuchscherer and Mike McGinn, 3.9 each; 6. (tie) Rowdy Parrott and Clint Shofner, 4.1 each; 8. Cameron Mormon, 4.2. Average leaders: 1. K.C. Jones, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 8.3; 3. Riley Duvall, 8.4; 4. Stan Branco, 8.8; 5. (tie) Nick Guy and Trevor Knowles, 9.1 each; 7. Jacob Edler, 9.5; 8. Timmy Sparing, 9.7.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Adam Rose/Walt Woodard, 4.0 seconds; 2. Colby Lovell/Will Wodfin, 4.1; 3. Cody Snow/Dugan Kelly, 4.2; 4. (tie) Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess and Bart Brunson/Zack Mabry, 4.5 each; 6. (tie) Nathan McWhorter/Dustin Davis and Justin Davis/Zane Bruce, 4.6 each; 8. (tie) Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, Tyler Wade/Kinney Harrell and Spencer Mitchell/Justin Davis, 4.7 each. Second round leaders: 1. Kolton Schmidt/Shay Carroll, 3.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Spencer Mitchell/Justin Davis, Brady Tryan/Tommy Zuniga and Tate Kirchenschlager/Trevor Kirchenschlager, 3.9 each; 5. (tie) Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler, Casey Tew/John Robertson and Drew Horner/Trey Johnson, 4.0 each. Average leaders 1. Spencer Mitchell/Justin Davis, 8.6 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Adam Rose/Walt Woodard and Colby Lovell/Will Woodfin, 8.7 each; 4. Nathan McWhorter/Dustin Davis, 9.0; 5. (tie) Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess and Blake Hirdes/Joseph Shawnego, 9.3 each; 7. Tyler Wade/Kinney Harrell, 9.4; 8. Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 9.5.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Jacobs Crawley, 88 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Rich n Fancy; 2. Allen Boore, 85.5; 3. Rusty Wright, 85; 4. Curtis Garton, 83; 5. Joey Sonnier III, 82; 6. Ryan Mackenzie, 81; 7. Brody Cress, 80; 8. (tie) CoBurn Bradshaw and Tyrel Larsen, 79.5 each.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Jake Pratt, 7.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Michael Otero and Caleb Smidt, 8.0 each; 4. (tie) Garrett Hale and E.J. Roberts, 8.1 each; 6. (tie) Chant DeForest and Ike Fontenot, 8.2 each; 8. Cody Quaney, 8.3. Second round leaders: 1. Marcos Costa, 7.4 seconds; 2. Riley Pruitt, 7.7; 3. (tie) Timber Moore and J.D. Kibbe, 7.8 each; 5. (tie) Hunter Herrin and Justin Macha, 7.9 each; 7. Sterling Smith, 8.1; 8. (tie) Tyler Prcin, Quay Howard and Jerrad Hofstetter, 8.2 each. Average leaders: 1. Caleb Smidt, 16.7 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Tyler Prcin and Timber Moore, 17.4 each; 4. E.J. Roberts, 17.6; 5. Garrett Hale, 17.7; 6. Chant DeForest, 17.8; 7. Marcos Costa, 18.0; 8. (tie) Trey Young, Cody Owens and Jayce Johnson, 18.2 each.
Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Tana Poppino, 13.97 seconds; 2. Kathy Grimes, 13.98; 3. Alexa Lake, 14.19; 4. Lisa Thonton, 14.22; 5. Tori Morris, 14.25; 6. Nicole Riggle, 14.26; 7. Kelly Clifton, 14.27; 8. Pamela Capper, 14.29; 9. Cindy Wheeler, 14.30; 10. Sabrina Ketcham, 14.31. Average leaders: 1. Kathy Grimes, 29.81 seconds on two runs; 2. Pamela Capper, 29.96; 3. Jana Bean, 29.97; 4. Tana Poppino, 29.98; 5. Sherry Cervi, 30.09; 6. Kelley Schnaufer, 30.16; 7. Nicole Riggle, 30.19; 8. Megan Lewis, 30.26; 9. (tie) Cindy Wheeler and Kirsty White, 30.30 each.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Dustin Bowen, 87.5 points on Lancaster & Jones’ Total Bull Battle Born; 2. Joseph McConnel, 86.5; 3. Tim Bingham, 86; 4. (tie) Reagan Avery, Jeff Bertus, John Young and Kanin Asay, 84.5 each; 8. Josh Frost, 84.