GUYMON, Okla. – For all the limited success Tyler Waguespack has had at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, he’s never finished things off.
“I’ve done well in a round here just about every year I’ve been here, but I’ve never been able to get in the average,” said Waguespack, a 2015 Wrangler National Finals steer wrestling qualifier from Gonzalez, La.
That changed during this year’s 84th annual rodeo. After competing in the opening two rounds Wednesday and Thursday, he held the lead heading into the third go-round. He extended that lead during Saturday afternoon’s second performance with a solid 4.5-second run.
“I had two great runs on my first two cattle, and I came in (to the third round) with the fastest time on two head,” Waguespack said. “I drew a pretty decent steer. Dean Gorsuch had run him earlier in the week, and he gave me some information on him and helped me out; he helped me make the run I did today.”
That run pushed his three-run cumulative time to 12.1 seconds, and he holds a lead of more than two seconds over the runner-up, Clayton Hass of Terrell, Texas. Riding Cadillac, the reigning PRCA/AQHA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, both men have been exceptional in the Oklahoma Panhandle this week.
“I’m traveling with Clayton Hass and Ty Erickson this year,” he said, noting that all three cowboys have been to the NFR, with Hass and Erickson earning their second straight qualifications in 2015. “We’ve all been there before, and we’re going to try to get back there again this year.”
They are well on their way. All three cowboys sit among the top five in the world standings, with Waguespack leading the way at No. 2.
“Everybody wants to have a gold buckle,” he said of the elusive world championship. “But 20 years from now I want them to remember my name.”
He’s making it hard to forget.
Waguespack wasn’t the only contestant to move into the overall lead in his event. He was joined by barrel racer Nicole Laurence of Cresson, Texas, and bull rider Scottie Knapp of Albuquerque, N.M. Laurence has a two-run cumulative time of 35.02 seconds and is 15-100ths of a second faster than the No. 2 cowgirl, Tori Morris.
Knapp had a battle on his hands with Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Rattler, a powerful red bull that has been selected to buck at the NFR three straight times. The end result Saturday afternoon was an 87-point ride.
“I felt out of control the whole time,” Knapp said. “I’m not sure if it was the way he was bucking or my form may have been a little off. Once I got out of position, I just let everything hang out and tried to make the whistle. I wasn’t letting go.
“He’s a great bull, and he’s been a great bull for a while. I wouldn’t mind having him again.”
That’s proving to be a winning formula.
Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo
May 2-8
Results through the first performance
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jake Brown, 89 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Scarlet’s Web; 2. Tranner Aus, 85; 3. Devan Reilly, 82; 4.Ty Breuer, 81; 5. Casey Breuer, 79.5; 6. Kelly Timberman, 77; 7. Casey Colletti, 75; 8. Blaine Kaufman, 74.
Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Blake Hughes/Brady Norman, 6.7 seconds; 2. JoJo LeMond/Kory Koontz, 7.1; 3. (tie) Caleb Mitchell/Cody Thornton and Clayton Hass/Cody Doescher, 7.9; 5. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 8.6; 6. Monty Wood/Brandon Gonzales, 8.7; 7. Jacob Dagenhart/Caleb Anderson, 13.3; 8. Will Clark/Tanner Ward, 14.1. Aggregate leaders: 1. Clayton Hass/Cody Doescher, 22.8 seconds on three runs; 2. Monty Wood/Brandon Gonzales, 23.4; 3. Caleb Mitchell/Cody Thornton, 27.4; 4. (tie) Blake Hughes/Brady Norman and Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 31.1; 6. JoJo LeMond/Kory Koontz, 32.3; 7. Will Clark/Tanner Ward, 35.5; 8. Paul David Tierney/Cesar de la Cruz, 36.2.
Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9 seconds; 2. Jacob Talley, 4.0; 3. Nick Guy, 4.2; 4. Clayton Hass, 4.3; 5. Jason Thomas, 4.4; 6. (tie) Seth Brockman and Tyler Waguespack, 4.5; 8. Jake Kraupie, 4.9. Aggregate leaders: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 12.1 seconds on three runs; 2. Clayton Hass, 14.2; 3. Cody Doescher, 14.4; 4. Dean Gorsuch 14.8; 5. Nick Guy, 15.0; 6. Jacob Talley, 15.3; 7. Jake Kraupie, 15.6; 8. Seth Brockman, 16.3.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) Allen Boore, on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Gold Coast, and Ryder Wright, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Cool Runnings, 83.5 points; 3. Chuck Schmidt, 82; 4. Zeke Thurston, 80; 5. Brady Nicholes, 79; 6. Tyrel Larsen, 78.5; 7. Preston Burr, 77.5; 8. Spencer Wright, 75; 6. Shade Etbauer, 74; 7. Charlie Kogaines, 73; 8. Brody Cress, 70.
Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Tyson Durfey, 7.6 seconds; 2. Cory Solomon, 8.5; 3. Robert Mathis, 8.8; 4. Cade Swor, 9.6; 5. Blane Cox, 10.2; 6. (tie) Clint Cooper and Marty Yates, 10.4; 8. (tie) Dalton Dunham and Jake Pratt, 11.4. Aggregate leaders: 1. Cade Swor, 25.2 seconds on three runs; 2. Tyson Durfey, 29.7; 3. Robert Mathis, 31.0; 4. Blane Cox, 31.2; 5. Cory Solomon, 32.6; 6. Clint Cooper, 33.1; 7. Adam Gray, 36.7; 8. Marty Yates, 37.2.
Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Tori Morris, 17.36 seconds; 2. Abby Penson, 17.39; 3. (tie) Kaylee Burnett and Sabrina Ketcham, 17.48; 5. Amy Jo Farella, 17.50; 6. (tie) Tiany Schuster and Laura Kennedy, 17.57; 8. Cranna Roberts, 17.58; 9. (tie) Morgan Breaux and Tassie Munroe, 17.59. Aggregate leaders: 1. Nicole Laurence, 35.02 seconds on two runs; 2. Tori Morris, 35.17; 3. Rylee Dick, 35.24; 4. Laura Kennedy, 35.32; 5. Amy Jo Farella, 35.36; 6. Sabrina Ketcham, 35.28; 7. Tassie Munroe, 35.44; 8. Morgan Breaux, 35.47; 9. Shelby Vinson, 35.65; 10. Teresa Tubeville, 35.66.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Scottie Knapp, 87 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Ratter; 2. Tanner Learmont, 85; 3. (tie) Clay Wagner and Eli Vastbinder, 81; 5. Corey Atwell, 80; 6. Freeman Yoder, 74; 7. Markus Mariluch, 71; no other qualified rides.