DODGE CITY, Kan. – The championship round of Dodge City Roundup Rodeo has quite a reputation and being one of the best performances in ProRodeo.
It lived up to it again Sunday, especially for bareback rider Tim O’Connell.
“A lot of guys get nervous when they make the short round here, because this is probably the rankest short round you’ll ever see,” said O’Connell, who matched moves with JK Rodeo’s Molly for 86 points to win the round and clinch the overall title.
The Iowa cowboy posted a 79-point ride in the first round and entered Sunday’s finale tied for 11th overall. He finished with 165 points on two rides to win the championship and pocket $4,551 in the process.
The world standings leader just padded his lead, having pushed his earnings past $120,000 for the season.
“There were guaranteed three horses that were in our E pen last year,” he said of the eliminator pen at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “The heat was out tonight, and I feel very blessed to get Molly for the third short round in a row here. That’s not a day off either. That’s how great the bucking horses that Frontier and Vold’s put here. She gave me the opportunity, the Lord blessed us and it was a great score.
“There’s a trick to that horse, and I think I’ve got that figured out.”
O’Connell has secured his third NFR qualification with an incredible season. The Roundup title marks the 11th championship he’s earned. He earned the national title at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo this past May and finished the 2015 season fourth in the world standings.
But this marks just the first time in his young career that he’s claimed the title in Dodge City.
“This is a great rodeo,” O’Connell said. “I was very blessed to come in the 11th hole. I didn’t know if it would be good enough to pull it through because of the heat that was out, but the good Lord had a plan, and I’m awfully tickled to get that buckle.
“This is a very prestigious rodeo. In the three years that I’ve been here, they break arena records all the time. If you want to be a rank horse rider and be in the 90s, this is the place to be.”
Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
Aug. 3-7
All-around cowboy: Cody Doescher, $6,457 in team roping and steer wrestling.
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Wyatt Denny, 83.5 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Frisky Chicken, $2,901; 2. (tie) Evan Jayne and Blake Smith, 83, $1,934 each; 4. (tie) Jordan Pelton, Kyle Brenneke and Clayton Biglow, 82, $741 each; 7. (tie) Grant Denny and Bill Tutor, $338 each. Final round: 1. Tim O’Connell, 86 points on JK Rodeo’s Molly, $1,650; 2. Winn Ratliff, 84.5, $1,250; 3. Richmond Champion, 83, $900; 4. R.C. Landingham, 82.5, $600; 5. Grant Denny, 79.5, $350; 4. Evan Jayne, 78, $250. Average: 1. Tim O’Connell, 165 points on two rides, $2,901; 2. Winn Ratliff, 163.5, $2,224; 3. Richmond Champoin, 163, $1,644; 4. R.C. Landingham, 162.5, $1,064; 5. (tie) Grant Denny and Evan Jayne, 161, $580 each; 7. Blake Smith, 160.5, $387; 8. Clayton Biglow, 158.5, $290.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Ryan Swayze, 3.8 seconds, $2,846; 2. Shane Frey, 4.2, $2,475; 3. (tie) Kyle Whitaker and Chancey Larson, 4.3, $1,918 each; 5. Trever Nelson, 4.5, $1,361; 6. (tie) Aaron Vosler, Jacob Talley and Jace Melvin, 4.6, $619 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Jacob Edler, Ryan Swayze, Joby Allen and Billy Bugenig, 4.2 seconds, $2,289 each; 5. Aaron Vosler, 4.3, $1,361; 6. Shane Henderson, 4.4, $990; 7. Jarret New, 4.5, $619; 8. Marcus Paul Theriot, 4.7, $247. Final round: 1. Jacob Talley, 4.2 seconds, $1,349; 2. Cody Harmon, 4.3, $1,116; 3. Cody Doescher, 4.6, $884; 4. (tie) Jake Johnson and J.D. Struxness, 5.2, $535 each; 6. Shane Frey, 5.7, $233. Average: 1. Jacob GTalley, 13.6 seconds on three runs, $4,269; 2. Aaron Vosler, 14.9, $3,712; 3. Cody Doescher, 15.0, $3,155; 4. Kyle Whitaker, 15.4, $2,598; 5. Shane Frey, 15.6, $2,042; 6. Ryan Swayze, 15.9, $1,485; 7. J.D. Struxness, 16.2, $928; 8. Cody Harmon, 16.7, $371.
Team roping: First round: 1. Matt Sherwood/Quinn Kesler, 4.7 seconds, $2,426; 2. Colby Lovell/Travis Graves, 4.9, $2,110; 3. Billy Bob Brown/Logan Medlin, 5.1, $1,793; 4. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens and Tom Richards/Evan Arnold, 5.3, $1,319 each; 6. (tie) Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, Kolton Schmidt/Shay Carroll and Joel Bach/Cody Cowden, 5.6, $527 each. Second round: 1. Garrett Rogers/Jake Minor, 5.1 seconds, $2,426; 2. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens and Brooks Dahozy/Brandon Bates, 5.4, $1,951 each; 4. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.8, $1,477; 5.Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 6.1, $1,160; 6. Bubba Buckaloo/Jake Smith, 6.2, $844; 7. Kolton Schmidt/Shay Carroll, 6.3, $527; 8. Justin Davis/Zane Bruce, 6.5, $211. Final round: 1. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 5.3 seconds, $870; 2. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 5.7, $720; 3. Kolton Schmidt/Shay Carroll, 6.1, $570; 4. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 11.3, $420; 5. Joshual Torres/Jonathan Torres, 11.6, $270; 6. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 16.1, $150. Average: 1. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves,17.3 seconds on three runs, $3,639; 2. Kolton Schmidt, 18.0, $3,164; 3. Coleman Proctor/Billy Jack Saebens, 22.0, $2,690; 4. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 24.7, $2,215; 5. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 28.8, $1,740; 6. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 38.1, $1,266; 7. Brooks Dahoozy/Brandon Bates, 11.5 seconds on two runs, $791; 8. Nick Sartain/Gage Williams, 13.1, $316.
Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Spencer Wright, 85 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Jerry’s Delight, $2,615; 2. (tie) Chet Johnson and Clay Elliott, 84.5, $1,743 each; 4. (tie) Taos Muncy and Audy Reed, 83.5, $785 each; 6. (tie) Clay Stremler and Sterling Crawley, 82.5, $392 each; 8. Shade Etbauer, 81.5, $262. Final round: 1. Zeke Thurston, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s times Up, $1,650; 2. Chet Johnson, 87.5, $1,250; 3. Ryder Wright, 86.5, $900; 4. Spencer Wright, 83, $600; 5. Roper Kiesner, 82.5, $350; 6. Clay Elliott, 82, $250. Average: 1. Chet Johnson, 172 points on two rides, $2,615; 2. Zeke Thurston, 169.5, $2,005; 3. Spencer Wright, 168, $1,482; 4. (tie) Ryder Wright and Clay Elliott, $785 each; 6. Shade Etbauer, 163, $436; 7. Roper Kiesner, 161.5, $349; 8. Clay Stemler, 151, $262.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Marcos Costa, 8.4 seconds, $2,846; 2. Timber Moore, 8.5, $2,475; 3. Trell Etbauer, 8.8, $2,103; 4. Tylen Layton, 9.0, $1,732; 5. (tie) Cheyenne Harper and Blane Cox, 9.2, $1,175 each; 7. Cory Solomon, 9.3, $619; 8. Jerome Schneeberger, 9.4, $247. Second round: 1. Caleb Smidt, 7.7 seconds, $2,846; 2. Cory Solomon, 7.9, $2,475; 3. Bryson Sechrist, 8.0, $2,103; 4. (tie) Sterling Smith and RileyPruitt, 8.2, $1,547 each; 6. (tie) William Whayne Jr. and Seth Hall, 8.4, $804 each; 8. (tie) Clint Cooper and Lane Jeffrey, 8.5, $124 each. Final round: 1. Clint Nyegaard, 7.2 seconds, $1,349; 2. Kelsey Garrison, 8.9, $1,116; 3. L.D. Meier, 9.5, $884; 4. (tie) Timber Moore, 9.9, $535 each; 6. Trell Etbauer, 10.3, $233. Average: 1. Clint Nyegaard, 26.6 seconds on three runs, $4,269; 2. Cory Solomon, 27.1, $3,712; 3. Kelsey Garrison, 27.7, $3,155; 4. Timber Moore, 27.8, $2,598; 5. L.D. Meier, 28.8, $2,042; 6. Trell Etbauer, 29.3, $1,489; 7. Kody Mahaffey, 30.9, $928; 8. Cimarron Boardman, 31.1, $371.
Barrel racing: First round: 1. Loni Lester, 17.10 seconds, $2,405; 2. Paige Willis, 17.15, $2,061; 3. Emily Miller, 17.21, $1,718; 4. Sydni Blanchard, 17.23, $1,489; 5. Tara Large, 17.28, $1,145; 6. Tamara Reinhardt, 17.29, $916; 7. Ari-Anna Flynn, 17.32, $687; 8/ Christine Laughlin, 17.33, $458; 9. Jackie Ganter, 17.36, $344; 10. (tie) Jana Griemsman, Tillar Murray and Gretchen Benbenek, 17.40, $76 each. Second round: 1. Tamara Reinhardt, 16.93 seconds, $2,405; 2. Stevi Hillman, 17.02, $2,061; 3. Mary Burger, 17.04, $1,718; 4. Carley Richardson, 17.10, $1,489; 5. Gretchen Benbenek, 17.11, $1,145; 6. Taylor Homuth, 17.16, $916; 7. (tie) Ari-Anna Flynn and Jane Melby, 17.17, $573 each; 9. Cayla Melby, 17.22, $344; 10. (tie) Hailey Kinsel and Layna Kight, 17.25. Final round: 1. Tamara Reinhardt, 17.11 seconds, $1,781; 2. Sydni Blanchard, 17.25, $1,336; 3. Tillar Murray, 17.33, $891; 4. Gretchen Benbenek, 17.37, $445. Average: 1. Tamara Reinhardt, 51.33 seconds on three runs, $3,607; 2. Sydni Blanchard, 51.82, $3,092; 3. Gretchen Benbenek, 51,88, $2,577; 4. Tillar Murray, 52.01, $2,233; 5. Paige Willis, 52.03, $1,718; 6. Loni Lester, 52.15, $1,374; 7. Cayla Melby, 52.21, $1,031; 8. Jana Griemsman, 52.23, $687; 9. Taylor Langdon, 52.30, $515, 10. Carley Richardson, 52.32, $344.
Steer roping: First round: 1. Shay Good, 11.3 seconds, $1,802; 2. Landon McClaugherty, 11.9, $1,491; 3. Vin Fisher Jr., 12.0, $1,181; 4. Leo Campbell, 12.3, $870; 5. Roger Branch, 12.4, $559; 6. Jess Tierney, 12.6, $311. Second round: 1. Travis Mills, 9.2 seconds, $1,802; 2. J.P. Wickett, 9.6, $1,491; 3. Rocky Patterson, 10.1, $1,181; 4. Chet Herren, 10.7, $870; 5. K.W. Lauer, 10.9, $559; 6. Tom Smith, 11.1, $311. Third round: 1. J.P. Wickett, 9.8 seconds, $1,802; 2. (tie) Marty Jones and Jason Evans, 10.5, $1,336 each; 4. Chet Herren, 10.6, $870; 5. J. Tom Fisher, 10.7, $559; 6. Quay Howard, 11.2, $311. Average: 1. Chet Herren, 35.4 seconds on three head, $2,703; 2. Shay Good, 35.5, $2,237; 3. Rocky Patterson, 36.7, $1,771; 4. Bryce Davis, 42.4, $1,305; 5. JB Whatley, 43.6, $839; 6. Kelton McMillen, 48.1, $466.
Bull riding: First round: 1. Scottie Knapp, 91 points on 4L and Diamond S Rodeo’s 346, $2,883; 2. Chase Hamlin, 86, $2,210; 3. Nate Perry, 85.5, $1,634; 4. Jordan Spears, 84.5, $1,057; 5. Brody Yeary, 84, $673; 6. Tyler Smith, 83, $481; 7. (tie) Jeff Askey and Colten Jesse, 82.5, $336. Final round: No qualified rides. Average: 1. Scottie Knapp, 91 points on one ride, $2,883; 2. Chase Hamlin, 86, $2,210; 3. Nate Perry, 85.5, $1,634; 4. Jordan Spears, 84.5, $1,057; 5. Brody Yeary, 84, $673; 6. Tyler Smith, 83, $481; 7. (tie) Jeff Askey and Colten Jesse, 82.5, $336.