DODGE CITY, Kan. – A month ago, Tyler Waguespack was the No. 5 steer wrestler in the world standings.
Things changed dramatically in those few weeks. In that time, he’s earned less than $5,000 in ProRodeo and came into this week 13th. He’s not exactly comfortable being that low in the standings, even though the top 15 on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
“Right now, I’m trying to get the momentum going,” said Waguespack, the 2016 world champion from Gonzales, La. “Hopefully some good runs here in Dodge City can get my momentum going back in the right direction.”
Two down and hopefully one more to go. Waguespack posted a 4.3-second run Wednesday morning during the first round at Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, then followed that with a 4.4-second run that evening to take the overall lead.
Over the last five years, he’s found great success inside Roundup Arena. He’s placed in rounds and the three-run aggregate, finishing as high as second. In that time, he’s earned just shy of $10,000 in Roundup Arena.
“I’ve always done good here,” he said. “To be able to pull off a win here would be incredible. I’m going to have to wait and hopefully make it back Sunday and see what I can do then.”
Only the top 10 times on two runs in the timed events and the top 10 scores in the roughstock events will advance to Championship Sunday to compete for one of the biggest prizes in ProRodeo. Roundup is a nine-time winner of the PRCA Rodeo of the Year and has even more nominations over the years. It also was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2012.
He’ll have to wait out the final three preliminary performances to know for sure.
“We could come back first or come back right out of it and not get another one,” Waguespack said. “You never know how things are going to play out.”
For now, he knows his chances are good, and he got a lot of help from his mount, Scooter, a 13-year-old sorrel that was named the Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year in 2017. Waguespack doesn’t own the talented gelding, but he knows what it means to have a powerful helper underneath.
“I can’t thank Tyler Pearson and Kyle Irwin enough for letting me ride that great animal,” he said of the horse’s co-owners. “I’ve been on him most of the year. I have had a lot of success on him. I rode him last year at the NFR and did great on him there. Hopefully I’ll be back again and can ride him again.”
For now, though, Waguespack will focus on the business at hand, and that’s trying to win Dodge City Roundup for the first time in his career.
Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
Aug. 1-5
Bareback riding leaders: 1. (tie) Seth Harwick, on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Wrangler Valley, and Wyatt Denny, on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Hot Valley, 84 points; 3. (tie) Clayton Biglow and Steven Dent, 83; 5. Jesse Pope, 82; 6. Will Martin 78; 7. J.C. Hester, 76; 8. (tie) Orin Larsen and Mark Kreder, 69; no other qualified rides.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Cody Pratt, 3.8 seconds; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 4.3; 3. Kyle Irwin, 4.6; 4. Kyle Whitaker, 4.9; 5. Justin Shaffer, 5.3; 6. Blake Knowles, 5.7; 7. Jacob Talley, 5.9; 8. Ty Talsma, 6.0. Second round leaders: 1. Tyler Pearson, 3.7 seconds; 2. Aaron Vosler, 4.0; 3. Nick Guy, 4.2; 4. (tie) Blake Knowles and Tyler Waguespack, 4.4; 6. Kyle Whitaker, 5.5; 7. Brad Ralph, 5.6; 8. Kyle Irwin, 5.7. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 8.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Cody Pratt, 9.9; 3. Blake Knowles, 10.1; 4. Kyle Irwin, 10.3; 5. Kyle Whitaker, 10.4; 6. Nick Guy, 15.1; 7. Justin Shaffer, 19.2; 8. Austin Eller, 22.5; 9. Ty Talsma, 22.7; 10. Tyler Pearson, 25.6.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Jr. Dees/Cody Cowden, 4.7 seconds; 2. Paul David Tierney/Danner Braden, 5.0; 3. Tyler Wade/Tyler McKnight, 5.4; 4. Dylan Gordan/Gage Williams, 7.2; 5. Billy Peters/Rio Esquibel, 8.0; 6. Lane Ivy/Blaine Vick, 10.7; 7. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 10.8; 8. Jarrett Freeman/Zane Murphy, 11.4. Second round leaders: 1. Tyler Wade/Tyler McKnight, 4.8; 2. JoJo LeMond/J.D. Yates, 5.4; 3. Jr. Dees/Cody Cowden, 5.5; 4. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 7.4; 5. Billy Peters/Rio Esquibel, 9.6; 6. Bubba Buckaloo/Tyler Worley, 10.4 seconds; 7. Lane Ivy/Blaine Vick, 14.8; Dylan Gordon/Gage Williams, 14.9. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Tyler Wade/Tyler McKnight and Jr. Dees/Cody Cowden, 10.2 seconds on two runs; 3. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 12.4; 4. Billy Peters/Rio Esquibel, 17.6; 5. JoJo LeMond/J.D. Yates, 21.1; 6. Dylan Gordon/Gage Williams, 22.1; 7. Lane Ivy/Blaine Vick, 25.5; 8. Bubba Buckaloo/Tyler Worley, 10.4 seconds on one run; 9. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 10.8; 10. Jarrett Freeman/Zane Murphy, 11.4.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) Spencer Wright, on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Sun Pop, and Bradley Harter, on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Pillow Talk, 83.5 points; 3. (tie) Rusty Wright and Mitch Pollock, 82.5; 5. Dawson Hay, 81; 6. Wyatt Casper, 80.5; 7. Lefty Holman, 79.5; 8. Steven Dent, 78; Taygen Schuelke, 77.5; 10. Colt Gordon, 73.5.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Paul David Tierney, 8.8 seconds; 2. Weldon Watson, 9.1; 3. Blair Burk, 10.0; 4. Ty Harris, 10.9; 5. L.D. Meier, 11.1; 6. Cimarron Boardman, 12.0; 7. Russell Schilling, 13.2; 8. Casey Butaud, 13.5. Second round leaders: 1. Hudson Wallace, 8.8 seconds; 2. Weldon Watson, 11.0; 3. Kody Mahaffey, 11.9; 4. Casey Butaud, 12.9; 5. Cimarron Boardman, 18.2; 6. Luke Meier, 18.3; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Weldon Watson, 20.1 seconds on two runs; Casey Butaud, 26.4; 3. Hudson Wallace, 27.8; 4. Cimarron Boardman, 30.2; 5. Kody Mahaffey, 33.4; 6. Paul David Tierney, 8.8 seconds on one run; 7. Blair Burk, 10.0; 8. Ty Harris, 10.9.
Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Sarah Rose McDonald, 17.15 seconds; 2. Shali Lord, 17.16; 3. Cierra Chapman, 17.41; 4. Ali Armstrong, 17.43; 5. Diana Shoop, 17.59; 6. Sabrina Devers, 17.61; 7. Hollie Etbauer, 17.63; 8. Deb Cox, 17.74; 9. Micah Samples, 17.93; 10. Jacie Etbauer, 17.96. Second round leaders: 1. Shali Lord, 17.32 seconds; 2. Cierra Chapman, 17.39; 3. Deb Cox, 17.64; 4. Sabrina Devers, 17.75; 5. Ceri McAffery, 17.85; 6. Micah Samples, 17.93; 7. Jacie Etbauer, 36.18; 8. Mary Moore, 18.14; 9. Jacie Etbauer, 18.22; 10. J.J. Baldwin, 18.27. Average leaders: 1. Shali Lord, 34.48 seconds on two runs; 2. Cierra Chapman, 34.80; 3. Sabrina Devers, 35.36; 4. Deb Cox, 35.38; 5. Diana Shoop, 35.54; 6. Micah Samples, 35.86; 7. Jacie Etbauer, 36.18; 8. Mary Moore, 36.28; 9. Ceri McAffery, 36.71; 10. J.J. Baldwin, 36.84.
Bull riding leaders: 1. J.W. Harris, 88 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Kooty Crazy; 2. Aaron Williams, 86; 3. Ruger Piva, 84; 4. Fulton Rutland, 80.5; 5. Chase Dougherty, 78; 6. Trevor Kastner, 76.5; 7. Trevor Reiste, 75; no other qualified rides.