Blasingame closer to NFR bid with quality run with Bates in Estes Park
ESTES PARK, Colo. – Ty Blasingame’s rodeo lifestyle got a little easier in March when he and his then-partner, Kyle Lockett, won RodeoHouston and more than $55,000.
That pushed him to No. 1 in the team roping-heading world standings, a spot he held until recently passed by the reigning world champion, Clay Smith. Still, Blasingame has been adding to it and sits second with just shy of $80,000.
He’ll surpass that by the end of the weekend. On Friday night, Blasingame and his heeler, Brandon Bates, stopped the clock in 4.4 seconds to take the team roping lead at Rooftop Rodeo with one night remaining in Estes Park.
“We had a great steer,” said Blasingame, a 2010 National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Casper, Wyoming. “We were the first team out tonight, so we didn’t know what to expect. I headed him as fast as I could, he stayed on his feet, and my man did a great job heeling him.”
In an event where the fastest time wins, being speedy is important, and not many headers have been consistently as fast as the man they call “Blaster.”
“He had it on him fast enough that the steer was just soft enough in front that I thought I better pull inside and just catch him,” said Bates, the 38th-ranked heeler from Phoenix, Arizona. “We’ve jackpotted a lot over the years, but we just started roping together this past February.”
While the team may be heading along different paths at this stage of the season, anything can change. Should they stay atop the standings in Estes Park, each man will pocket nearly $4,500. In addition, they are winning the rodeo in Vernal, Utah, and will compete in the short round Saturday night in Casper.
Now they have an opportunity to win the Rodeo with Altitude, with a beautiful setting in a world-class arena. If it happens, it will be a first for Blasingame, who lived most of his life in Colorado before moving to Wyoming recently.
“This is an awesome rodeo,” he said. “The committee stepped up a few years ago and added quite a bit of money. The committee does a fantastic job, and the fans are awesome. This is one of the best rodeos we go to, so they should be rodeo of the year.”
Rooftop Rodeo
Estes Park, Colo.
July 8-13, 2018
Leaders
Bareback riding: 1. Tim O’Connell, 87 points on Cervi Rodeo’s San Luis; 2. Seth Hardwick, 84.5; 3. (tie) Taylor Broussard and Jesse Pope, 83.5; 5. (tie) Steven Dent and Kody Lamb, 83; 7. Tilden Hooper, 82.5; 8. (tie) Casey Colletti, Paden Hurst and Craig Wisehart, 82.
Steer wrestling: 1. Stockton Graves, 4.2 seconds; 2. Hunter Cure, 4.3; 3. Jacob Edler, 4.4; 4. (tie) J.D. Struxness, Laine Herl and Aaron Vosler, 4.7; 7. Will Lummus, 4.8; 8. 9. Ty Everson, 5.0; 9. (tie) Billy Boldon and Tanner Jackson, 5.4.
Team roping: 1. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 4.4 seconds; 2. Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, 4.9; 3. Garett Chick/Ross Ashford, 5.0; 4. Erich Rogers/Payden Bray, 5.1; 5. (tie) Rhen Richard/Clint Summers and Curry Kirchner/Daniel Reed, 5.5; 7. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 5.7; 8. Eric Martin/Jason Gilchrist, 7.4; 9. Dustin Equsquiza/Jake Long, 9.8; 10. Kal Fuller/Kasper Roy, 9.9; 11. Casey Tew/Jason Johe, 10.0; 12. Steven Duby/Jason Duby, 10.2.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Hardy Braden, 86 points on Cervi Rodeo’s Alpha Dog; 2. Colt Gordon, 86.5; 3. Jake Wright, 83.5; 4. (tie) J.J. Elshere and Trent Burd, 83; 6. (tie) Logan Cook and Jesse Wright, 82.5; 8. (tie) Parker Kempfer and CoBurn Bradshaw, 82; 10. Chanse Darling, 81.
Tie-down roping: 1. (tie) Kody Mahaffey and Clint Nyegaard, 8.4 seconds; 3. (tie) Garrett Busby and Ryan Thibadeaux, 8.9; 5. Ronnie Davis, 9.4; 6. Trevor Thiel, 9.6; 7. Colt Papy, 10.4; 8. Jase Staudt, 10.5; 9. Ryan Belew, 10.9; 10 Talon Cooper, 11.1.
Barrel racing: 1. Sara Cheeney, 16.70 seconds; 2. Dona Kay Rule, 16.74; 3. Lacinda Rose, 16.79; 4. Leia Pluemer, 16.81; 5. Jill Wilson, 16.83; 6. Jill Tanner, 16.84; 7. Carley Taylor, 16.92; 8. Nicole Love, 16.95; 9. Kelly Allen, 16.96; 10. Megan Champion, 16.97; 11. Kassidy Lovell, 16.99; 12. Kynzie McNeill, 17.02; 13. Dani Brownell, 17.06; 14. Heidi Tillard, 17.07.
Bull riding: 1. Josh Frost, 86.5 points on Lyndell Hurst’s Peacemaker; 2. Trey Kimzey, 86; 3. Cody Johansen, 83.5; 4. Callum Miller, 83; 5. Riker Carter, 82; 6. Sean Lynch, 81.5; 7. Hayden Harris, 80.5; 8. (tie) Parker Cole McCown and Shad Winn, 80; 10. Dalton McMurtrie, 79.5.