Diaz rides into Guymon money

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Isaac Diaz rides Frontier Rodeo's Yellowstone for 89 points Sunday afternoon to finish second in the saddle bronc riding at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. (PHOTO BY DALE HIRSHMAN)

GUYMON, Okla. – At just 33 years old, Isaac Diaz is the living embodiment of Garth Brooks’ song “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old).”

A professional saddle bronc rider since his college days 15 years ago, Diaz still chases those white lines and great bucking horses that drive his dreams and his passion for rodeo. They brought him to Sunday’s final performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, and it paid off rather well.

“One thing I’ve learned with getting older is the competition is getting younger,” said Diaz, a six-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Desdemona, Texas. “That’s why I travel with young, motivated guys. These guys keep me working out and staying fit and really driving at it.

Isaac Diaz
Isaac Diaz

“Especially with this pandemic, we couldn’t possibly live a better life.”

Diaz rode Frontier Rodeo’s Yellowstone for 89 points Sunday afternoon to finish second in the saddle bronc riding, just a half-point behind the winning ride made by Chase Brooks on Friday night. For his work, Diaz pocketed $2,750.

All that will go a long way toward his efforts to return to the NFR for the seventh time. A sports hernia suffered last spring kept him out of ProRodeo’s finale this past December. The money earned in the Oklahoma Panhandle will push Diaz past the $40,000 mark and will have him ever so close to the top 10 in the world standings.

“I had that horse one other time and it really good,” Diaz said “It wasn’t quite this good. I told Shorty (Garrett) before this that I had to draw her one more time to decide if that was my favorite horse, and now that I’ve done that, I can confirm that it is my favorite horse.

“Frontier is my favorite stock contracting firm. It’s one thing to have great animals, but it’s another thing that they’re willing to do whatever to help you. They’re supportive of us, and they want to see us win. That makes a big difference.”

While Diaz moved into second place, a couple of other cowboys earned a share of victories in their respective events. Tie-down roper Justin Smith stopped the clock in 7.5 seconds Sunday afternoon to win the second round and share the average title with Hunter Herrin; bull rider Koby Radley was 90 points on Frontier’s Lookin’ Up to share the bull riding victory with Ty Wallace.

Smith pocketed $7,559, while Radley left Guymon with $3,313. Diaz drove away from Texas County with the satisfaction of another solid run at a big rodeo on the 2020 season.

“I almost went to school here,” he said, referring to Oklahoma Panhandle State University in nearby Goodwell. “I traveled for a long time with Taos (Muncy), Tyrel (Larsen) and Cody (Taton, all three of whom are Panhandle State graduates), so we always come to this rodeo. It’s the bronc riding capital of this region.

“I’ve never won this rodeo. I’ve finished third, fourth and placed down the line, and now I’m second. I want one of those (trophy) belts with those conchos on it, so hopefully one day I’ll get them.”

He’s still riding like he’s in the prime of his life, so he should have several opportunities to claim that prize.

Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo
Aug. 21-23

All-around cowboy: Tuf Cooper, $6,388 in steer roping and tie-down roping.

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jake Brown, 89 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s New Scarlet, $3,334; 2. Kaycee Field, 87.5, $2,555; 3. (tie) Tray Chambliss, Richmond Champion and Cole Reiner, 87, $1,296 each; 6. Clayton Biglow, 86, $556; 7. Tim O’Connell, 85.5, $444; 8. (tie) Pascal Isabelle and Garrett Shadbolt, 85, $167 each.

Team roping: First round: 1. Nick Sartain/Blaine Vick, 4.2 seconds, $2,506 each; 2. Luke Brown/Patrick Smith, 4.8, $2,179; 3. (tie) Cody Snow/Junior Nogueira and Chad Masters/Wesley Thorp, 5.2, $1,689 each; 5. (tie) Cooper White/Tucker White and J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 5.3, $1,035 each; 7. Jaxson Tucker/Cole Davison, 5.4, $545; 8. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Thomas Smith and Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 5.5, $109 each. Second round: 1. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 4.4 seconds, $2,506; 2. (tie) Dustin Egusquiza/Marty Yates and Clint Summers/Douglas Rich, 4.5, $2,016; 4. Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 4.6, $1,526; 5. Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, 4.9, $1,199; 6. Laramie Allen/Truman Magnus, 5.0, $872; 7. Kolton Schmidt/Hunter Koch, 5.2, $545; 8. (tie) Cody Snow/Junior Nogueira, Paul David Tierney/Thomas Smith and Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.3, $73 each. Average: 1. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 9.9 seconds on two runs, $3,760; 2. Cody Snow/Junior Nogueira, 10.5, $3,269; 3. Paul David Tierney/Thomas Smith, 10.8, $2,779; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Hunter Koch, 11.0, $2,288; 5. Chad Masters/Wesley Thorp, 11.2, $1,798; 6. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 11.3, $1,308; 7. (tie) Jake Orman/Brye Crites and Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 11.5, $572 each.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Chase Crane and Clayton Hass, 4.0 seconds, $1,680 each; 3. (tie) Taz Olson, Walt Arnold, Blake Knowles, Eli Lord, Dalton Massey, Cade Goodman and Tanner Brunner, 4.1, $636 each. Second round: 1. Blake Knowles, 3.5 seconds, $1,798; 2. (tie) Trell Etbauer and Dirk Tavenner, 3.7, $1,446 each; 4. Dylan Schroeder, 3.8, $1,094; 5. Mike McGinn, 3.9, $860; 6. Bridger Anderson, 4.1, $660; 6. Jacob Edler, 4.2, $391; 8. (tie) J.D. Struxness, Blake Mindemann and Payden McIntyre, 4.3, $52 each. Average: 1. Blake Knowles, 7.6 seconds on two runs, $2,696; 2. Trell Etbauer, $2,345; 3. (tie) Walt Arnold and Chase Crane, 8.6, $1,817 each; 5. Jacob Edler, 8.8, $1,290; 6. (tie) J.D. Struxness and Clayton Hass, 8.9, $762; 8. (tie) Newt Bush, Tanner Brunner, Trever Nelson and Bridger Anderson, 9.0, $59 each.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Chase Brooks, 89.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Delta Force, $3,587; 2. Isaac Diaz, 89, $2,750; 3. Rusty Wright, 88.5, $2,033; 4. Spencer Wright, 87, $1,315; 5. (tie) Allen Boore, Kolby Wanchuk, Jake Watson and CoBurn Bradshaw, 86, $568 each.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Marty Yates, 8.1 seconds, $3,101; 2. (tie) Ryan Thibodeaux and Caleb Smidt, 8.2, $2,494 each; 4. Shane Hanchey, 8.3, $1,888; 5. (tie) Hunter Herrin, Riley Pruitt and Quay Howard, 8.5, $1,079 each; 8. (tie) Ryan Jarrett and Blake Ash, 8.7, $135 each. Second round: 1. Justin Smith, 7.5 seconds, $3,101; 2. Tyler Prcin, 7.7, $2,696; 3. (tie) Reese Reimer and Cody McCartney, 7.9, $2,090; 5. (tie) Cody Huber and Tuf Cooper, 8.0, $1,281; 7. Westyn Hughes, 8.1, $674; 8. Bryson Sechrist. 8.2, $270. Average: 1. (tie) Hunter Herrin and Justin Smith, 16.8 seconds on two runs, $4,348 each; 3. Tuf Cooper, 17.0, $3,438; 4. (tie) Cody McCartney and Cody Huber, 17.1, $2,528; 6. Caleb Smidt, 17.2, $1,518; 7. Marty Yates, 17.6, $1,011; 8. Marcos Costa, 17.7, $404.

Barrel racing: First round: 1. Shelley Morgan, 17.11 seconds, $3,995; 2. Michelle Alley, 17.25, $3,196; 3. Wenda Johnson, 17.27, $2,597; 4. Hailey Kinsel 17.35, $1,998; 5. Angela Castleberry, 17.41, $1,598; 6. ,Shannon Lillard, 17.42, $1,198; 7. Hollie Etbauer, 17.43, $999; 8. (tie) Kelly Yates and Stephanie Fryar, 17.47, $849 each; 10. (tie) Ilyssa Riley, Tracy Nowlin and Paige Jones, 17.49, $499 each; 13; Jill Willson, 17.52, $400; 14. Ryann Pedone, 17.52, $300; 15. Shali Lord, 17.53, $200.

Steer roping: First round: 1. Landon McClaugherty, 11.5 seconds, $1,670; 2. (tie) Corey Ross, Scott Snedecor and Cole Patterson, 11.7, $1,094 each; 5. Mike Chase, 12.6, $518; 6. Cody Doescher, 13.0, $288. Second round: 1. Vin Fisher Jr., 10.2 seconds, $1,670; 2. Landon McClaugherty, 10.4, $1,382; 3. Roger Branch, 10.7, $1,094; 4. Jace Bland, 11.1, $806; 5. Taylor Santos, 11.2, $518; 6. Tuff Hardman, 11.6, $288. Third round: 1. Tuf Cooper, 10.3 seconds, $1,670; 2. Martin Poindexter, 10.5, $1,382; 3. Trevor Brazile, 10.7, $1,094; 4. Trey Wallace, 11.5, $806; 5. Clay Smith, 11.8, $518; 6. Cody Lee, 12.2, $288. Fourth round: 1. Scott Snedecor, 9.6 seconds, $1,670; 2. Jace Bland, 10.1, $1,382; 3. Landon McClaugherty, 10.8, $1,094; 4. Roger Branch, 10.9, $806; 5. Trevor Brazile, 11.1, $518; 6. Mike Chase, 11.2, $288. Average: 1. Clay Smith, 53.0 seconds on four head, $3,339; 2. Cole Patterson, 57.6, $2,764; 3. J. Tom Fisher, 58.5, $2,188; 4. Jess Tierney, 67.0, $1,612; 5. Ora Taton, 67.1, $1,036; 6. Chet Herren, 68.7, $576.

Bull riding leaders: 1. (tie) Ty Wallace, on Frontier Rodeo’s Big Don, and Koby Radley, on Frontier Rodeo’s Lookin’ Up, 90 points, $3,313 each; 3. Josh Frost, 88.5, $2,125; 4. Chase Dougherty, 87.5, $1,375; 5. Colten Fritzlan, 87, $875; 6. (tie) Toby Collins and Daniel Keeping, 86, $563; 8. Brody Yeary, 84.5, $375.

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