GUYMON, Okla. – Frontier Rodeo’s bull Big Don had a nasty reputation, but that didn’t matter to Ty Wallace, who mastered the beast for 90 points Saturday night to take the bull riding lead at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo.
“I’ve seen that bull a handful of times this year, and he’s been awesome,” said Wallace, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Collbran, Colorado. “He’s one of Frontier’s top five bulls, and I was just happy to come to Guymon and get on a bull like that.
“It always feels better when it works out.”
Josh Frost, a graduate of nearby Oklahoma Panhandle State University, had jumped into the lead with an 88.5-point ride on Frontier’s Magic Trick, but then Wallace and Big Don worked their own magic. He will have to wait for the outcome of Sunday’s final performance to see if the score holds up for the Pioneer Days Rodeo title and the cherished trophy buckle awarded to each year’s champions.
“It always helps when the bull bucks hard,” he said. “When they buck that hard, you don’t really have time to think; you just react. I’d say 70 percent is mental. I can sure beat myself up mentally knowing that bull was hard to get away from. It runs through your head, and you try to block it out. I’m just thankful these bullfighters were there and are awesome.”
With a little more than a month left in ProRodeo’s regular season, Wallace was 13th in the world standings heading into this week of rodeos. Every dollar counts, so he knows having a good check at Oklahoma’s only ProRodeo Hall of Fame event will be important.
“Being right there on the bubble with a month left in the season, it definitely helps,” said Wallace, noting that only the top 15 on the money list at the end of the regular season advance to the NFR. “It makes you forget about the standings, and you can just go enjoy yourself and not be pressured.”
Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson has felt a little pressure. He’s been among the top 15 all season, but he’s dipped to 11th heading into this week. That’s why he ran his first steer Thursday afternoon, then sprinted to an airplane for a short hop to Amarillo, Texas, to catch a second flight that day en route to Denver then on to Kalispell, Montana.
“I got to the arena at Kalispell just as they were running the first bulldogging steer in slack after the performance,” said Anderson, the reigning college steer wrestling champion from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “The next morning, we drove to Burley (Idaho), then I got up early this morning to get on a flight to get back here for tonight.”
Five planes in two days, but he’s placing in Burley and is placing in both the second round and two-run aggregate in Guymon. He posted a 4.1-second run Saturday night for fifth in the round and a tie for fifth place in the average
“It would mean a lot to pick up some money here,” he said. “It would be a great place to keep climbing up the world standings and the (Prairie) Circuit standings, hopefully at least hold the position.”
All he hoped for was an opportunity, and he got it.
Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo
Aug. 21-23
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jake Brown, 89 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s New Scarlet; 2. Kaycee Field, 87.5; 3. (tie) Tray Chambliss and Richmond Champion, 87; 5. Clayton Biglow, 86; 6. Tim O’Connell, 85.5; 7. (tie) Pascal Isabelle and Garrett Shadbolt, 85.
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. (tie) Dustin Egusquiza/Marty Yates and Clint Summers/Douglas Rich, 4.5; 4. Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 4.6; 5. Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, 4.9; 6. Laramie Allen/Truman Magnus, 5.0; 7. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Thomas Smith and Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.3. Average: 1. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 9.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Paul David Tierney/Thomas Smith, 10.8; 3. Chad Masters/Wesley Thorp, 11.2; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 11.3; 5. (tie) Jake Orman/Brye Crites and Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 11.5; 7. Chris Francis/Cade Pasig, 12.0; 8. Brit Ellerman/Trey Johnson, 17.1.
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; 2. Dirk Tavenner, 3.7; 3. Dylan Schroeder, 3.8; 4. Mike McGinn, 3.9; 5. Bridger Anderson, 4.1; 6. Jacob Edler, 4.2; 7. (tie) J.D. Struxness, Blake Mindemann and Payden McIntyre, 4.3. Average: 1. Blake Knowles, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Walt Arnold and Chase Crane, 8.6 each; 4. Jacob Edler, 8.8; 5. (tie) J.D. Struxness and Clayton Hass, 8.9; 7. (tie) Newt Bush, Trever Nelson and Bridger Anderson, 9.0.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Chase Brooks, 89.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Delta Force; 2. Rusty Wright, 88.5; 3. Spencer Wright, 87; 4. (tie) Allen Boore and Kolby Wanchuk, 86; 6. Jake Finlay, 85; 7. Leon Fountain, 81; 8. Kole Ashbacher, 80.
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. Tyler Prcin, 7.7 seconds; 2. (tie) Reese Reimer and Cody McCartney, 7.9; 4. (tie) Cody Huber and Tuf Cooper, 8.0; 6. Bryson Sechrist. 8.2; 7. (tie) Hunter Herrin and Adam Gray, 8.3. Average: 1. Hunter Herrin16.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Tuf Cooper, 17.0; 3. (tie) Cody McCartney and Cody Huber, 17.1; 5. Caleb Smidt, 17.2; 6. Marty Yates, 17.6; 7. Marcos Costa, 17.7; 8. Colt Papy, 18.2.
Barrel racing: First round: 1. Shelley Morgan, 17.11 seconds; 2. Wenda Johnson, 17.27; 3. Hailey Kinsel 17.35; 4. Shannon Lillard, 17.42; 5. Hollie Etbauer, 17.43; 6. (tie) Kelly Yates and Stephanie Fryar, 17.47 each; 8. (tie) Ilyssa Riley, Tracy Nowlin and Paige Jones, 17.49.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Ty Wallace, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big Don; 2. Josh Frost, 88.5; 3. (tie) Toby Collins and Daniel Keeping, 86; 5. Brody Yeary, 84.5; 6. Ruger Piva, 82; 7. Lon Danley, 79.5; 8. (tie) Dustin Martinez and Colton Byram, 76.