DUNCAN, Okla. – Bareback riding is the toughest event in rodeo.

The cowboys wedge their hands in a rigging, which is cinched tightly to a horse’s back. They use specially designed gloves that lock their hands onto the rigging, thereby locking themselves on the animal.

The ride is meant to be done in rhythm with the horse’s bucking motion, but it takes a toll. That’s why Blaine Kaufman thinks about retirement on an annual basis.

“I think I’ll start slowing down every year,” said Kaufman, 29, of Pretty Prairie, Kansas. “I’ve got to buy my card for the RAM (National Circuit) Finals, so I may as well keep going.”

That’s been the case the past two years and will be so again in 2022 after he won the bareback riding at the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo and clinched his second average and year-end titles in his 10^th qualification to the regional championship for contestants and rodeos primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.

“I’ve been really blessed that I haven’t had any bad injuries in my career,” he said.

He first qualified for the circuit finale in 2011 and has missed just one year since. That’s a high-water mark for a cowboy who makes his rodeo living by staying close to home. That’s why the circuit system works for him.

“It seems like I had to work harder for this one,” said Kaufman, who won the year-end and average titles in 2019. Garrett (Shadbolt) was on my heals the whole season. It came down to a riding and drawing contest when it came to the finals. It was a fun year.”

He earned his way to this year’s championship by placing at 21 circuit rodeos, winning six of them. In all, in finished the season with $23,106, with $6,918 coming over the three days of the regional finals.

“I just stay in the circuit for the most part,” he said. “I’ll go to some of the big winter rodeos, but I’ve got a wife and three kids at home, and we run cows. I like being close to home.”

His children are ages 7, 4 and almost 2.

“They keep you on your toes,” he said.

With the victories, Kaufman will advance to the national circuit finale for the third straight year – while he didn’t qualify for that a year ago, he finished second in the year-end race to Shadbolt, who also won both average and year-end titles; typically, only the two champions qualify for the national championship, but when the same person wins both, the runner-up in the overall race moves on. That event will take place next year.

“It’s always good to make those,” Kaufman said. “I’ve had some good luck there and finishes second there in 2020.”

He’ll have a chance to improve upon that in 2022.

Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo
Oct. 14-16
Duncan, Okla.
All-around champion: Paul David Tierney Year-end all-around champion: Paul David Teirney
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 85 points on New   Frontier’s No 16, $1,845; 2. Blaine Kaufman, 84.5, $1,384; 3. Will Martin, 77.5, $922; 4. Mark Kreder, 75, $461. Second round: 1. Blaine Kaufman, 85 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist, $1,845; 2. Will Martin, 82.5, $1,384; 3. (tie) Mark Kreder and Mike Fred, 79, $692 each. Third round: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 83.5 points, $1,844; 2. Mark Kreder, 82, $1,384; 3. Blaine Kaufman, 81, $922; 4. Will Martin, 80, $461. Average: 1. Blaine Kaufman, 250.5 points on three rides, $2,767; 2. Garrett Shadbolt, 244, $2,075; 3. Will Martin, 240, $1,384; 4. Mark Kreder, 236, $692. Year-end champion: Blaine Kaufman

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Jerek VanPetten, 4.4 seconds, $1,901; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 4.7, $1,426; 3. Laramie Warren, 4.8, $951; 4. Cody Devers, 5.0, $475. Second round: 1. Riley Duvall, 4.5 seconds, $1,901; 2. Sam Goings, 4.8, $1,426; 3. (tie) Tucker Alberts and Adam Lynn Musil, 4.9, $713 each. Third round: 1. Cody Devers, 4.4 seconds, $1,901; 2. Bridger Anderson, 4.7, $1,426; 3. Riley Duvall, 5.0, $951; 4. Gus Franzen, 6.4 seconds, $475. Average: 1. Cody Devers, 14.5 seconds on three runs, $2,852; 2. Riley Duvall, 15.4, $2,139; 3. Bridger Anderson, 16.7, $1,426; 4. Gus Franzen, 18.4, $713. Year-end champion: Stockton Graves

Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Darcy Good, 2.5 seconds, $816; 2. Jenna Lee Hays, 2.7, $612; 3. Emma Charleston, 2.8, $408; 4. Hannah Lee, 2.9, $204. Second round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.4 seconds, $816; 2. Christi Braudrick, 2.5, $612; 3. Jenna Lee Hays, 4.1, $408; 4. Darcy Good, 4.2, $204. Third round: 1. Jaice Walters, 2.6 seconds, $816; 2. Amber Coleman, 2.8, $612; 3. Hope Luttrell, 4.3, $408; 4. Christi Braudrick, 4.8, $204. Average: 1. Christi Braudrick, 19.5 seconds on three runs, $1,224; 2. Amber Coleman, 6.0 seconds on two runs, $918; 3. Darcy Good, 6.7, $612; 4. Jenna Lee Hays, 6.8, $306. Year-end champion: Taylor Munsell

Saddle bronc riding: First round 1. (tie) Hardy Braden, on New Frontier’s Boomerang, and Cody Ballard, on Salt Creek Rodeo’s Birthday Suit, 81 points $1,663 each; 3. Colt Gordon, 77, $951; 4. Ean Price, 74.5, $475. Second round: 1. Cody Ballard, 78 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s No Show Jones, $1,901; 2. Sam Martin, 77, $1,426; 3. Wyatt Lohman, 75.5, $951; 4. Colt Cunningham, 70, $475. Third round: 1. Weston Patterson, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Cross Fire, $1,901; 2. Sam Martin, 85, $1,426; 3. Hardy Braden, 84, $951; 4. Colt Gordon, 81, $475. Average: 1. Cody Ballard, 236 points on three rides, $2,852; 2. Sam Martin, 234, $2,139; 3. Hardy Braden, 165 points on two rides, $1,426; 4. Colt Gordon, 158, $713. Year-end champion: Cody Ballard

Team roping: First round: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.3 seconds, $1,901; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 4.8, $1,426; 3. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.0, $951; 4. (tie) Miles Baker/Zack Woods and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 5.5, $238 each. Second round: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 4.8 seconds, $1,901; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 5.5, $1,426; 3. (tie) Peyton Holliday/Kolton Good and Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 6.4, $713 each. Third round: 1. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 4.3 seconds, $1,901; 2. Curry Kirchner/Austin Rogers, 4.9, $1,426; 3. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 5.1, $951; 4. Jesse Stipes/Casey Stipes, 5.2, $475. Average: 1. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 17.0 seconds on three runs, $2,852; 2. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden and Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 20.2, $1,782 each; 4. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 9.3 seconds on two runs, $713. Year-end champion: Header: Jake Clay. Heeler: Austin Rogers
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Tyler Milligan, 8.7 seconds, $1,901; 2. Will Howell, 8.8, $1,426; 3. Paul David Tierney, 8.9, $951; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 9.1, $475. Second round: 1. Will Howell, 8.9 seconds, $1901; 2. Travis Rogers, 9.4, $1,426; 3. Cody McCartney, 9.8, $951; 4. Wyatt Muggli, 10.1, $475. Third round: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 8.0 seconds, $1,901; 2. Wyatt Muggli, 8.6, $1,426; 3. Bryson Sechrist, 8.7, $951; 3. Eli Barger, 10.0, $475. Average: 1. Eli Barger, 32.4 seconds on three runs, $2,852; 2. Will Howell, 33.7, $2,139; 3. Ryan Jarrett, 37.4, $1,426; 4. Travis Rogers, 39.7, $713. Year-end champion: Travis Rogers

Barrel racing: First round: 1. Emma Charleston, 15.66 seconds, $1,901; 2. Emily Miller-Beisel, 15.68, $1,426; 3. Randi Holliday, 15.72, $951; 4. Jamie Chaffin, 15.75, $475. Second round: 1. Emma Charleston, 13.35 seconds, $1,901; 2. Randi Holliday, 15.68, $1,426; 3. Ari-Anna Flynn, 15.89, $951; 4. Sadie Wolaver, 15.92, $475. Third round: 1. (tie) Sadie Wolaver and Randi Holliday, 15.63 seconds, $1,663 each; 3. Tamara Reinhardt, 15.64, $951; 4. Ari-Anna Flynn, 15.81, $475. Average: 1. Emma Charlston, 46.94 seconds on three runs, $2,852; 2. Randy Holliday, 47.03, $2,139; 3. Sadie Wolaver, 47.52, $1,426; 4. Emily Miller-Beisel, 47.68, $713. Year-end champion: Leslie Smalygo

Steer roping: First round: 1. Cole Patterson, 10.9 seconds, $1,451; 2. Brodie Poppino, 11.1, $1,088; 3. Rocky Patterson, 11.7, $726; 4. (tie) Thomas Smith, Jason Stockton and Darin Suit, 12.1, $121 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Cole Patterson and Roger Branch, 10.8 seconds, $1,270 each; 3. Tyrel Taton, 11.0, $726; 4. Luke Blanton, 11.1, $363. Third round: 1. Billy Good, 9.6 seconds, $1,452; 2. Tyrel Tton, 9.7, $1,088; 3. Mike Chase, 10.1, $726; 4. Rocky Patterson, 10.2, $363. Average: 1. Cole Patterson, 33.9 seconds on three runs, $2,177; 2. Rocky Patterson, 35.0, $1,633; 3. Tyrel Taton, 39.9, $1,088; 4. Billy Good, 20.8 seconds on two runs, $544. Year-end champion: Cole Patterson

Bull riding: First round: 1. Fulton Rutland, 84.5 points on Salt Creek Rodeo’s McCraken, $2,060; 2. Lukasey Morris, 84, $1,584; 3. Trevor Kastner, 81, $1,109; no other qualified rides. Second round: 1. Trevor Kastner, 84 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s No. 849, $2,060; 2. C.J. Simms, 82.5, $1,584; 3. Fulton Rutland, 81.5, $1,109; no other qualified rides. Third round: 1. Fulton Rutland, 77 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Rock ’Em Sock ’Em, $2,614; 2. Trevor Kastner, 69, $2,139; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. Fulton Rutland, 243 points on three rides, $2,852; 2. Trevor Kastner, 234, $2,139; 3. Lukasey Morris, 84 points on one ride, $1,426; 4. C.J. Simms, 82.5, $713. Year-end champion: Fulton Rutland