(PHOTO BY RIC ANDERSEN)
SAN ANGELO, Texas – Timed-event cowboys know a couple things about the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo.
It’s going to be loud inside Foster Communications Coliseum, and it’s going to take a fast time to win. Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp knew both things when they arrived Thursday night for the fifth performance of the rodeo, and they took it to the test. The cowboys stopped the clock in 3.7 seconds to take the first-round team roping lead.
“It helps to know what we needed to do,” said Snow of Los Olivos, California. “We knew we had to be aggressive tonight. That rodeo’s always fast.”
The team knows a thing or two about being fast. Each man has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo six straight times and won the average championship there in 2019. That year, Snow finished second in the heading world standings; Thorp won the world championship.
A year ago, the tandem finished third in San Angelo, and the $8,533 each man earned helped them get back to the NFR. They finished the campaign among the top 10 in their respective events: Snow was 10th, while Thorp, of Throckmorton, Texas, was ninth among the heelers.
It was a good night for the team ropers. Reigning world champions Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira were just a 10th of a second behind, while Aaron Tsinigine and Paul Eaves were 4.2 to move into a tie for sixth place in the opening round. Luke Brown and Hunter Koch were 4.4 and sit eighth.
Each team will return to the coliseum for Friday’s sixth performance to run their second steers. The top 12 teams with the best two-run cumulative times will advance to the championship round, which takes place next Friday, April 15.
Of their six NFR qualifications, they’ve roped together at Las Vegas four times. They’ve also partnered at various times when they roped with other cowboys at the finale. They know how to communicate and work together, which is a big reason they’re so successful.
“We’ve run a lot of steers together,” said Snow, now 27th in the world standings while his partner is 26th in heeling. “We’ve been roping together for five years and know each other pretty well.”
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
April 1-15
Bareback riding leaders: 1. 2. Keenan Reed Hayes, 86 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Rising Tide; 2. Bronc Marriott, 84.5; 3. Seth Hardwick, 84; 4. (tie) Chad Rutherford and Gavin French, 82; 6. Mike Solberg, 80.5; 7. (tie) Kody Lamb and Orin Larsen, 80; 9. Jacob Lees, 78; 10. Bill Tutor, 77; 11. Kelby Schneiter, 76.5; 12. Dean Thompson, 76.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Cade Goodman, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Talon Roseland, Bryn Roy and Trell Etbauer, 3.8; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge, Brandon Harrison and Justin Shaffer, 3.9; 8. (tie) Tory Jonson and Clayton Hass, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Dirk Tavenner, 3.7; 4. (tie) Cameron Morman, Payden McIntyre and Clayton Hass, 3.9; 7. Landris White, 4.0; 8. (tie) Caden Camp and Ringo Robinson, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Stetson Jorgensen, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 3. Clayton Hass, 7.9; 4. Payden McIntyre, 8.1; 5. Dirk Tavenner, 8.2; 6. Tory Johnson, 8.3; 7. Landris White, 8.4; 8. Cade Goodman, 8.9; 9. Blake Mindemann, 9.0; 10. Tucker Allen, 9.1; 11. Jason Thomas, 9.3; 12. (tie) Eli Lord and Bridger Anderson, 9.4.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.7 seconds; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.8; 3. (tie) J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo and Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 3.9; 5. Caleb Smidt/Sergio Gonzales, 4.1; 6. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Paul Eaves and Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.2; 8. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 3.5 seconds; 2. Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell and Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 3.8; 4. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 3.9; 5. Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 4.1; 6. (tie) Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, Tucker Menz/D.J. Dugger and Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 9.2; 3. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 9.4; 4. Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 9.5; 5. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 9.6; 6. Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson, 9.8; 7. Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 10.2; 8. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Boogie Ray and Cinch Moody/Rich Skelton, 10.4; 10. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 12.5; 11. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 12.6; 12. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 13.5.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Spencer Wright, 88 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Get Smart; 2. Rusty Wright. 85.5; 3. Allen Boore, 85; 4. Statler Wright, 84; 5. (tie) Riggin Smith, Samuel Kelts and Creighton Curley, 83; 8. CoBurn Bradshaw, 82; 9. (tie) Wyatt Casper and Zeke Thurston, 81.5; 11. (tie) Lefty Holman and Jake Watson, 80.5.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Tyler Milligan and Travis Rogers, 7.6 seconds; 3. (tie) Hudson Wallace and Dakota Felton, 7.8; 5. Riley Wakefield, 8.0; 6. Cody McCartney, 8.1; 7. (tie) Weldon Watson and Matt Shiozawa, 8.2. Second round leaders: 1. Riley Webb, 7.3 seconds; 2. Zack Jongbloed, 7.4; 3. Marcos Costa, 7.5; 4. (tie) King Pickett and Trenton Smith. 7.7; 6. (tie) Cory Solomon and Ryle Smith, 7.9; 7. Trevor Hale, 8.0. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Milligan, 15.7 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Zack Jongbloed and J.D. McCuistion, 16.7; 4. Dakota Felton, 16.8; 5. (tie) Luke Potter and Cody McCartney, 16.9; 7. (tie) Marcos Costa and Travis Rogers, 17.5; 9. Brushton Minton, 17.9; 10. Thomas Conway, 18.0; 11. Blake Deckard, 18.1; 12. Kater Tate, 18.3.
Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Michelle Alley, 14.16 seconds; 2. Kailee Murdock, 14.21; 3. Jennifer Driver, 14.35; 4. Josey Owens, 14.39; 5. Destri Davenport, 14.46; 6. Martha Smith, 14.47; 7. Brandee Hawkins, 14.51; 8. Cassidy Champlin, 14.54; 9. Taylor Johnson, 15.57; 10. Mandy Cupp, 14.59. Average leaders: 1. Michelle Alley, 29.99; 2. Cassidy Champlin, 30.14; 3. Destri Davenport. 30.19; 4. Kailee Murdock, 30.22; 5. Jamie Olsen, 30.39; 6. Steeley Steiner, 30.54; 7. Josey Owens, 30.58; 8. Martha Smith, 30.61; 9. Abby Phillips, 30.65; 10. Taylor Johnson, 30.68; 11. Carly Taylor, 30.69; 12. Kaitlin Schnuck, 30.70.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Laramie Mosley, 90 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Road Warrior; 2. Stetson Wright, 88; 3. Ky Hamilton, 85.5; 4. Tristen Hutchings, 84.5; 5. (tie) Jaron Sheehan and Jordan Wacey Spears, 84; 7. Garrett Wall, 82; 8. (tie) Seth Green and Dawson Gleaves, 75; 10. T Parker, 72; no other qualified rides.