(PHOTO BY DALE HIRSCHMAN)
GUYMON, Okla. – Garrett Smith needed this.
He’s spent much of the last two seasons on the injury list – it’s a direct result of his job as a bull rider. In the rough-and-tumble world of professional rodeo, injuries and nagging pain are about to happen. Eight-second rides are followed by hours on the road. It’s an odd mix, but rodeo is also a love affair with the game.
On Sunday afternoon, Smith rode Frontier Rodeo’s Gladiator’s Hammer for 91 points to win the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo and the $4,343 that came with it. He also collected a championship trophy belt outlined with the well-established Pioneer Days conchos.
“I’ve been coming here a lot of years,” said Smith, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Rexburg, Idaho. “I’ve had a little bit of luck, but nothing like this.”
It was the second time the Idaho cowboy had been matched with the Oklahoma bull. The two tangled together at the 2021 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.
“I fell off him at 7.8 or 7.9, and I was about to be a lot of points,” Smith said. “I knew I was going to be a lot of points then, so a rematch was awfully fun to win.”
Smith first qualified for the NFR in 2016 and finished fifth in the world standings. He returned to ProRodeo’s grand finale a year later and also finished fifth. Injuries knocked him out of competition and a chance to make a run at the gold buckle in 2018, but he qualified again in 2019, finishing 10th overall.
He’s eager to return, and he’ll have his chance if he continues to ride like he did in the Oklahoma Panhandle on Sunday afternoon.
“A lot of injuries happened around the busiest time, around the Fourth of July,” said Smith, the 15th man in the world standings so far this season. “This year’s been really good. I’ve been a lot healthier, and now I’m just hoping to keep it all rolling.”
Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo
April 26-May 2
All-around cowboy: Caleb Smidt, $4,092 in tie-down roping and team roping
Bareback riding: 1. Jess Pope, 92 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire, $3,359; 2. Leighton Berry, 89.5, $2,575; 3. Jayco Roper, 87.5, $1,903; 4. Kyle Bloomquist, 87, $1,231; 5. Tim O’Connell, 85.5, $784; 6. (tie) Dean Thompson and Bill Tutor, 85, $504 each; 8. (tie) Clay Jorgensen and Tanner Aus, 84.5, $168 each.
Team roping: First round: 1. Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison, 6.4 seconds, $2,099; 2. Caleb Smidt/Jim Ross Cooper, 6.6, $1,825; 3. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 6.7, $1,551; 4. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 6.8, $1,278; 5. (tie) Haven Meged/Trae Smith, Blake Hughes/Daniel Reed and Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.9, $730 each; 8. Jhett TrenanyGralyn Elkins, Clay Tryan/Jake Long, Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 7.1, $46 each. Second round: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 6.3 seconds, $2,099; 2. (tie) Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, Shay Carroll/Evan Arnold and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 6.6, $1,551 each; 5. Curry Kirchner/Reagan Ward, 6.8, $1,004; 6. Coy Rahlmann/Douglas Rich, 6.9, $730; 7. (tie) Derrick Begay/Paul Eaves, Chad Masters/Cory Petska and Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 7.0, $213 each. Third round: 1. Shay Carroll/Evan Arnold, 5.7 seconds $2,099; 2. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 7.3, $1,825; 3. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, $1,551; 4. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 7.8, $1,278’ 5. Nick Sartain/AustinRogers, 8.3, $1,004; 6. (tie) Kreece Thompson/Chad Williams and Paul David Tierney, 8.6, $593; Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 8.8, $183. Average: 1. 1. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 22.2 seconds on three runs; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 22.5, $2,738; 3. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 22.9, $2,327; 4. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 24.0, $1,916; 5. Nick Sartain/Austin Rogers, 24.2, $1,506; 6. Kreece Thompson/Chad Williams, 26.7, $1,095; 7. Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 26.9, $684; 8. Coy Rahlmann/Douglas Rich, 27.3, $274.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.4 seconds, $1,960; 2. Blake Mindemann, 3.5, $1,705; 3. Stockton Graves, 3.6, $1,449; 4. J.D. Struxness, 3.7, $1,193; 5. Tanner Brunner, 3.8, $937; 6. (tie) Tristan Martin and Clayton Hass, 3.9, $554; 8. Blare Romsa, 4.0, $170. Second round: 1. (tie) Payden McIntyre and Grady Payne, 3.4 seconds, $1,832 each; 3. (tie) Hunter Cure, Tristan Martin, Ringo Robinson and Jarek VanPetten, 3.9, $1,065 each; 7. (tie) Riley Duvall and Matt Reeves, 4.1, $298 each. Third round: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.2 seconds, $1,960; 2. Nick Guy, 3.7, $1,705; 3. (tie) Tristan Martin and Tanner Brunner, 3.8, $1,321 each; 5. Bridger Anderson, 4.0, $937; 6. Riley Duvall, 4.1, $681; 7. (tie) Talon Roseland and Tyler Waguespack, 4.4, $298. Average: 1. Tristan Martin, 11.6 seconds on three runs, $2,940; 2. Hunter Cure, 11.7, $2,557; 3. Grady Payne, 12.2, $2,173; 4. Tyler Waguespack, 12.5, $1,790; 5. Tanner Brunner and Bridger Anderson, 12.9, $1,214 each; 7. Riley Duvall, 13.4, $639; 6. Austin Eller, 13.8, $256.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ross Griffin, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Maple Leaf, $3,790; 2. Chase Brooks, 88, $2,906; 3. Colt Gordon, 86.5, $2,148; 4. Mitch Pollock, 85.5, $1,390; 5. Wyatt Casper, 84, $884; 6. Riggin Smith, 82.5, $631; 7. (tie) CoBurn Bradshaw, Shorty Garrett, Houston Brown and Jacob Kammerer, 82, $221 each.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Hagen Houck, 7.9 seconds, $3,723; 2. Russell Schilling, 8.1, $3,238; 3. (tie) Hudson Wallace and Will Howell, 8.4, $2,509 each; 5. (tie) John Douch and Chance Thiessen, 8.5, $1,538 each; 7. (tie) Cash Edward Hooper and Marty Yates, 8.6, $567. Second round: 1. (tie) Jerry Adamson and Charlie Gibson, 7.6 seconds, $3,481 each; 3. (tie) Zack Jongbloed, Caleb Smidt and Cory Solomon, 7.7, $2,266 each; 6. Marty Yates, 8.1, $1,295; 7. (tie) Cooper Martin and Richard Newton, 8.2, $567 each. Third round: 1. Cooper Martin, 8.2 seconds, $3,723; 2. (tie) Richard Newton and Luke Potter, 8.4, $2,995 each; 4. Marty Yates, 8.8, $2,266; 5. Marley Berger, 9.2, $1,781; 6. Ty Harris, 9.3, $1,295; 7. Blake Deckard, 9.4, $809; 8. Kincade Henry, 9.7, $324. Average: 1. Marty Yates, 25.5 seconds on three runs, $5,585; 2. Cooper Martin, 25.8, $4,857; 3. Kincade Henry, 27.3, $4,128; 4. Ty Harris, 27.4, $3,400; 5. Will Howell, 27.8, $2,671; 6. Riley Webb, 28.2, $1,943; 7. Richard Newton, 28.8, $1,214; 8. Haven Meged, 28.9, $486.
Barrel racing: First round: 1. Wenda Johnson, 16.94 seconds, $2,171; 2. Hailey Kinsel, 17.19, $1,861; 3. (tie) Nicole Driggers and Shelley Morgan, 17.30, $1,448 each; 5. Taycie Matthews, 17.32, $1,034; 6. (tie) Ivy Hurst and Tracy Nowlin, 17.33, $724 each; 8. Kyle Scribner, 17.35, $414; 9. Rachael Werkmen, 17.36, $310; 10. (tie) Paige Jones and Tami Semas, 17.39, $103 each. Second round: 1. Leslie Smalygo, 16.85 seconds, $2,171; 2. (tie) Hailey Kinsel and Tarryn Lee, 17.03, $1,706 each; 4. Elizabeth Schmid, 17.12, $1,344; 5. Katelyn Scott, 17.28, $1,034; 6. Taycie Matthews, 17.33, $827; 7. Cayla Small, 17.35, $620; 8. (tie) Ivy Hurst, Emily Mangione and Jimmie Smith, 17.36, $310 each. Average: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 34.22 seconds on two runs, $2,171; 2. Wenda Johnson, 34.36, $1,861; 3. Tarryn Lee, 34.57, $1,551; 4. Taycie Matthews, 34.66, $1,344; 5. Ivy Hurst, 34.69, $1,034; 6. Shelley Morgan, 34.73; 7. Tracy Nowlin, 34.75, $620; 8. (tie) Elizabeth Schmid, Leslie Smalygo and Paige Jones, 34.81, $310 each.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Garrett Smith, 91 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Gladiator Hammer, $4,343; 2. Laramie Mosley, 87.5, $3,330; 3. Shawn Bennett Jr., 87, $2,461; 4. Josh Frost, 85, $1,593; 5. Tristen Hutchings, 84, $1,013; 6. Dawson Glaves, 90, $724; 7. (tie) Riley Barg and Kole Bowman, 78; 4. Trey Holston, 76.