(PHOTO BY DAVID SEYMORE)
DODGE CITY, Kan. – In the Flint Hills of Kansas, Council Grove is not known as a hotbed for rodeo, but Beau Peterson might be changing that mindset.
She grew up there and competed across the state in a variety of events. She’s roped calves and tied goats and done just about any event possible inside Roundup Arena in this western Kansas community. She has grown into one of the top breakaway ropers and returned to this storied complex Saturday night for her chance at the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo.
“I’ve spent a lot of weekends here at high school rodeos,” said Peterson, 23, a 2022 qualifier to the National Finals Breakaway Roping in Las Vegas. “To have some success at the ProRodeo definitely means a lot.”
Only the top 15 in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the national finals, and Peterson hopes to return again this year. First, though, she’d like to stake her claim to the title at the biggest rodeo in her home state. She roped her calf in 2.7 seconds to finish fifth in the second go-round.
More importantly, it moved her to eighth in the two-run aggregate and earned her a spot in Sunday’s championship round; only the top 12 cowboys and cowgirls from the four preliminary days of competition earn a spot in final-night field.
“I’m having some success here and there, enough to keep me going,” said Peterson, who is 17th in the world standings with about two months left in the regular season. “I’m just looking forward to having a big August and September to finish the season strong.”
That’s exactly how she earned her spot in the breakaway roping finals last year. She capitalized on a solid run through the end of the season to secure her bid for Sin City. She’ll need a little magic to return, but doing well in Dodge City can go a long way to helping her.
She’s also familiar with the region for another reason: She was a standout at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Oklahoma, which is two hours southwest of Dodge City. In fact, she was the 2019 national champion goat-tier while at Panhandle State.
“Robert Etbauer and Shelbie Rose are great coaches, and there’s a big family atmosphere out there,” Peterson said. “We got to rope every day. I made a lot of horses and made a lot of connections. It was just a great place for me to be, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a college.”
“Making horses” is rodeo slang for self-training a horse, something she’s done. Missy, a 9-year-old speedster, is proof.
“A good horse is everything,” she said. “Our job is a lot easier when we have a good horse underneath us. That mare that I’m riding is really nice, and she’s pretty solid. I’ve ridden her for about three years now. She was actually my goat horse in college, so she’s really stepped up and made a great breakaway horse for me.
“I trained her, so I take a lot of pride in her.”
She also has pride in her roping skills, and they might just carry her to the Dodge City Roundup title.
Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
Aug. 2-6, 2022
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Cole Franks, 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big League, $3.216; 2. Myles Carleson, 86, $2,465; 3. Tim O’Connell, 85.5, $1,822; 4. (tie) Jayco Roper, Andy Gingerich and Chad Rutherford, 85, $822 each; 7. (tie) Ty Pope and Kyle Bloomquist, 84, $375 each; 9. Jess Pope, 83.5; 10. Taylor Broussard, 83. (The three tied for 11th place were dropped, so only 10 will advance to the championship round)
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Gage Hesse, 3.5 seconds, $3,932; 2. Jule Hazen, 3.8, $3,419; 3. Jace Melvin, 4.0, $2,906; 4. Cyler Dowling, 4.2, $2,393; 5. Cade Staton, 4.3, $1,881; 6. (tie) Cameron Morman, Don Payne, Dylan Schroeder and Justin Shaffer, 4.4, $641 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Jarek VanPetten and Jacob Talley, 3.7 seconds, $3,676 each; 3. Olin Hannum, 3.9, $2,906; 4. (tie) Tyler Scheevel, Tyler Wageuspack, Travis Munro and Tyler Pearson, 4.0, $1,624 each; 8. (tie) Stephen Mullins, Blake Knowles and Stan Branco, 4.1, $114 each. Average leaders: 1. Jule Hazen, 8.1 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Olin Hannum and Cameron Morman, 8.6; 4. (tie) Jarek VanPetten and Don Payne, 8.7; 6. Kalane Anders, 8.8; 7. Dirk Tavenner, 9.0; 8. (tie) Gage Hesse and Stan Branco, 9.1; 10. (tie) Tyler Scheevel and Justin Schaffer, 9.3; 12. Brandon Volker, 9.4.
Team roping: First round: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 5.0 seconds, $3,633 each; 2. (tie) Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn and Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 5.3, $2,922 each; 4. Brye Crites/Rance Doyal, 5.4, $2,211; 5. (tie) Pedro Egurrola/JC Flake and Korbin Rice/Jake South, 5.6, $1,501 each; 7. Garrett Tonozzi/Jace Davis, 5.7, $790; 8. Zack Woods/Gavin Foster, 5.9, $316. Second round: 1. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 4.2 seconds, $3,633; 2. Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 4.3, $3,159; 3. (tie) Jr. Dees/Ross Ashford and Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.4, $3,448 each; 5. (tie) Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, Clint Summers/Jake Long and Nelson Wyatt/Chase Tryan, 4.5, $1,2648. Cole Smith/Reed Boos, 4.8, $316. Average leaders: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 11.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Garrett Tonozzi/Jace Davis, 11.6; 3. Kyon Kreutzer/Clancey Kreutzer, 11.7; 4. (tie) Brye Crites/Rance Doyal and Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn, 11;9; 6. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 12.2; 7. Curry Kirchner/Billie Jack Saebens, 12.8; 8. Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell, 13.0; 9. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 14.2; 10. Tyler Hobert/Shannon Frascht, 14.3; 11. Clint Summers/Jake Long, 14.8; 12. Cooper White/Tucker White, 18.0.
Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Brody Cress, 87.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s No. 777, $3,198; 2. (tie) Wade Sundell, Jake Finlay and Ryder Wright, 85, $1,812 each; 5. Shea Fournier, 84.5; 6. Isaac Richard, 84; 7. (tie) Sterling Crawley and Gus Gaillard, 83, $373 each; 9. (tie) Lefty Holman, Tegan Smith and Isaac Diaz, 82.5. (The four tied for 12th place were dropped, so only 11 will advance to the championship round)
Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Kenzie Kelton, 2.3 seconds, $2,454; 2. Kelsie Domer, 2.5, $2,103; 3. Alex Loiselle, 2.7, $1,753; 4. (tie) Martha Angelone, Shelby Boisjoli, Christi Braudrick, Josey Murphy and Quincy Sullivan, 2.8, $958 each; 9. (tie) Kassidy Dennison and Brooke McLemore, 2.9, $292 each. Second round: 1. Danielle Lowman, 2.1 seconds, $2,454; 2. KeAnn Hayes, 2.3, $2,103; 3. Erin Johnson, 2.4, $1,753; 4. Alli Masters, 2.6, $1,519; 5. (tie) Quincy Sullivan and Beau Peterson, 2.7, $1,052 each; 7. (tie) Alex Loiselle, Brooke McLemore and Cheyanne Guillory, 2.8, $506 each; 10. Tacy Webb, 2.9, $234. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Quincy Sullivan and Alex Loiselle, 5.5 seconds on two runs; 3. Brooke McLemore, 5.7; 4. (tie) Shelby Boisjoli and Tacy Webb, 5.9; 6. Bethany Stallons, 6.1; 7. Kashly VanPetten, 6.2; 8. Beau Peterson, 6.3; 9. Kadin Jodie, 6.8; 10. (tie) Josey Murphy, Nicole Hadley and Josie Conner, 6.9.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Marty Yates, 7.9 seconds, $3,805; 2. Lucas Potter, 8.5, $3,308; 3. Haven Meged, 8.8, $2,812; 4. (tie) Lane Livingston, Booker McCutchen, Cory Solomon and Paul David Tierney, 9.0, $1,572 each; 8. Riley Pruitt, 9.2, $331. Second round: 1. Cole Clemons, 7.6 seconds, $3,805; 2. (tie) Randall Carlisle and Marcos Costa, 7.7, $3,060; 4. R.J. Straw, 8.5, $2,316; 5. (tie) John Douch and Dylan Hancock, 8.6, $1,572 each; 7. (tie) Quade Hiatt, Shad Mayfield and Luke Potter, 8.8, $386 each. Average leaders: 1. Luke Potter, 17.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Shad Mayfield, 18.4; 3. Paul David Tierney, 18.4; 4. Riley Pruitt, 19.1; 5. John Douch, 19.5; 6. Cory Solomon, 19.6; 7. Cole Clemons, 19.7; 8. Ty Harris, 19.8; 8. (tie) Chad Weitz, Roy Lee and Tom Crouse, 20.2; 12. (tie) Roan Hudson and Connor Atkinson, 20.5.
Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Jessica Routier, 17.25 seconds, $2,795; 2. Summer Kosel, 17.38, $2,396; 3. Jordon Briggs, 17.42, $1,996; 4. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.48, $1,730; 5. Kassie Mowry, 17.52, $1,331; 6. Hailey Kinsel, 17.54, $1,065; 7. Josey Groves, 17.60, $799; 8. (tie) Andrea Busby and Britta Strain, 17.65, $466 each; 10. Chelsie Shoop, 17.67, $266. Second round: 1. Summer Kosel, 16.85 seconds, $2,795; 2. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.03, $2,396; 3. Jessica Routier, 17.09, $1,996; 4. Sara Winkelman, 17.13, $1,730; 5. LaTricia Duke, 17.25, $1,331; 6. Jordan Briggs, $1,065; 7. (tie) Hailey Kinsel and Tracy Nowlin, 17.34, $665; 9. Britta Strain, 17.36, $399; 10. Michelle Darling, $266. Average leaders: 1. Summer Kosel, 34.23 seconds on two runs; 2. Jessica Routier, 34.34; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 34.51; 4. Jordon Briggs, 34.71; 5. Sara Winkelman, 34.82; 6. Hailey Kinsel, 34.88; 7. Britta Strain, 35.01; 8. Stephanie Fryar, 35.28; 9. (tie) Andrea Busby and Michelle Darling, 35.29; 11. Sydney Graham, 35.30; 12. LaTricia Duke, 35.31.
Bull riding: First round: 1. J.B. Mauney, 88.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s He’s Legit, $3,551; 2. Victor Vieira Losnake, 86, $2,722; 3. Trevor Reiste, 85.5, $2,012; 4. Deklan Garland, 85, $1,302; 5. Hunter Boydston, 84, $828; 6. Hunter Tate, 83.5, $592; 7. Cody Teel, 82.5, $473; 8. Riley Harris, 82, $355; 9. Dustin Boquet, 80.5; 10. Colton Byram, 80; 11. Fulton Rutland, 77; 12. Cullen Teller, 75.