SAN ANGELO, Texas – For cowboys who make their livings eight seconds at a time, it’s exciting when they get ready to ride inside Foster Communications Coliseum.
The building is packed for every performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, and there is an electricity that is not only evident, but also engaging. It’s one of the reasons why so many want to do battle in this west Texas community. Another is the chance to ride great animals.
Take Wyatt Casper and Ryder Sanford, who both rode Montana bucking horses during Wednesday’s ninth performance to share the saddle bronc riding lead; they’re tied with Sage Newman, who competed earlier in the rodeo. Casper matched moves with J Bar J Rodeo’s Hell on Hooves, while Sanford scored big on J Bar J’s Dirty Lizard; both were 87.5 points.
“I’ve seen him a handful of times; a bunch of my buddies have been on him,” said Sanford, the 2023 Resistol Rookie of the Year who qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time last season. “When you look in the dictionary of a bucking horse, he is the perfect build for one. You just throw your saddle on him, and it sits where it needs to go.”
That made for a nice night in front of an electrified crowd ready for the competition.
“There’s a lot of energy,” he said. “I love the fans that are there. They get you pumped up.”
This was just Sanford’s second trip to San Angelo, but Casper is now a veteran. Texas-based livestock producer Pete Carr Pro Rodeo is the primary stock contractor, but Carr enlists the services of several other firms to bring their top stock to Tom Green County. There was a bit of familiarity in the air for Casper, who had been matched with Hell on Hooves earlier in his career.
“It helps a lot” to have been on the animal, said Casper, a four-time NFR qualifier from Miami, Texas. “That’s one of Sparky’s great horses.”
He was talking about Sparky Dreesen, who owns J Bar J. In all, there have been 14 livestock companies that have bucked horses and/or bulls at San Angelo’s rodeo.
“We wouldn’t be here without these great stock contractors and their great horses,” said Casper, who is fourth in the world standings with nearly $60,000 in earnings so far this year. “I’ve been coming to this rodeo for a lot of years, and now we’re just one step closer to getting that win.”
The final preliminary performance concludes Thursday, and the top 12 contestants in each event will advance to Friday’s championship round, where the titlists will be crowned. Wednesday’s competition closed out the opening round in four events; first-round winners were steer wrestler Jacob Edler, tie-down roper Riley Webb, team ropers Dustin Egusquiza and Levi Lord, and breakaway roper Madelyn Richards.
Elite cowboys and cowgirls compete to make a living, so the payout is vital. Not only that, but dollars equal points, so the only way to move up in the standings is to keep winning cash. Sanford, who finished 14th on the money list in 2023, is 15th already this year. Casper has had a great year, but he still trails the leader, Australian Damian Brennan, by $65,000.
“I always like coming out on the winter and starting out hot,” the Texan said. “(You) try to get a little money won, and you’re trying to get out there in front. It seems like if you can just keep the hammer down in the summer, everything usually works out pretty decent.”
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
April 5-19
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cooper Cooke, 88.5 points on Korkow Rodeo’s Buffalo Soldier; 2. R.C. Landingham, 87; 3. (tie) Jacob Lees and Wyatt Maines, 86.5; 5. (tie) Ethan Mazurenko and Will Norstrom, 86; 7. Bodee Lammers, 84.5; 8. (tie) Caleb Bennett, Jayco Roper and Wacey Schalla, 84; 11. (tie) Cole Franks and Clayton Biglow, 83.5.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Jacob Edler, 3.6 seconds, $6,554; 2. Cole Walker, 3.7, $5,700; 3. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Tyler Waguespack, 3.8, $4,417 each; 5. (tie) Don Payne, Trisyn Kalawaia and Talon Roseland, 3.9, $2,280 each; 8. Gavin Soileau, 4.0, $570. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Rooster Yazzie and Trever Nelson, 3.6 seconds; 3. Ty Erickson, 3.7; 4. Grady Payne, 3.8; 5. (tie) Heath Thomas and Adam Musil, 3.9; 7. Chance Howard, 4.1; 8. (tie) Dirk Tavenner, Tanner Brunner, Tyke Kipp and Wade Steffen, 4.2. Average leaders: 1. Matt Reeves, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Don Payne, 8.5; 3. Cole Walker, 8.7; 4. Trever Nelson, 8.9; 5. Gavin Soileau, 9.0; 6. Trisyn Kalawaia, 9.2; 7. Stetson Jorgensen, 9.3; 8. Heath Thomas, 9.4; 9. Mike McGinn, 9.5; 10. Jake Nelson, 9.6; 11. (tie) Bridger Anderson, Justin Schaffer, Chance Howard, Gus Franzen and Landris White, 9.8.
Team roping: First round: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 3.8 seconds, $5,721; 2. (tie) Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili and Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.0, $4,602 each; 4. (tie) Brady Tryan/Calgary Smith and Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 4.1, $3,201 each; 6. (tie) Luke Brown/Travis Graves, Devon Johnson/Boogie Ray and Max Kuttler/Cashton Weidenbener, 4.2, $1,244 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Derrick Begay/Colter Todd and Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 3.6 seconds; 3. Chace Thompson/Chad Williams, 3.7; 4. (tie) J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins II and Jake Clay/Trey Yates, 3.8; 6. Mason Appleton/Cooper Freeman, 3.9; 7. (tie) Wade Smith/Zach Varian and Slade Wood/Nathan Walker, 4.0. Average leaders: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 7.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Cory Kidd V/Tanner Braden, 8.4; 3. James Arviso/J.R. Gonzalez, 8.7; 4. Shay Carroll/Jace Helton, 9.4; 5. Andrew Ward/Kollin VonAhn, 9.7; 6. Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 9.9; 7. (tie) Cash Duty/Ross Ashford and Devon Johnson/Boogie Ray, 10.1; 9. Brye Crites/Tyler Worley, 10.8; 10. Curry Kirchner/Jake Edwards, 11.0; 11. Jake Clay/Trey Yates, 13.9; 12. Jesse Boos/Jace Steenhoek, 14.0.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Sage Newman, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Code Blue, Ryder Sanford, on J Bar J Rodeo’s Dirty Lizard, and Wyatt Casper, on J Bar J Rodeo’s Hell on Hooves, 87.5 points; 4. Lefty Holman, 87; 5. (tie) Cort Scheer and Tyrel Roberts, 86.5; 7. Brody Cress, 86; 8. (tie) Tanner Butner, Isaac Diaz and Cauy Masters, 85.5; 11. (tie) Logan Cook and Kade Bruno, 85.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Riley Webb, 6.9 seconds, $6,996; 2. Tuf Cooper, 7.6, $6,083; 3. (tie) Bryce Derrer and Connor Atkinson, 7.8, $4,714 each; 5. Ryan Jarrett, 7.9, $3,346; 6. Cash Hooper, 8.1, $2,433; 7. (tie) Tom Crouse, Riley Pruitt and Marty Yates, 8.2, $710 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Cash Enderli, Zaine Mikita and Marty Yates, 7.3 seconds; 4. Jake Pratt, 7.4; 5. (tie) Shad Mayfield and Charlie Gibson, 7.5; 7. (tie) Macon Murphy and Jeremiah Peek, 7.6. Average leaders: 1. Marty Yates, 15.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Cash Cooper, 16.3; 3. Ryan Jarrett, 16.4; 4. Connor Blaise Atkinson and Cole Clemens, 16.5; 6. (tie) Tuf Cooper and Luke Potter, 16.7; 8. Tom Crouse, 16.9; 9. Dylan Hancock, 17.1; 9. Riley Webb, 17.5; 11. (tie) Carson Watford and Chance Oftedahl, 18.0.
Breakaway roping: First round: 1. (tie) Madalyn Richards, Megan Powell and Timber Allenbrand, 2.1 seconds, $3,791 each; 4. J.J Hampton, 2.2, $2,321; 5. (tie) Alli Masters, Joey Williams, Jordan Jo Hollabaugh and Addie Weil, 2.3, $1,363 each; 9. (tie) Brooke Eddy and Jenna Lee Adams, 2.4, $870 each; 11. (tie) Haley Mason and Britta Strain, 2.5, $638 each; 9. (tie) Josie Conner and Angie Green. 2.6, $406 each; 15. (tie) Aspen Miller, Rickie Fanning, Riley Welch, Kadin Jodie, Addee Carder, Abby Medlin and Delaney Kunau, 2.7, $33 each. Second round leaders: 1. Kelsie Domer, 1.7 seconds; 2. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged and Emilee Charlesworth, 2.0; 4. (tie) Alli Masters, Taylor Munsell, Sarah Angelone and Hannah Bass, 2.1; 8. (tie) Hadley Clearman, Shelby Whiting and Jessi Everett, 2.2; 11. (tie) Martha Angelone, Bailey Jay and Kristy Stewart, 2.3; 10. (tie) Harley Meged, Jayden Gould, Hollie Ladner, MaryBeth Beam and Chelsi Arnold, 2.4. Average leaders: 1. Alli Masters, 4.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Timber Allenbrand, 4.7; 3. (tie) Kelsie Domer and Brooke Eddy, 4.9; 5. Haley Mason, 5.0; 6. Angie Green, 5.1; 7. Josie Conner, 5.2; 8. Emilee Charlesworth, 5.3; 9. (tie) Harley Meged and Rickie Fanning, 5.5; 11. (tie) Jackie Crawford, Kadin Jodie and Riley Welch, 5.6.
Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Jymmy Kay Cox, 14.03 seconds; 2. Tiany Schuster, 14.05; 3, Dona Kay Rule, 14.08; 4. Sydney Graham, 14.11; 5. Jordan Driver, 14.15; 6. Timber Allenbrand, 14.20; 7. Dena Kirkpatrick, 14.22; 8. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.24; 9. Jackie Ganter, 14.25; 10. Abby Phillips, 14.26; 11. (tie) Ari-Anna Flynn and Emma Charleston, 14.27; 13. Mindy Holloway, 14.30; 14. (tie) Sami Jo Buum and Sabra O’Quinn, 14.34. Average leaders: 1. Dona Kay Rule, 30.25 seconds on two runs; 2. Tiany Schuster, 30.27; 3. Jymmy Kay Cox, 30.39; 4. Emma Charlston, 30.46; 5. Dena Kirkpatrick, 30.47; 6. Ari-Anna Flynn, 30.49; 7. (tie) Sydney Graham and Ashley Castleberry, 30.54; 9. Abby Phillips, 30.56; 10. Hailey Kinsel, 30.59; 11. Timber Allenbrand, 30.60; 12. (tie) Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Stevi Hillman, 30.61.
Bull riding leaders: 1. J.R. Stratford, 90 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Bruised Kitty; 2. 3. Cooper Howard Jacobs, 87.5; 3. (tie) Jackson Carter Ward, Colton Byram, Vinell Vince Mariano, Wacey Schalla and Beau Gardner, 86.5; 8. (tie) Riley Shippy and Scott Wells, 86; 10. Clayton Sellars, 85.5; 11. Kase Hitt, 85; 12. (tie) Jake Roddy and Brody Yeary, 84.