DUNCAN, Okla. – Five days ago, Cody Devers wasn’t thinking much about wrestling steers.

He was getting married to Brecklyn, so there were higher priorities in his life, but he couldn’t help but think of the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo.

“I asked her to start dating me here about three or four years ago, and I ended up winning it,” said Devers, 29, of Perryton, Texas. “Maybe it’s going to be good luck now that I’m married to her.”

It could be. Devers finished the 2020 circuit season as the year-end champion, then won the aggregate title at the regional finale the next October. Duncan has been good to the Texas cowboy, and he proved it again Thursday night during the first go-round of this year’s championship. He knocked his steer down in 4.9 seconds to win the night and collect $2,279.

“The circuit finals has slowly been adding a little bit more money every year, so a guy like me in my position that comes in the middle of the pack, it gives him a chance,” he said. “If he really does his job, he’s got a chance of winning the year-end. It helps having three rounds, so we’re going to try and do our job and see where it lands. We’re not planning on winning it after the first one; we’re not planning on losing it. We’re just going to do our job.”

Every dollar helps. He entered the weekend eighth in the regional standings. With his earnings on opening night, he moved to third place. Jarek VanPetten, the season leader heading into the weekend from Cimarron, Kansas, failed to gather a time, so those in the chase position gained ground. Jacob Edler, the second-ranked man from Alva, Oklahoma, added $1,139 and inched within $500 of VanPetten.

Competing at his sixth Prairie Circuit finale, Devers took advantage of the situation and his team, which included his bulldogging mare, Sassy, and his hazer, fellow competitor Riley Duvall of Checotah, Oklahoma.

“I trusted my mare,” Devers said. “She’d been a little bit sore on me toward the end of the year, so I gave her about a month off. It’s probably the first time I’ve rode her bulldogging-wise since the end of the (regular season, which concluded Sept. 30). She took the start, and I knew she could catch the steer. She just ran him down.”

Sassy might need to keep it up if the Texan hopes to return to the national circuit finals, the NFR Open, which takes place next July in Colorado Springs, Oklahoma. It will feature only the year-end and finale aggregate champions in each event. By making a strong start, he’s moved within a go-round victory of catching VanPetten.

“That NFR Open is huge, and they put it at a pretty good time of year where we can work three really good tour rodeos at the same time,” Devers said. “It’s a good opportunity, and that’s where I want to be.”

Devers is a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier who finished too far down the money list to advance back this year. He graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he earned a second-place finish at the College National Finals Rodeo. In fact, Devers led the way for the quartet of former Rangers who placed Thursday: Riley Westhaver was second, Edler was third and Trisyn Kalawaia was fourth.

There are two nights remaining on the circuit season, and it will come down to Saturday’s showcase to decide who will earn the right to compete in Colorado Springs next summer.

“We just need to make consistent runs,” Devers said. “If I don’t beat myself up (on the start), I feel like I should do very well.”

Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo
Oct. 17-19
Duncan, Okla.
Bareback riding: 1. Gauge McBride, 84 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Bare Naked, $2,166; 2. (tie) Jayco Roper and Bryce Eck, 81, $1,354 each; 4. Quintonn Lunsford, 73, $541.

Steer wrestling: 1.  Cody Devers, 4.9 seconds, $2,279; 2. Riley Westhaver, 5.3, $1,709; 3. Jacob Edler, 5.4, $1,139; 4. Trisyn Kalawaia, 5.6, $570.

Breakaway roping: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.6 seconds, $2,279; 2. Beau Peterson, 3.0, $1,709; Winter Williams, 3.3, $1,139; 4. Christi Braudrick, 3.5, $570.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cooper Thatcher, 81 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Wally, $2,279; 2. Weston Patterson, 80, $1,709; 3. Trent Burd, 79, $1,139; 4. (tie) Heston Harrison and Denton Ward, 77.5, $285 each.
Tie-down roping: 1. Paul David Tierney, 9.3 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tyler Milligan, 9.4, $1,709; 3. Kason Dyer, 9.5, $1,139; 4. Austin Lawrence, 10.7, $570.

Team roping: 1. Mason Appleton/Rance Doyle, 4.6 seconds, $2,279; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.8, $1,709; 3. Tyler Hobert/Shannon Frascht, 5.4, $1,139; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins, 5.9, $570.

Barrel racing: 1. Emily Beisel, 16.18 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tana Renick, 16.41, $1,709; 3. Matay Eklund, 16.42, $1,139; 4. Ari-Anna Flynn, 16.43, $570.

Bull riding: 1. Jesse Hopper, 84 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Black Panther, $2,260, 2. (tie) Jackson Ward and Fulton Rutland, 81, $1,412 each; 4. Coy Pollmeier, 68.5, $565.