SALT LAKE CITY – Justin Brinkerhoff could feel the energy.
A crowd of nearly 7,500 souls electrified the Days of ’47 Arena at Utah State Fairpark on Saturday night, and the tie-down roper fed off it. He roped and tied his calf in 9.4 seconds to move into third place at Utah’s Own Rodeo, and only Monday’s final performance awaits the final outcome of the competition.
“I thought it was the biggest crowd that I’ve seen for a few years at that rodeo,” said Brinkerhoff, 33, of Corrine, Utah, a town of 879 people about 60 miles north of the fairpark. “It seems like the rodeo is growing and doing good.”
It is, and there’s an added caveat to that. This year’s purse is seeing a major increase, with $30,000 extra infused by local dollars, which are then mixed with the contestants’ entry fees. That means bigger paydays for every cowboy and cowgirl who finish among the leaders, and that’s a valuable circumstance for everyone in the field, especially those from Utah.
In Brinkerhoff’s case, he’s hoping it will help propel him into the top 12 in the Wilderness Circuit, a series of rodeos and contestants from Utah, Nevada and much of Idaho. He entered this week of rodeos 14th in the regional standings, so he still has some work to do in the final month of the 2025 regular season.
“By increasing that money, it’s got a lot more competitors,” he said, pointing out that bigger numbers also increase the overall payout because entry fees are part of the prize pool. “There are a lot of people from around here that don’t get to go to the Days of ’47 rodeo, because they limit (entries), so I think it helps them feel like they get to compete at a bigger rodeo here in Salt Lake.”
Doing well this weekend will help him make up ground. Only the top 12 in the circuit in each event advance to the Wilderness Circuit Finals Rodeo, which will take place in November at Heber City, Utah. Brinkerhoff is less than $2,000 from that coveted spot and less than $3,000 outside the top 10.
“The circuit finals is the main thing for me,” said Brinkerhoff, a 10-time circuit finalist who won the region in 2021. “I do this because I enjoy it, and we’ve got so many good rodeos around here.”
A key to his success is Pops, a 15-year-old sorrel gelding he’s had for several years. The two have developed a strong working relationship, and it’s coming in handy at a good time.
“I bought him when he was 4 and was pretty green, and we butted heads for a long time,” he said. “For the last few years, my dad’s just been using him on the ranch moving cows. I hadn’t really done much with him in probably three years, just practicing here and again. I needed a horse around July 1, so I took him back out, and he’s been really good.
“I actually can’t believe he’s been so good since then.”
Horsepower is vital in rodeo. A quality horse can make a contestant’s job easier, and that was the case Saturday.
“I think it’s at least 80 percent of it,” Brinkerhoff said. “It’s crazy how much difference it is, and with him, the change of him growing and maturing, he’s even better now. I tried to compete at a professional level on him when he was 7 or 8, and he’s really grown since then. It matters on how good the horse is.”
Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo
Sept. 5, 6 and 8
Salt Lake City
Bareback riding: 1. Miles Carlson, 87.5 points on Muddy Creek Pro Rodeo’s Suga Boom Boom; 2. Wacey Schalla, 84; 3. Boyce Kraut, 82.5; 4. Kashton Ford, 80; 5. Tyson Hirschi, 79.5; 6. Tristan Hansen, 74.5; 7. Logan Patterson, 74; 8. Gauge McBride, 67.
Steer wrestling: 1. Ty Baurle, 4.1 seconds; 2. Ty Allred, 4.2; 3. Coltin Hill, 4.3; 4. (tie) Riley Hamilton and Chet Boren, 4.4; 6. Landris White, 4.7; 7. Hazen Smith, 4.8; 8. (tie) Matt Watson and Dalton Massey, 5.0; 10. Eli Lord, 5.3.
Team roping: 1. Travis Whitlow/Tyler Whitlow, 3.6 seconds; 2. Coy Rahlmann/Cole Curry, 4.1; 3. Jr. Dees/Landen Glenn, 4.5; 4. Dex Maddox/Chance Moldenhauer, 4.8; 5. Ashton Parker/Chase Pintar, 4.9; 6. Casey Thomas/Wyatt Thomas, 6.2; 7. Cody Snow/Hunter Koch, 6.3; 8. Devon McDaniel/Chris Young, 9.5; 9. Chaz Kananen/Britt Newman, 9.8; 10. (tie) Pete Jones/Jace Nielsen and Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 9.9.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Darcy Radel, 89 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Cowboy Fool; 2. Kade Bruno, 85; 3. (tie) Kolby Wanchuk, Cody Faulkner, Carson Bingham and Rusty Wright, 84; 7. Warwich Southern, 82; 8. Kaden Horrocks, 80; 9. (tie) Leon Fountain and Mitch Pollock, 78.
Tie-down roping: 1. Cole Clemons, 8.6 seconds; 2. Waid Dalton, 9.0; 3. Justin Brinkerhoff, 9.4; 4. (tie) R.J. Johnson and Cason Kingsbury, 11.1; 6. Myles Kenzy, 12.4; 7. Roan Hudson, 12.9; 8. Daston Hill, 13.4; 9. (tie) Paden Bray and Brey Yore, 13.7.
Breakaway roping: 1. Madison Outhier, 2.0 seconds; 2. Zoie Bedke, 2.1; 3. Erin Johnson, 2.2; 4. (tie) Kash Gay, Aubryn Bedke and Jessi Everett, 2.3; 7. Josey Murphy, 2.4; 8. Josie Goodrich, 2.8; 9. (tie) Peggy Garman and Rickie Fanning, 2.9.
Barrel racing: 1. Caitlyn White, 17.10 seconds; 2. Kately Scott, 17.18; 3. (tie) Sue Smith and Jordan Driver, 17.19; 5. Krystal Dillman, 17.20; 6. McKale Seitz, 17.28; 7. Joelene Gould, 17.40; 8. Wenda Johnson, 17.52; 9, Terry Wood Gates, 17.53; 10. Kimmie Wall, 17.55.
Bull riding: 1. Tristan Mize, 87 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Best Chance; 2. (tie) Koby Jacobson and Billy Quillan, 85.5; 4. Elijah Mora, 83.5; no other qualified rides.