K.C. Jones has been the mark of consistency in his rodeo career.
You don’t win Timed Event Championship titles without it. You also don’t carry the lead after two go-rounds of the unique contest, but Jones did that Friday in the first of three days of competition featuring 20 of the best all-around timed-event cowboys in ProRodeo. He roped and wrestled 10 head in 122.8 seconds, 10.8 seconds ahead of the No. 2 man, reigning and two-time champion Kyle Lockett of Visalia, Calif.
After one run, Jones was 12th in the 20-man field. However, Jones is a four-time champion of this event. He knows the TEC is a 25-head marathon, not a sprint ,and he demonstrated that Friday. After the second round of heeling, Jones was the only contestant still under 100 seconds with 97.8 on 8 head.
Jones, 44, of Burlington, Wyo., won Timed Event titles in 1993, ’96, ’99 and 2001. He’ll have to hold up through the remaining three go-rounds to see if he can be just the second man in the event’s history to have won five titles – Trevor Brazile, who owns six, is the other.
This unique event, which was developed 28 years ago by the Lazy E Arena, has cowboys competing in all five timed-event disciplines: team roping-heading, team roping-heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping. Jones not only handled his business solidly, but also he posted some of the fastest runs of the day.
As is always the case, there has been plenty of drama through the first two go-rounds. Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Ore., held the lead after the opening go-round Friday afternoon. He maintained the advantage heading into the seventh run of the competition, Friday night’s tie-down roping. But Cardoza suffered a 60-second penalty, which is equivalent to a no time. That put Cardoza behind the eight ball, but the two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier bounced back and sits sixth in the average race with 165.6 seconds on 10 runs.
In between are 2010 winner Josh Peek (156.7) of Pueblo, Colo., and Jess Tierney (163.6) of Hermosa, S.D. World champion header Chad Masters of Clarksville, Tenn., has the fastest round of the event so far, posting a 57.6-second run on Friday night. He is seventh in the average with 170.4.
The steer wrestling traditionally marks a rough spot in the road for some contestants, and that tradition held true on Friday’s opening day. There were 11 60-second penalties over the course of the first two rounds. However, Jones posted a cumulative total of 13.0 seconds in that span.
RESULTS
AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. K.C. Jones, 122.8 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 133.6; 3. Clayton Hass, 155.7; 4. Josh Peek, 156.7; 5. Jess Tierney, 163.6; 6. Russell Cardoza, 165.6; 7. Chad Masters, 170.4; 8. Scott Snedecor, 175.1; 9. Paul David Tierney, 175.7; 10. Jim Ross Cooper, 184.1; 11. Daniel Green, 185.0; 12. Dean Gorsuch, 193.3; 13. Chance Kelton, 194.8; 15. Jimmie Cooper, 245.9; 16. Paul Tierney, 247.9; 17. Broc Cresta, 248.4; 18. Steve Duhon, 278.4; 19. Bryce Davis, 285.6; 20. Landon McClaugherty, 328.5.
ROUND 2: 1. Chad Masters, 57.6; 2. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 3. Paul David Tierney, 61.9; 4. Clayton Hass, 64.6; 5. Kyle Lockett, 71.4; 6. Broc Cresta, 79.7; 7. Chance Kelton, 81.5; 8. Josh Peek, 81.6; 9. Dean Gorsuch, 85.5; 10. Jess Tierney, 96.1; 11. Scott Snedecor, 97.1; 12. Daniel Green, 106.2; 13. Russell Cardoza, 107.0; 14. Jim Ross Cooper, 114.4; 15. Jimmie Cooper, 121.4; 16. JoJo LeMond, 123.1; 17. Paul Tierney, 124.9; 18. Landon McClaugherty, 124.9; 19. Steve Duhon, 127.3; 20. Bryce Davis, 147.7.
ROUND 1: 1. Russell Cardoza, 58.6 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 62.2; 3. K.C. Jones, 63.3; 4. Jess Tierney, 67.5; 5. Jim Ross Cooper, 69.7; 6. Josh Peek, 75.1; 7. Scott Snedecor, 78.0; 8. Daniel Green, 78.8; 9. Clayton Hass, 91.3; 10. JoJo LeMond, 106.9; 11. Dean Gorsuch, 107.8; 12. Chad Masters, 112.8; 13. Chance Kelton, 113.3; 14. Paul David Tierney, 113.8; 15. Paul Tierney, 123.8; 16. Jimmie Cooper, 124.5; 17. Bryce Davis, 137.9; 18. Steve Duhon, 151.1; 19. Broc Cresta, 168.7; 20. Landon McClaugherty, 201.6.
FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Chad Masters, 57.6; 2. Russell Cardoza, 58.6; 3. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 4. Paul David Tierney, 61.9; 5. Kyle Lockett, 62.2; 6. Clayton Hass, 63.3.