CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Will Rogers Stampede Arena was home to a storm Sunday night, but the rain didn’t wash out the final performance of the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo.

Afternoon rain covered much of Rogers County, making the arena muddy and slick. More rain fell during the third performance, but the rodeo rolled on. That’s a good thing for 19-year-old Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Okla., who outlasted the storm to win the bull riding.

“Nobody likes competing when it’s pouring outside,” said Kimzey, the No. 1 bull rider in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings. “You’ve just got to block it out and take care of your business.”

Kimzey did. He rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Hermes for 88 points to win the title. He now has pushed his annual earnings past $80,000 and owns a lead of nearly $20,000 over the No. 2 cowboy, four-time and reigning world champion J.W. Harris of Mullin, Texas.

“I didn’t know that bull at all, but all the bulls here are great,” Kimzey said. “Pete Carr makes sure we have good bulls here, so I knew I had a chance to win when I showed up.

It came down to the final ride of the weekend to distinguish the champion bull rider. But it was a wild way to close out the 2014 version of the Will Rogers Stampede.

“With weather like this, it’s hard on the animals and the contestants because the ground conditions change,” said John Gwatney, the production supervisor for Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, which produces the annual rodeo. “For the spectators, I don’t think it gets any better. We keep going with the rodeo, and the crowd that are true rodeo fans stay and enjoy the show.”

They got to see a good one all the way to the end. Kimzey is just 19 and has been a true ignition switch for rodeo. The win in Claremore marks the seventh time he has earned an event title; it’s also the third Oklahoma rodeo he’s won this May, adding titles in Duncan and Guymon.

“This means everything by keeping your confidence up and keep everything rolling,” he said. “This year’s been crazy so far, and I’m just looking forward to it continuing.”

Will Rogers Stampede
Claremore, Okla.
May 23-25
All-around cowboy: Josh Peek, $2,933, tie-down roping and steer wrestling.

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Caine Riddle, on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Sky Hawk, and Jared Keylon, on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Bright Lights, 84 points, $1,036 each; 3. Winn Ratliff, 81, $643; 4. (tie) Ethan Assmann, Jared Smith and Matt Bright, 80, $286 each.

Steer wrestling: 1. Clay Mindemann, 4.1 seconds, $1,919; 2. Tooter Silver, 4.8, $1,669; 3. Jacob Edler, 4.9, $1,418; 4. Josh Peek, 5.1, $1,168; 5. Stewart Gulager, 5.2, $918; 6. Cody Kroul, 5.8, $667; 7. Ryan Jarrett, 5.9, $417; 8. Cole Edge, 6.0, $167.

Team roping: 1. Cale Markham/Chase Tryan, 4.4 seconds, $1,676 each; 2. Casey Hicks/Jake Pianalto, 4.7, $1,457; 3. Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 5.0, $1,238; 4. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 5.1, $1,020; 5. (tie) Jesse Stipes/Casey Stipes, Will Clark/Michael Harris, A.J. Horton/Kyle Horton and Branden Duff/Dustin Harris, 5.2, $474 each.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. (tie) Nat Stratton, on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s The Darkness, and Isaac Diaz, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Molly, 82 points, $1,172 each; 3. Hardy Braden, 81, $728; 4. (tie) Justin Caylor and Wade Sundell, 80, $384 each; 6. (tie) Ty Kirkland and Heith DeMoss, 79, $101 each.

Tie-down roping: 1. Josh Peek, 8.4 seconds, $1,765; 2. Cody Huber, 8.6, $1,461; 3. (tie) Bart Brunson, Luke Blanton and Riley Pruitt, 9.0, $852 each; 6. Kyon Buckley, 9.3, $304.

Barrel racing: 1. Callie Gray, 17.16 seconds, $2,008; 2. Bailee Snow, 17.39, $1,721; 3. Natalie Foutch, 17.44, $1,434; 4. Jana Bean, 17.50, $1,243; 5. Michele McLeod, 17.64, $956; 6. Shelby Janssen, 17.65, $765; 7. (tie) Kara Posch and Laura Kennedy, 17.68, $478 each; 9. Cheyenne Shipps, 17.69, $287; 10. Jammie Tinker, 17.70, $191.

Steer roping: First round: 1. Vin Fisher Jr., 10.6 seconds, $897; 2. Brady Garten, 11.2, $742; 3. Trey Wallace, 12.0, $587; 4. Bryan Reiter, 12.1, $433; 5. Cody Lee, 12.3, $278; 6. Brad Mohon, 12.9, $155. Second round: 1. Brad Prather, 10.4 seconds, $897; 2. J.P. Wickett, 11.3, $742; 3. Mike Chase, 11.4, $587; 4. (tie) Landon McClaugherty and Corey Ross, 11.5, $356 each; 6. C.A. Lauer, 11.7, $155. Third round: 1. Bryce Davis, 9.7 seconds, $897; 2. Corey Ross, 9.8, $742; 3. Roger Branch, 9.9, $587; 4. Kim Ziegelgruber, 10.2, $433; 5. Shane Suggs, 10.3, $278; 6. Vin Fisher Jr., 10.5, $155. Average: 1. Brady Garten, 38.8 seconds on three head, $1,345; 2. Jay Sellers, 39.1, $1,113; 3. Trey Wallace, 39.2, $881; 4. Landon McClaugherty, 39.9, $649; 5. Corey Ross, 40.8, $417; 6. Vin Fisher Jr., 42.2, $232.

Bull riding: 1. Sage Kimzey, 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Hermes, $1,520; 2. Brett Stall, 87, $1,152; 3. Tate Stratton, 82, $829; 4. (tie) Reid Barker and Ardie Maier, 81, $438 each; 6. Brennon Eldred, 78, $230.