Monthly Archives: April 2011

Ryan Jarrett hasn’t lived in Oklahoma all that long, but he realizes the significance of the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo taking place in his home state. Jarrett, the 2005 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association all-around world champion, roped and tied his calf in 8.3 seconds for the fastest time in tie-down roping Friday night at Jim Norick Arena. That was good enough for second place in the opening go-round, a tenth of a second behind round winner Brett Fleming of Warden, Mont. “It always feels good to win something close to the house,” said Jarrett of Comanche, Okla. “Being this rodeo is a national championship, it’s kind of like double-dipping.” It’s a pretty nice double dip. Originally from Summerville, Ga., Jarrett earned $3,428 for his runner-up finish – Fleming, who competed Thursday night, won $4,525. More importantly, he’s in a good position heading into the second go-round, set for performances at 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. “Tomorrow afternoon I’ll just try to be close to the barrier and don’t take a bad throw,” he said, explaining the string barrier that allows the timed-event livestock a head start. “I need to be in there for a good position in the average. It’s about Sunday from here on out.” The DNCFR features 24 contestants in each of the standard rodeo events – each cowboy and cowgirl will compete in two go-rounds. The top eight in the two-run aggregate qualify for the semifinals set to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, where they slate will be cleaned and no times carried over. The top four times or scores qualify for the final round, where the slate is cleaned again. The fastest time or highest score will be crowned national champion Sunday afternoon. It’s a title each of the contestants wants when the weekend concludes, and it’s what’s driving them through the rugged test of competition. For Jarrett, he’s taking this test on Buddy, a horse owned by Ronnie Austin of Ringling, Okla. “I won fourth on him at Fort Worth (Texas),” said Jarrett, a three-time DNCFR qualifier. “I just take him to these deals that are close to the house. Ronnie’s been real good about me taking him and using him whenever. He likes to see someone doing good on his horse.” The best scores and times from Friday’s second performance included bareback rider Kelly Timberman of Mills, Wyo., 77 points on Painted Pony’s Shasta; steer wrestler Seth Murphy of South Heart, N.D., 4.2 seconds; saddle bronc rider Townsend Prince of Livermore, Colo., 82 points on Kesler Rodeo’s Starburst; team ropers Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo./Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 5.8; barrel racer Tana Renick of Kingston, Okla., 15.26 seconds; and bull rider Seth Glause of Rock Springs, Wyo., 88 points on Burns Rodeo’s Kid Twist. Bareback Riding 1.         Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah, 84 points on J Bar J’s Freckled Doll, $4,525 2.         (tie) Dave Worsfold, Queensland, AU, 80, $2,948 Brian Bain, Culver, Ore., 80, $2,948 4.         Kelly Timberman, Mills, Wyo., 77, $1,645 5.         (tie) Wes Stevenson, Lubbock, Texas, 76, $329 Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., 76, $329 Justin Miller, Billings, Mont., 76, $329 Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 76, $329 Wyatt Hancock, Taylor, Ariz., 76, $329 Steer Wrestling 1.         Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., 3.3 seconds, $4,525 2.         Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont., 3.9, $3,428 3.         John Franzen, Riverton, Wyo., 4.1, $2,468 4.         Seth Murphy, South Heart, N.D., 4.2, $1,645 5.         (tie) Adam Strahan, Kankakee, Ill., 4.3, $823 Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 4.3, $823 Tie-Down Roping 1.         Brett Fleming, Worden, Mont., 8.2 seconds, $4,525 2.         Ryan Jarrett, Summerville, Ga., 8.3, $3,428 3.         (tie) Tyson Durfey, Colbert, Wash., 9.1, $2,057 Seth Murphy, South Heart, N.D., 9.1, $2,057 5.         Grady Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 9.5, $960 6.         Blake Hirdes, Turlock, Calif., 9.6, $686 Saddle Bronc Riding 1.         JJ Elshere, Quinn, S.D., 85 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Firelane, $4,525 2.         Townsend Prince, Livermore, Colo., 82, $3,428 3.         (tie) Jesse Kruse, Great Falls, Mont., 81, $2,057 Heith DeMoss, Heflin, La., 81, $2,057 5.         (tie) Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah, 80, $548 Scott Miller, Hillsboro, Texas, 80, $548 Jake Costello, Newell, S.D., 80, $548 Team Roping 1.         Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore./Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 5.5 seconds, $4,525 2.         Luke Brown, Stephenville, Texas/Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 5.7, $3,428 3.         Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo./Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 5.8, $2,468 4.         Jason Handy, Stobey, Mont./Kory Mytty, Lolo, Mont., 6.0, $1,645 5.         Brett Price, Faith, S.D./Paul Griemsman, Piedmont, S.D., 6.4, $960 6.         Tom Richards, Humboldt, Ariz./Tyler Getzwiller, Scottsdale, Ariz., 6.8, $686 Barrel Racing 1.         Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 15.24 seconds, $4,525 2.         Tana Renick, Kingston, Okla., 15.26, $3,428 3.         Michelle West, Henryetta, Okla., 15.44, $2,468 4.         Linda Vick, Hesperia, Calif., 15.50, $1,645 5.         Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 15.51, $960 6.         (tie) Jessi Eagleberger, Stringtown, Okla., 15.52, $343 Lindsay Karp, Missoula, Mont., 15.52, $343 Bull Riding 1.         Seth Glause, Rock Springs, Wyo., 88 points on Burns Rodeo’s Kid Twist, $4,525 2.         Ryan Shanklin, Rocksprings, Texas, 86, $3,428 3.         Shawn Proctor, Tooele, Utah, 85, $2,468 4.         Jacob O’Mara, Prairieville, La., 83, $1,645 No other qualified scores

The 2011 Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo will be the last event that carries the Dodge brand. The Chrysler Group is making a significant marketing change, and its truck line will now be under the Ram brand. That means it will be the Ram 1500 and Ram Dakota, while Dodge will focus on cars. But the announcement, made Friday during a news conference at Jim Norick Arena in Oklahoma City in conjunction with the DNCFR, points to the automotive maker turning its marketing attention to Ram Rodeo. “We’re very fortunate that we’ve been around so long,” said Mike Orman, president of Ram Rodeo. “This is quite a program we represent at the circuit level.” Chrysler has partnered with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association for three decades and has been the title sponsor of the national circuit championship for all of its 25 years. “Rodeo is the single largest marketing program we have in the trucks,” said Bo Puffer of the Chrysler Group. “We are going to be taking rodeo even more mainstream. We’re going to get into markets we haven’t before.” That’s good news for rodeo.

Stockton Graves is an Oklahoma cowboy who is proud of the state’s rodeo heritage. He’s also excited to be competing in his capital city for one of the most coveted championships in his sport during the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo at Jim Norick Arena on the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. On Thursday night during the first of five performances, Graves posted a 3.3-second run to take the lead in steer wrestling. “I think it’s great being able to compete in Oklahoma City for the national championship,” said Graves, 32, of Newkirk, Okla. “I think they’ve done a great job trying to put this rodeo on and bringing it back to where the NFR was for so many years. It’s a rodeo state.” That it is. The State Fair Arena was home of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from 1965-78, though Oklahoma City hosted at the then-called Myriad Arena through 1984, when Las Vegas became the host. So returning this type of championship to central Oklahoma is important for the region and the competitors who are in town competing. Graves has qualified for the Wrangler NFR six times, while this is his fourth trip to the national circuit finals. He won the national championship in 2006, and his hot start gives him an advantage – half of the 24 contestants in each event competed Thursday, and the other half will compete at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The second round will take place Saturday, with performances scheduled for 1 and 7:30 p.m. The final performance, set for 1 p.m. Sunday, will feature the top eight cowboys and cowgirls from each event and will be pared down to the eventual champions. “It’s very good to have a good run to start,” Graves said. “It takes some pressure off on the next run. If you don’t place, then you still have a good chance to make it back in the top eight. I always like to do good on my first one, and hopefully it just keeps rolling.” That’s what helps champions earn the buckles they crave and the titles for which they battle. “This is the first time I’ve ever ridden that horse,” he said of Maximus, owned by fellow steer wrestler Todd Suhn of Weatherford, Texas. “Horses like Maximus make our jobs easy. You’ve got to ride the best to beat the best.” He wasn’t the only one who was best Thursday night. Other winners were tie-down roper Brett Flemming of Warden, Mont., 8.2 seconds; bareback rider Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah, 84 points on J Bar J’s Freckled Doll; saddle bronc rider J.J. Elshere, Quinn, S.D., 85 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Firelane; team ropers Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore./Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 5.5 seconds; barrel racer Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 15.24 seconds; and bull rider Ryan Shanklin, Rocksprings, Texas, 86 points on MoBetta Rodeo’s Carter Hou. Bareback Riding 1.         Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah, 84 points on J Bar J’s Freckled Doll 2.         (tie) Dave Worsfold, Queensland, AU, 80 Brian Bain, Culver, Ore., 80 4.         Wes Stevenson, Lubbock, Texas, 76 5.         (tie) Bo Casper, Fort Scott, Kan., 75 Clint Lear, Anderson, Calif., 75 Steer Wrestling 1.         Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., 3.3 seconds 2.         Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont., 3.9 3.         John Franzen, Riverton, Wyo., 4.1 4.         Casey McMillen, Redmond, Ore., 4.4 5.         Damian Padilla, Rio Rico, Ariz., 4.5 6.         Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, 4.9 Tie-Down Roping 1.         Brett Fleming, Worden, Mont., 8.2 seconds 2.         Tyson Durfey, Colbert, Wash., 9.1 3.         Grady Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 9.5 4.         Wes Arcement, Raceland, La., 10.2 5.         Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas, 10.4 6.         Carmine Nastri, Ballston, N.Y., 11.2 Saddle Bronc Riding 1.         JJ Elshere, Quinn, S.D., 85 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Firelane 2.         Jesse Kruse, Great Falls, Mont., 81 3.         Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah, 80 4.         Jacobs Crawley, College Station, Texas, 78 5.         Curtis Garton, New Zealand, NZ, 75 6.         Travis Sheets, Hyannis, Neb., 73 Team Roping 1.         Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore./Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 5.5 seconds 2.         Luke Brown, Stephenville, Texas/Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 5.7 3.         Tom Richards, Humboldt, Ariz./Tyler Getzwiller, Scottsdale, Ariz., 6.8 4.         Ross Lowry, Summerville, Ga./Stephen Britnell, Maryville, Tenn., 7.1 5.         Ryan Siemsen, Worden, Mont./Ross Carson, Killdeer, N.D., 8.2 6.         Jason Arndt, Fort Scott, Kan./Gabe Gwaltney, Carthage, Mo., 8.4 Barrel Racing 1.         Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 15.24 seconds 2.         Linda Vick, Hesperia, Calif., 15.50 3.         Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 15.51 4.         Jessi Eagleberger, Stringtown, Okla., 15.52 5.         Shali Lord, Lamar, Colo., 15.56 6.         (tie) Theresa Walter, Billings, Mont., 15.60 Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 15.60 Bull Riding 1.         Ryan Shanklin, Rocksprings, Texas, 86 points on MoBetta Rodeo’s Carter Hou 2.         Shawn Proctor, Tooele, Utah, 85