Wyatt Lavergne rides Frontier Rodeo’s Ed Bishop for 86.5 points to take the early saddle bronc riding lead during Friday’s first performance of Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo.
(PHOTO BY DALE HIRSCHMAN

 

GUYMON, Okla. – Wyatt Lavergne just wants to have a percentage of the accomplishments of his Friday night dance partner during the opening performance of Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo.

Lavergne rode Frontier Rodeo’s Ed Bishop for 86.5 points to take the saddle bronc riding lead, setting the early stage during the Craig Latham Memorial Bronc Riding at Oklahoma’s Richest Rodeo.

“That’s a horse you see at the NFR almost every year,” Lavergne said, referring to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s super bowl. “You’ve seen her at every rodeo, and this is one you dream of getting on. I thank the good Lord above for giving me the opportunity to get on him.”

It was a big deal. Ed Bishop has been selected to the NFR in both bareback riding and saddle bronc riding. He’s shown his versatility in that capacity, because only the top 100 bucking animals in each event are selected each year.

“Frontier has the pen of horses I’d love to draw out of at every rodeo,” Lavergne said. “I get excited whenever I see my name next to their’s. I’d say me and Ed Bishop made a pretty good team.”

It takes two to tango. Judges mark each ride on a 100-point scale, with half the score coming from how well the animal bucks and the other half on how well the cowboy spurs in rhythm with the horse’s bucking style.

Guymon is well known for its bronc-riding prowess. Dozens of NFR qualifiers have either lived in Texas County, Oklahoma, or attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University. The event is named after Latham, a nine-time NFR qualifier who coached the Panhandle State rodeo team for several years.

“It was perfect bronc-riding weather,” Lavergne said of the evening in which temperatures dipped into the 50s. “This is a great rodeo. We had a handful of great guys, and everybody rode good. I was just blessed to compete in the bronc riding like it is here. I loved the atmosphere.”

He will await the final three performances to see where he finishes, but Lavergne’s first venture to the Oklahoma Panhandle is paying off so farm.

Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo
May 1-3

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Bryce Eck, 82 points on Double J Rodeo’s Annabelle; 2. Colt Eck, 81; 3. Koltdyn Heath, 77.5; no other qualified rides.

Team roping: First round: 1. Luke Brown/Buddy Hawkins II, 5.7 seconds, $2,354 each; 2. Tyler Tryan/Nicky Northcott, 5.9, $2,047; 3. James Arviso/Levi Lord, 6.6, $1,740; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 6.7, $1,433; 5. Wawa Ben Jr./Brandon Ben, 6.9, $1,126; 6. Jaxon Hill/Jessen James, 7.0, $819; 7. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 7.1, $512; 8. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Travis Graves and Kreece Thompson/Cutter Pake Thomison, 7.2, $102 each. Second round: 1. Shay Dixon Carroll/Denton Dunning, 5.7 seconds, $2,354 each; 2. Lightning Aguilera/Kaden Profili, 5.8, $2,047; 3. Tyler Tryan/Nicky Northcott, 6.0, $1,740; 4. Curry Kirchner/Tanner Braden, 6.4, $1,433; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Travis Graves and Blaine Turner/Scout McElroy, 6.7, $972 each; 7. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 6.8, $512; 8. Jet Toberer/Casey McCleskey, 6.9, $205. Third round leaders: 1. Luke Brown/Buddy Hawkins, 5.9 seconds; 2. Austin Crist/Dave Tripp, 7.0; 3. Tee McCleod/Trey Yates, 7.3; 4. Johnny Salvo/John Hisel, 7.8; 5. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 8.2; 6. Denton Parish/Corey Hendrick, 8.3; 7. Wawa Ben Jr./Brandon Ben, 16.7; no other qualified runs.  Average leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 21.7 seconds on three runs; 2. Luke Brown/Buddy Hawkins, 23.1; 3. Denton Parish/Corey Hendrick, 24.0; 4. Tee McLeod/Trey Yates, 26.1; 5. Johnny Salvo/John Hisel, 28.8; 6. Austin Crist/Dave Trip, 29.9; 7. Wawa Ben Jr/Brandon Ben, 36.9; 8. Tyler Tryan/Nicky Northcott, 11.9 seconds on two runs; 8. Coleman Proctor/Travis Graves, 13.9.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Walt Arnold, 3.6 seconds, $2,390; 2. Cole Pugh, 3.8, $2,078; 3. Colin Fox, 3.9, $1,767; 4. (tie) Seth Peterson and Talon Roseland, 4.0, $1,299 each; 6. Rhett Witt, 4.1, $831; 7. (tie) Eli Lord and Gavin Soileau, 4.2, $364 each. Second round: 1. Cody Harmon, 3.6 seconds, $2,390; 2. Seth Peterson, 3.7, $2,078; 3. (tie) Winsten McGraw and Gavin Soileau, 3.9, $1,611 each; 5. Cody Devers, 4.0, $1,143; 6. (tie) Trace Harris and Rhett Witt, 4.1, $675 each; 8. (tie) Tristan Martin, Cole Pugh and Sawyer Strand, 4.3, $69 each. Third round leaders: 1. Trace Harris, 4.2 seconds; 2. Dane Haas, 4.4; 3. Trey Bohmbach, 4.7; 4. (tie) Coy Johnston and Tory Johnson, 4.8; 6. Andrew Morian, 6.9; 7. Cade Fedor, 17.5; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Trace Harris and Tory Jonson, 15.5 seconds on three runs; 3. Andrew Morian, 16.5; 4. Coy Johnston, 19.7; 5. Dane Haas, 20.2; 6. Trey Bohmbach, 20.4; 7. Cade Fedor, 32.2; 8. Seth Peterson, 7.7 seconds on two runs.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wyatt Lavergne, 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Ed Bishop; 2. (tie) Blake Steuck and Coleman Shallbetter, 83.5; 4. Tegan Smith, 82; 5. Isaac Diaz, 81; 6. Brett Larsen, 778; 7. Carson Neal, 76; 8. (tie) Cooper Thatcher, Cauy Masters and Warwick Southern, 73.

Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Cali Griffin, 2.3 seconds, $2,060; 2. (tie) Reagan Davis and Brandi McDowell, 2.5, $1,657 each; 4. (tie) McKenna Brennan and Jacelyn Frost, 2.6, $1,120 each; 6. (tie) Molly Hamilton and Amy Ohrt, 2.7, $582 each; 8. (tie) Alyssa Bigon and Jessi Everett, 2.8, $90 each. Second round: 1. Kelsie Domer, 2.9 seconds, $2,060; 2. Sawyer Gilbert, 3.0, $1,791; 3. (tie) Shalee King and Josey Murphy, 3.2, $1,388 each; 5. (tie) Addie Beth Denton and Taylor Engesser, 3.3, $851 each; 7. Brooke Bruner, 3.4, $448; 8. (tie) Sydney Herrin and Emma Ricke, 3.5, $90 each. Third round leaders: 1. Carlee Potter, 2.9; 2. Alyssa Bigon, 3.3; 3. Brighton Bauman, 3.8; 4. Whitney Profilli, 3.7; 5. Shalee King, 3.8; 6. Sawyer Gilbert, 10.1. Average leaders: 1. Alyssa Bigon, 9.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Carlee Potter, 11.5; 3. Sawyer Gilbert, 17.4l 4. Whitney Profilli, 20.4; 5. Brandi McDowell, 6.7 on two runs; 7. Brooke Bruner, 6.9; 8. (tie) Beau Peterson and Shalee King, 7.0.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Zack Jongbloed, 8.4 seconds, $3,267; 2. (tie) Tyler Calhoun and Riley Mason Webb, 8.5, $2,628 each; 4. Macon Murphy, 8.7, $1,989; 5. (tie) John Douch and Kallen Johnson, 8.8, $1,349 each; 7. Jacob Walters, 9.0, $710; 8. (tie) Semaj Collins Jr. and Pecos Tatum, 9.1, $142 each. Second round: 1. Cash Hooper, 8.0 seconds, $3,267; 2. (tie) Hayden Ford and Mason Stueve, 8.1, $2,628 each; 4. (tie) Max Mathis and Richard Newton, 8.2, $1,776 each; 6. Sam Lewis, 8.3, $1,136; 7. John Douch, 8.4, $710; 8. Bryce Derrer, 8.5, $284. Third round leaders: 1. Cory Bomhoff, 9.4 seconds; 2. Hudson Wallace, 10.7; 3. Matt Guitierrez, 11.6; 4. R.J. Straw, 13.1; 5. Keyton Hayden, 14.9; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Hudson Wallace, 29.4 seconds on three runs; 2. Cory Bomhoff, 29.7; 3. R.J. Straw, 34.3; 4. Matt Gutierrez, 35.9; 5. Keyton Hayden, 39.0; 6. (tie) Zack Jongbloed and John Douch, 17.2 seconds on two rims; 8. Macon Murphy, 17.5.

Barrel racing: 1. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, 17.46; 2. Devon Brown, 17.57; 3. Lanita Pieerce, 17.59; 4. Austyn To0bey, 17.61; 5. Hazlee Mckenzie, 17.64; 6. Tiffany Teehee, 17.68; 7. Ivy Hurst, 17.69; 8. (tie) Kim Squires and Julie Plourde, 17.70; 10. Katelyn Scott, 17.73; 11. Lisa Lockkhart, 17.74; 12. Jody McKay, 17.76; 13. (tie) Brooklyn Balch and Lindsey McCuistion, 17.64; 15. Raelin Jurgens, 17.96.

Bull riding leaders: 1 Jace Hensley, 80 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Buffalo Bill; no other qualified rides.