Cole Franks rides Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Scarlet Dunn It for 90 points to repeat as the West of the Pecos Rodeo bareback riding champion.
(PHOTO BY ROBBY FREEMAN)

 

PECOS, Texas – Five months ago, Cole Franks was in a recovery room coming out of anesthesia.

He’s just had a successful hip surgery to repair a torn labrum, a necessary part of his job as a bareback rider. He returned to the game in mid-May and has been on a tear ever since. He’s ridden 10 horses over that stretch and placed among the top five seven times.

He stayed on that roll during Saturday’s final performance of the West of the Pecos Rodeo, riding Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Scarlet Dunn It for 90 points to win the bareback riding title for the second straight year.

“Other than the heat, I love this rodeo,” said Franks, a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Clarendon, Texas.

Temperatures have been in the triple digits all week, but the rodeo action has matched the heat. Take Franks’ ride. He’d never been on the horse with an exceptional pedigree, but he understood the background. Scarlet Dunn It was sired by Korczak, a stallion that has bucked at the NFR in both bareback riding and bull riding. The dam was Scarlet’s Web, a champion bareback horse that bucked at the National Finals 17 years in a row.

“I had seen that horse a couple times just off video, but it looked like it was going to be a lot of fun and maybe a little bit of a handful,” Franks said of the dun bronc. “That horse had a very, very good day, and it was a lot of fun.”

It also added to the momentum the Texas cowboy is gaining. He’s still building steam from those four months on the shelf. After competing at his fourth NFR in five years, the 2021 Resistol Rookie of the Year knew he needed to get his hip repaired. He competed at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo and won a round, then underwent surgery.

Not only was the labrum torn, he also had a 2-cm bone spur that had cut blood flow to the socket joint. Rest and rehabilitation were part of doctors’ orders. While out of service, he and his wife, Dustie, welcomed their first child, a son they named Blaise. Now, it’s time for Dad to make a living on bucking horses. Franks, who entered the week ranked 47th in the world standings, added $6,416 to his bank account by winning Pecos.

“It still hurts every now and then,” he said of his left hip. “That’s just part of it. It’s going to hurt from time to time.”

It’s not just the physical limitations that come into. Getting back into the game requires a strong mental approach. He’s found it.

“You get to fighting your head a little bit, especially coming back from an injury,” Franks said. “The body feels great, and I just have to remember that.”

West of the Pecos Rodeo
June 24-27
All-around cowboy: Vin Fisher, $5,800 in team roping and steer roping.

Bareback riding: 1. Cole Franks, 90 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Scarlet Dunn It, $6,416; 2. (tie) Roedy Farrell and Garrett Shadbolt, 87, $4,277 each; 4. Luke Thrash, 86.5, $2,352; 5. (tie) Kash Loyd, Lane McGehee, Jess Pope and Brayze Schill, 85.5, $1,016 each.

Team roping: First round: 1, Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox, 6.4 seconds, $2,817 each; 2. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 7.1, $2,449; 3. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 7.3, $2,082; 4. Denton Parish/Buddy Hawkins II, 7.8, $1,715; 5. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Kaden Profili and Cyle Denison/Braylon Tryan, 7.9, $1,163 each; 7. Clay Ullery/B.J. Dugger, 8.0, $612; 8. Cody Carter/McCoy Profili, 8.2, $245. Second round: 1. Wawa Ben Jr./Brandon Ben, 6.5 seconds, $2,817 each; 2. (tie) Clay Tryan/Kelby Frizzell and Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 6.9, $2,266 each; 4. Billy Bob Brown/Blaine Vick, 7.2, $1,715; 5. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 7.3, $1,347; 6. Coleman Proctor/Travis Graves, 7.4, $980; 7. Casper Ringelstein IV/Joel Galvan Jr, 7.6, $612; 8. (tie) Shay Dixon Carroll/Jace Helton and Walker Smith/Will Smith, 7.9, $122 each. Average: 1. Clay Tryan/Kelby Frizzell, 15.3 seconds on two head, $4,225 each; 2. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 17.3, $3,399 each; 4. Jayse Tettenhorst/Belden Cox, 17.4, $2,572; 5. Jett Fisher/Vin Fisher Jr., 18.1, $2,021; 6. Laramie Allen/Rich Skelton, 19.1, $1,470; 7. Coleman Proctor/Travis Graves, 20.9, $919; 8. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 21.0, $367.

Steer roping: First round: 1. (tie) Kelton McMillen, Riley O’Rourke and Cole Patterson, 12.9 seconds, $1,822 each; 4. (tie) Cash Fretwell, Frank Pohlmann and Tony Reina, 13.6, $1,002 each; 7. Clay Long, 13.9, $455; 8. Chet Herren, 14.1, $182. Second round: 1. (tie) Cole Patterson and Scott Snedecor, 10.8 seconds, $1,958 each; 3. Laramie Allen, 10.9, $1,548; 4. Vin Fisher Jr., 11.0, $1,275; 5. Cody Lee, 11.6, $1,002; 6. (tie) Connor McNeil and Thomas Smith, 11.7, $592 each; 8. Jarett Holliday, 11.9, $182. Third round: 1. Jake Clay, 11.2 seconds, $2,095; 2. Riley O’Rourke, 11.5, $1,822; 3. Thomas Smith, 12.0, $1,548; 4. (tie) Jarett Holliday, Dalton Walker and Ryan Willberg, 12.2, $1,002 each; 7. J. Tom Fisher, 12.4, $455; 8. Vin Fisher Jr., 12.7, $182. Average: 1. Riley O’Rourke, 37.0 seconds on three head, $3,142; 2. Cody Lee, 39.4, $2,732; 3. Vin Fisher Jr., 40.0, $2,322; 4. Frank Pohlmann, 40.2, $1,913; 5. Cole Patterson, 40.9, $1,503; 6. Kelton McMillen, 41.3, $1,093; 7. Chet Herren, 41.6, $683; 8. Laramie Allen, 42.1, $273.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Lefty Holman, 88.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s River’s Ghost, $6,655; 2. (tie) Jake Finlay and Statler Wright, 88, $4,437 each; 4. (tie) Sage Newman, Will Pollock and Spencer Wright, 86, $1,701 each; 7. Kade Bruno, 85.5, $887; 8. (tie) Ira Dickinson and Ryder Wright, 84.5, $333 each.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. West Smith, 8.9 seconds, $3,376; 2. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.1, $2,935; 3. Cade Wallis, 9.7, $2,495; 4. Lucas Potter, 10.1, $2,055; 5. Lane Livingston, 10.2, $1,615; 6. Tom Crouse, 10.5, $1,174; 7. Tater Jordan, 10.7, $734; 8. Guy Raasch, 11.1, $294. Second round: 1. Tyler Calhoun, 9.0 seconds, $3,348; 2. Michael Otero, 9.6, $2,911; 3. Lane Livingston, 9.8, $2,475; 4. West Smith, 10.7, $2,038; 5. (tie) Trevor Hale and Klay Kirkes, 11.7, $1,383 each; 7. Dillon Grote, 11.9, $728; 8. (tie) Tanner Green, Chance Oftedahl and Trenton Smith, 12.0, $97 each. Average: 1. West Smith, 19.6 seconds on two head, $5,022; 2. Lane Livingston, 20.0, $4,367; 3. Tyler Calhoun, 21.0, $3,712; 4. Michael Otero, 22.5, $3,057; 5. Lucas Potter, 22.6, $2,402; 6. Trevor Hale, 23.6, $1,747; 7. Chance Oftedahl, 25.0, $1,092; 8. Chet Weitz, 25.7, $437.

Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Amy Ohrt, 3.2 seconds, $2,255; 2. Haiden Thompson, 3.3, $1,961; 3. Lynn Smith, 3.4, $1,666; 4. TiAda Gray, 3.5, $1,372; 5. Taylor Munsell, 3.6, $1,078; 6. (tie) Kirsten George and Cheyanne McCartney, 3.8, $637 each; 8. (tie) Delani Kay Beatty, Danielle Lowman, Jayme Marcrum and Madalyn Richards, 4.0, $49 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Martha Angelone and Lari Dee Guy, 2.9 seconds, $2,108 each; 3. Cheyanne McCartney, 3.2, $1,666; 4. (tie) Makayla Boisjoli, Jaci Hammons, Shelby Osceola-Moody and Tibba Smith, 3.3, $931 each; 8. Jayme Marcrum, 3.5, $196. Average: 1. Haiden Thompson, 6.9 seconds on two head, $3,382; 2. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney and Martha Angelone, 7.0, $2,720 each; 4. Jayme Marcrum, 7.5, $2,059; 5. Delani Kay Beatty, 8.2, $1,617; 6. TiAda Gray, 8.6, $1,176; 7. Madalyn Richards, 9.1, $735; 8. Danielle Lowman, 9.2, $294.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1, Wyatt Fields, 4.4 seconds, $2,533; 2. (tie) Kyle Irwin and Tyler Waguespack, 4.6, $2,037 each; 4. Cade Goodman, 4.8, $1,542; 5. (tie) Garrett Curry and Darcy Kersh, 5.1, $1,046 each; 7. (tie) Eli Lord and Justin Shaffer, 5.2, $385 each. Second round: 1. Jesse Brown, 4.8 seconds, $2,533; 2. (tie) Darcy Kersh and Cash Robb, 5.0, $2,037 each; 4. Cole Pugh, 5.7, $1,542; 5. (tie) Cody Devers and Gus Franzen, 5.8, $1,046 each; 7. Eli Lord, 6.0, $551; 8. Sam Shofner, 6.2, $220. Average: 1. Darcy Kersh, 10.1 seconds on two head, $3,799; 2. Eli Lord, 11.2, $3,303; 3. Paul Melvin, 12.3, $2,808; 4. Cole Pugh, 13.4, $2,312; 5. Jake Shelton, 17.7, $1,817; 6. Walt Arnold, 19.0, $1,321; 7. Cole Walker, 19.6, $826; 8. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Cade Goodman, 19.8, $165 each.

Barrel racing: 1. Jimmie Smith, 17.19 seconds, $6,208; 2. Kim Squires, 17.20, $4,966; 3. Maggie Wright, 17.47, $4,035; 4. Ashley Castleberry, 17.48, $3,104; 5. Carlee Otero, 17.63, $2,483; 6. Brooke Krolczyk, 17.70, $1,862; 7. Alyssa MacDonald, 17.75, $1,552; 8. Kristi Cole, 17.78, $1,397; 9. Shayna Wimberly, 17.85, $1,242; 10. Caley Walkoviak, 17.90, $1,086; 11. (tie) Sabrina Ketcham, Tillar King, Maylee McCrary and Lindsey McCuistion, 17.91, $698 each; 15. Kortney Scheer, 17.93, $310.

Bull riding: 1. Tristan Mize, 90.5 points on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Hell At Night, $6,796; 2. (tie) Braydan Kilcrease and Jace Trosclair, 89.5, $4,531 each; 4. Colorado Kid Mackey, 89, $2,492; 5. (tie) Tristen Hutchings and Gavin Mitchell, 86.5, $1,359 each; 7. Creek Young, 85, $906; 8. TJ Gray, 84.5, $680.