College champ has outstanding ride at Cody Stampede

CODY, Wyo.; July 1, 2015 — Wyoming has been very good to bareback rider Tim O’Connell in the past two weeks.
He was at his fourth College National Finals Rodeo in Casper less than two weeks ago competing for Missouri Valley College. He left with the national bareback riding championship. O’Connell who is from Zwingle, Iowa has been hot on the rodeo trail since then and just returned to Wyoming to compete at the Cody Stampede on Wednesday night.
Over half of Wednesday night’s bareback riders are also former college champions. Of those, O’Connell was the most successful with an outstanding ride on Frontier Rodeo’s champion bucking horse Full Baggage. When the judges added up their scores a smiling O’Connell had an 86-point ride by his name.
“It was a dogfight from start to finish,” O’Connell said. “That horse just kept getting stronger with every jump.”
There was another 86-point effort in saddle bronc riding that put Jesse James Kirby in first place. Kirby, from Dodge City, Kan., rode the horse named Griz to take a five point lead over Ben Londo from San Luis Obispo, Calif.
The second performance of the 96th annual Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede gets underway at 8 p.m. on Thursday. For tickets and more information go to www.codystampederodeo.com.

CODY, Wyo., July 1, 2015 — Following are results from the Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede

Bareback Riding: 1, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage. 2, Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., 85. 3, Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 80. 4, George Gillespie, Hamilton, Mont., 79.
Steer Wrestling : 1, Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nev., 4.9 seconds. 2, Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev., and Clayton Hass, Terrell, Texas, 5.6. 4, Stan Branco, Chowchilla, Calif., 6.8
Team Roping: 1, Drew Gartner, Killdeer, N.D., and Paul Griemsman, Piedmont, S.D., 5.0. 2, Nick Pullara, Fountain, Colo., and Justin Price, La Veta, Colo., 9.3. 3, Travis Bounds, Grand Junction, Colo., and Joe Roderick, Loma, Colo., 19.9. 4, Clayton Miller, Billings, Mont., and Hank Hollenbeck, Molt, Mont., 21.9.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Jesse James Kirby, Dodge City, Kan., 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Griz. 2, Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 79. 3, (tie) Dylan Henson, Bloomfield, N.M., and Andy Clarys, Riverton, Wyo., 76.
Tie-Down Roping: Jake Hamilton, Casper, Wyo., 9.3. 2, Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, 9.5. 3, Jayce Johnson, Hemingford, Neb., 11.0. 4, Dennis Luetge, Hempstead, Texas, 11.7.
Barrel Racing: 1, Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, 17.08 seconds. 2, Pamela Capper, Cheney, Wash., 17.32. 3, Shelby Herrmann,Stephenville, Texas, 17.45. 4, Laura Kennedy, Quitman, Ark., 17.94.
Bull Riding: No qualified rides

The following are current leaders in the timed events after slack and the first performance –

Steer Wrestling: 1, Jake Rinehart, Highmore, S.D., 4.7 seconds. 2, (tie) Baylor Roche, Tremonton, Utah, and Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nev., 4.9 each. 4, (tie) Kyle Callaway, Blue Creek, Mont., and Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala., 5.1.
Team Roping: 1, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas, 4.2 seconds. 2, Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas, and Kory Koontz, Stephenville, Texas, 4.3. 3, Drew Gartner, Killdeer, S.D., and Paul Griemsman, Piedmont, S.D., 5.0. 4, Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., and Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo., 5.2.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Trent Walls, Stephenville, Texas, 9.0 seconds. 2, Trell Etbauer, Goodwell , Okla., 9.1. 3, Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash., 9.2. 4, Jake Hamilton, Casper, Wyo., 9.3.

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Last Updated on 03/12/2025 by Jodi Erpelding

About the Author:

Jodi Erpelding

Biography:

I grew up on a Midwest farm with dirt under my fingernails and the sound of wind rustling through cornfields. My childhood was all about 4H – raising pigs and horses, learning to bake and sew, and discovering the magic of transforming a garden into jars of summer sunshine. Those years taught me the value of hard work, the thrill of seeing a project through to the end, and the simple joy of creating something beautiful. A country girl with a need for speed and a thirst for adventure. Maybe that's why I love the feeling of wind in my hair – whether I'm cruising down a dusty road on my Harley or tackling a mountain trail on my trusty mountain bike. Some of my earliest memories of rodeo are watching my father compete at small local events. That's also where my love for country music comes in – long car rides listening to 8 tracks. The lyrics and melodies always spoke to my soul. These days, you'll find me cheering on the cowboys and cowgirls at rodeos, two-stepping to my favorite bands, belting out a country tune at a concert or sharing stories and laughter with friends around a bonfire. When I'm not soaking up the country life and getting my boots dirty, I'm a nurse, caring for folks in my community. Follow along for more stories from the heart of rodeo and country life!

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