MANDAN, N.D. (July 4, 2015)—At the final performance of the 136th Mandan Rodeo July 4, Taylor Price and Jeremy Kempker were the only two cowboys to top the rest of the field and win the overall championship in their events. Price, who lives in Huntsville, Texas, drew Sankey Rodeo’s 9 Moons in the bareback bronc riding. The 23-year-old cowboy had torn his meniscus at the Greeley, Colo., rodeo last week, but rode with his left knee taped for 85 points, first place overall and a $2,710 paycheck.
He recently graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in criminal justice and a minor in Middle Eastern studies. When his rodeo career ends, Price plans to work for homeland security, but the way he’s been riding bareback broncs, a homeland security career will have to wait.
Jeremy Kempker of Eugene, Mo., was the only roper with a time under nine seconds throughout the three rodeo performances. His 8.3-second run earned him $2,464 and first place in the tie-down roping. He rode a 16-year-old bay mare named Sweetie Pie owned by his father, who purchased the horse for Jeremy and his brother to ride.
Kempker was the fourth cowboy to rope and had to watch several top hands try to beat his time, including four-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier Cade Swor of Winnie, Texas, who clocked a 10.1, and former world champion Stran Smith of Childress, Texas, who roped his calf in a blistering 7.8 seconds, but was penalized 10 seconds for leaving the chute too quickly.
The biggest money winner of the weekend was bull rider Jimmy Maten of Donahue, Iowa, who scored 80 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Rock River Red Thursday night. Of 43 cowboys who tried, he was the only one to make a qualified ride on one of Chad Berger’s Dakota Rodeo bulls. Maten won $12,746 of which $3,823 counted toward the world championship standings.
Former NFR steer wrestler Les Shepperson took first in the steer wrestling with 3.7 seconds. He won $2,875. Other event winners were Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo., and Matt Kasner, Cody, Wyo., in team roping with 5.4 seconds, and Taygen Schuelke, Newell, S.D., who scored 81 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Smoke Cloud to win saddle bronc riding.
The 136th annual Mandan Rodeo Days Celebration is North Dakota’s largest regular season rodeo offering more than $100,000 prize money.
Unofficial Winners from the 136th Mandan Rodeo Days July 2-3 in Mandan, N.D.
Jeremy Kempker of Eugene, Mo., rode his bay mare Sweetie Pie to the tie-down roping championship at the 136th Mandan Rodeo Days in Mandan, North Dakota. Photo by Jackie Jensen
Bareback Bronc Riding: 1. Taylor Price, Huntsville, Texas, 85 points on Sankey Rodeo’s 9 Moons, $2,710.02. 2. (tie) Jake Smith, Rapid City, S.D., and Bee Jay Scott, 81, $1,806.68 each. 4. (tie) Yance Day, Tahlequah, Okla., and Jet Price, Buffalo, S.D., 80, $813 each. 6. Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 79, $451.67. 7. Dan Miller, Raleigh, N.D., 77, $361.34. 8. (tie) Tate Schwagler, Mandan, N.D., Mac Erickson, Sundance, Wyo., and Jodan Pelton, Halliday, N.D., 76, $90.33 each. Steer Wrestling: 1. Les Shepperson, Midwest, Wyo., 3.7 seconds, $2,875.46. 2. (tie) Jayce Doan, McKenzie, N.D., and Jake Rinehart, Highmore, S.D., 4.0, $2,421.44 each. 4. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb., 4.1, $1,967.42. 5. Blake Mindemann, Blanchard, Okla., 4.2, $1,664.74. 6. Jon Ragatz, Beetown, Wis., 4.3, $1,362.06. 7. Kory Carlen, Dunn Center, N.D., 4.4, $1,059.38. 8. Tom Hansen, Killdeer, N.D., 4.5, $756.70. 9. Cameron Morman, Glenullin, N.D., 4.5, $756.70. 10. Stan Branco, Chowchilla, Calif., 4.8, $151.34. Tie-down Roping: 1. Jeremy Len Kempker, Eugene, Mo., 8.3 seconds, $2,464.68. 2. Trey Young, Dupree, S.D., 9.5, $2,205.24. 3. Logan Hofer, Magrath, Alberta, Canada, 9.6, $1,945.80. 4 Blake Ash, Murora, Mo., 10.0, $1,586.36. 4. (tie) Rex Treeby, Hecla, S.D. and Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas, 10.1, $1,297.20. 7. Clayton Collmorgen, Lufkin, Texas, 10.2, $908.04. 8. Newt Bruley, Willow Lake, S.D., 10.4, $648.60. 9. Dillon Holder, Eugene, Mo., 10.5, $389, 16, 10. Dustin Entzel, Killdeer, N.D., 11.0, $129.72. Saddle Bronc Riding: 1. Taygen Schuelke, Newell, S.D., 81 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Smoke Cloud, $3,141.48. 2. JJ Elshere, Hereford, S.D., 80, $2,409.47. 3. (tie) Weston Pierschbacher, Kellerton, Iowa, and Tayte Augustus Clark, Meadow, S.D., 79, $1,466.02 each. 5. Ty Manke, Hermosa, Calif., 78, $733.01. 6. Ryan Elshere, Elm Springs, S.D., 77, $523.58. 7. Daniel J. Kraft, McLaughlin, S.D., 76, $418.86. 8. Sam Leftwich, McLaughlin, S.D., 74, $314.15. Team Roping: 1. Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo., and Matt Kasner, Cody, Wyo., 5.4 seconds, $2,540.35 each. 2. Clayton Miller, Billings, Mont., and Hank Hollenbeck, Molt, Mont., 5.5, $2,209 each. 3. Brent McInerney, Alzada, Mont., and Cody Hutchison, Moorecroft, Wyo., 5.8, $1,877.65 each. 4. Gibbs Keeton, Tulip, Texas, and Clay Burnham, Graham. Texas, 6.0, $1,546.30 each. 5. (tie) A.J. Fuchs, Teton Village, Wyo., and Sloan Hendley, Abilene, Texas, and Garrett Grieve, Baggs, Wyo., and Jaden Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 6.4, $1,048.28 each. 7. (tie) Chase Wiley, Charlotte, Texas, and Ace Pearce, Washington, Texas, and Rex Treeby, Hecla, S.D., and Tel Schaack, Edgemont, S.D., $386.58 each. Women’s Barrel Racing: 1. Britany Diaz, Solen, N.D., 15.25 seconds, $3,632.16. 2. Cassidy Kruse, Gillette, Wyo., 15.48, $2,905.72. 3. Ashley Day, Volborg, Mont., $2,350.90. 4. Hallie Fulton, Miller, S.D., $1,816.08. 5. Katie Crowley, Poplar, Mont., $1,452.86. 6. Megan Williams-Mariluch, Daingerfield Texas, 15.87, $1,089.65. 7. Rachel Tiedeman, Rapid City, S.D., $908.04. 8. (tie) Michelle Lummus, Hiram, Ga., and T.K. Lawrence, Williston, N.D., 16.17, $771.83. 10. Kailee Webb, Isabel, S.D, 16.23, $635.63. 11. Dee Haugen, Sturgis, S.D., 16.27, $544.82. 12. Wanda Brown, Edgemont, S.D., $454.02 Bull Riding: (one qualified ride) 1. Jimmy Maten, Donahue, Iowa, 80 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Rock River Red, $3,823.80, (total winnings including day money) $12,746. All-Around Cowboy: Rex Treeby, Hecla, S.D. Total Payoff: $102,007.80
