Sanderson has success in bull riding at Reno Rodeo

RENO, Nev. — Caleb Sanderson of Halletsville, Texas has already won $7,024 in Reno after finishing third in the Xtreme Bulls on Thursday night. On Friday night – the first performance of the 96th anniversary Reno Rodeo – Sanderson kept his momentum going.
He rode Diamond G Rodeo Company’s bull Warbird for 82 points, a score that, historically, at least should be enough to get him back to next Saturday’s championship round.
Sanderson finished five points ahead of world champion Cody Teel, of Kountze, Texas, who scored 77.The bull riders compete in one long round with the top 12 coming back for the championship round. All the other competitors compete in two rounds before the championship round.
World standings leader and four-time world champion Bobby Mote is off to a solid start in bareback.The Stephenville, Texas cowboy rode the Western Rodeo Company bronc Another Gray for 80 points, the high score of the night.
“That’s a great way to start,” said the 39-year-old Mote, who won the Reno Rodeo Silver Spurs in 2008 in bareback and 2012 in the all-around. “That’s just what you want. I’d never been on that horse before, but I know they won a round on him here last year. He was outstanding.”
Jesse Wright of Milford, Utah put himself in good position for another set of Reno Rodeo Silver Spurs as well as he posted the high score of the night in saddle bronc with an 84 on the Diamond G Rodeo Company bronc Karat Kowboy.
Wright, who won the Silver Spurs in 2011, finished four seven points ahead of second-place Sterling Crawley of Stephenville, Texas, who had a 77.
In the steer wrestling, Tanner Milan of Cochrane, Alberta posted the fastest time of the night, taking his steer to the turf in 4.0 seconds.
The top team ropers of the night were Bubba Buckaloo of Caddo, Okla., and Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Ore., who roped their steer in 4.9 seconds.
It was a pretty good day for Cardoza, who had a 9.3-second run during the morning slack, which is currently leading the tie-down roping. The fastest time turned in by a roper in the performance on Friday night was a 9.6 by Ace Slone of Cuero, Texas.
In the barrel racing, Rachel Dice of Livermore, Calif., was the final racer to go, but wound up with the fastest time of the night, covering the cloverleaf pattern in 17.39-seconds.
RENO, Nev. – The following are current leaders at the Reno Rodeo after the first of nine performance, June 19, 2015.

First performance

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Olin Hannum, 4.5 seconds; 2. Tanner Milan, 5.6; 3. Morgan Grant, 5.8; 4. Shawn Downing, 9.8; 5. Dirk Tavenner, 14.0; 6. Garrett Smith, 15.1. Second round leaders: 1. Tanner Milan, 4.0 seconds; 2. Shawn Downing, 4.9; 3. Dirk Tavenner, 5.2; 4. Straws Milan, 5.5; 5. Olin Hannum, 6.0; 6. Morgan Grant, 12.2. Average leaders: 1. Tanner Milan, 9.6 seconds on two head; 2. Olin Hannum, 10.5; 3. Shawn Downing, 14.7; 4. Morgan Grant, 18.0; 5. Dirk Tavenner, 19.2; 6. Garrett Smith, 30.2.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Ryan Reed/Monty Joe Petska, 6.2 seconds; 2. J.B. James Jr/Brock Hanson, 7.0; 3. Blake Hughes/Allen Bach, 7.1; 4. Bubba Buckaloo/Russell Cardoza, 7.9; 5. Barak Freeman/Asher Freeman, 20.5; no other qualified runs. Second round leaders: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Russell Cardoza, 4.9 seconds; 2. Derrick Begay/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 5.3; 3. Turtle Powell/Jonathan Torres, 5.4; 4. Ryan Reed/Monty Joe Petska, 5.8; 5. Blake Hughes/Allen Bach, 8.9; 6. Tait Gurney/Ky Oberg, 10.3. Average leaders: 1. Ryan Reed/Monty Joe Petska, 12.0 seconds on two head; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Russell Cardoza, 12.8; 3. Blake Hughes/Allen Bach, 16.0; 4. Barak Freeman/Asher Freeman, 31.7; 5. Derrick Begay/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 5.3 on one head; 6. Turtle Powell/Jonathan Torres, 5.4.
Saddle bronc riding: First round leaders: 1. Jesse Wright, 84 points on Diamond G Rodeo’s 18 Karat Kowboy; 2. Jacobs Crawley, 77; 3. (tie) Tyrel Larsen and Sterling Crawley, 76 each; 5. CoBurn Bradshaw, 75; 6. Andy Clarys, 70.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Russell Cardoza, 9.3 seconds; 2. (tie) Joseph Parsons and Ace Slone, 9.6 each; 4. Reese Riemer, 10.1; 5. (tie) Cory Solomon and Adam Gray, 10.2 each.
Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Rachel Dice, 17.68 seconds; 2. Katelyn Wall, 17.87; 3. Jandee Smart, 17.90; 4. Carlee Pierce, 17.95; 5. Jordan Wright, 18.27; 6. DeAnna Critton, 19.25. Second round leaders: 1. Rachel Dice, 17.39 seconds; 2. Teigan Adams, 17.60; 3. Shelby Blixt, 17.98; 4. Carlee Pierce, 18.28; 5. DeAnna Critton, 18.55; 6. Jordan Wright, 22.60. Average leaders: 1. Rachel Dice, 35.07 seconds on two head; 2. Carlee Pierce, 36.23; 3. DeAnna Critton, 37.80; 4. Jordan Wright, 40.87; 5. Jandee Smart, 40.88; 6. Shelby Blixt, 41.20.
Bull riding: First round leaders: 1. Caleb Sanderson, 82 points on Diamond G Rodeo’s Warbird; 2. Cody Teel, 77; 3. Tanner Learmont, 75; 4. Jeff Askey, 74; no other qualified rides.

Last Updated on 03/12/2025 by Patrick OD O’Donnell

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Patrick OD O'Donnell

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The moment a bull's gate swings open—that's when Patrick "OD" O'Donnell feels most alive. From his early days riding bareback through Arizona pastures to revolutionizing the bull riding industry as President of Bull Riders Only, OD has lived the Western lifestyle he now champions as Founder of Cowboy Lifestyle Network. Growing up in Casa Grande's sunbaked agricultural heartland, he didn't just learn about horses and ranching, he lived it daily, developing the instincts and grit that would later attract 4 million followers to CLN's authentic voice.

After his baseball days at the University of Arizona, OD saw something others missed: bull riding wasn't just a sport, but was compelling entertainment waiting for the right vision. Between 1990-1997, his leadership transformed local rodeo competitions into sold-out arena events that changed Western sports forever. Today, that same pioneering spirit drives CLN's coverage of everything from championship rodeos to the quiet heroism of ranch life. When he's not building the digital home for cowboy culture, you'll find OD supporting Harris Brothers Charity Foundation, leading CLN’s 25-year Christmas Toy Drive for Arizona kids, or sharing his love of horsemanship with special needs riders through Arizona's own Horses Help. Living proof that authentic Western values still have the power to transform lives.

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