Team ropers in position to cash in at National Western

By Susan Kanode
For the National Western Stock Show
DENVER (Jan. 20, 2015) — Jake Cooper and Tyler McKnight had a good night at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo on Tuesday.
With Cooper heading and McKnight heeling, they stopped the clock in 5.3 seconds to move into a three-way tie for the lead in the first round of team roping. Cooper, from Monument, N.M., and McKnight from Wells, Texas, are tied with Texans Caleb Bennett and Mickey Gomez as well as Utah’s Rhen Richard and Kory Koontz also from Texas.
Cooper and McKnight started roping together last spring after the big building rodeos had come to a close. They are hoping to cash in early this season at rodeos like Denver and qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR). They finished in the top 30 last year so the talent is definitely there.

“I think we have a good style together,” Cooper said of their roping. “I turn him (McKnight) a lot of steers and he likes to throw really fast.”

Hopefully that will work for them again at the Wednesday matinee performance when they rope their second steer. With a solid run, they will be back here Sunday for the U.S. Bank Championship Finals where the lion’s share of prize money will be paid.
World champion barrel racer Fallon Taylor from Whitesboro, Texas, also has a chance to advance to Sunday’s finals. She took her great mare Baby Flo around the cloverleaf pattern in 15.43 seconds. That is currently fifth in the first round. She will be one of the first barrel racers to compete here Wednesday and will be looking for an even faster time.
So far, through eight performances there are only four riders that have ridden two bulls. After Tuesday night’s rodeo, five more have that opportunity including former college champion and NFR qualifier Tag Elliott from Thatcher, Utah. He rode Cervi Championship’s Gunsmoke for 81 points which is also currently fifth in the first round.
There are two rodeo performances in the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday at 1:30 and 7 p.m.
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DENVER (January 20, 2015) — The following are unofficial results from the National Western Stock Show Rodeo sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Ninth Performance —

Bareback Riding: 1, Buck Lunak, Cut Bank, Mont., on Calgary Stampede’s Hurricane Terry, 73 points. 2, (tie) Troy Vaira, Richey, Mont., and Chad Rutherford, Itasca, Texas, 72 each. 4, Cavan Wrzesinki, Boulder, Mont., 68.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Jon Ragatz, Beetown, Wisc., 5.4 seconds. 2, Monty Eakin, Pecos, Texas, 5.6. 3, (tie) Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., and Clayton Morrison, Heppner, Ore., 5.7.
Team Roping: 1, Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Tyler McKnight, Wells, Texas, 5.3 seconds. 2, Cory Kidd, Statesville, N.C., and Chase Tryan, Lipan, Texas, 6.1. 3, Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., and Jim Ross Cooper, Monument, N.M., 9.5. 4, Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, ARiz., and Clay O’Brien Cooper, Gardnerville, Nev., 14.0.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Call Marr, Twin Butte, Alberta, 80 points on Calgary Stampede’s Witless Margie. 2, Samuel Kelts, Millarville, Alberta, 73. 3, Logan Hullinger, Davis City, Iowa, 71. 4, Nat Stratton, Goodwell, Okla., 70.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Briddger Chytka, Curtis, Neb., 8.1 seconds. 2, Monty Lewis, Hereford, Texas, 8.4. 3, Jayce Johnson, Hemingford, Neb., 12.8. 4, Ace Slone, Cuero, Texas, 16.4.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Fallon Taylor, Whitesboro, Texas, 15.43 seconds. 2, Kelly Tovar, Rockdale, Texas, 15.57. 3, Ronnie Will, Silt, Colo., 15.62. 4, Laura Lambert, Wiggins, Colo., 16.0.
Bull Riding: 1, Tag Elliott, Thatcher, Utah, 81 points on Cervi Championship’s Gunsmoke. 2, Kyle Lowden, Australia, 77. 3, Zeb Lanham, Sweet, Idaho, 76. 4, Will Morris, Reno, Nev., 73.

Current Leaders —

Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, David Peebles, Redmond, Ore., 88 points on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s Half Moon. 2, Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas, 84. 3, (tie) Seth Hardwick, Laramie, Wyo., and Clint Laye, Cadogan, Alberta, 83. (second round) 1, (tie) Kash Wilson, Gooding, Idaho, on Burch Rodeo’s Angel Dust, and Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, on Burch Rodeo’s Jim Dandy, 83 points each. 3, Clint Cannon, Waller, Texas, 82. 4, (tie) Seth Hardwick, Laramie, Wyo.; J.R. Vezain, Cowley, Wyo.; and Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 81. (total on two) 1, David Peebles, Redmond, Ore., 167. 2, (tie) Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, and Seth Hardwick, Laramie, Wyo., 164. 4, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 163.
Steer Wrestling: (first round) 1, Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., 3.9 seconds. 2, Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., 4.5. 3, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 4.5. 4, (tie) Jason Lahr, Stephenville, Texas, and Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas, 4.7 each. (second round) 1, Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah, 3.8. 2, Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont., 3.9. 3, Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 4.4. 4, (tie) Jake Rinehart, Highmore, S.D., and Seth Hardwick, Wheatland, Wyo., 4.8. (total on two) 1, (tie) Casey Martin, Sulphur, La., and Seth Brockman, Wheatland, Wyo., 9.9. 3, (tie) Jake Rinehart, Highmore, S.D., and Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan., 10.0.
Team Roping: (first round) 1, (tie) Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah and Kory Koontz, Stephenville, Texas; and Caleb Smidt, Belleville, Texas, and Mickey Gomez, Holland, Texas; and Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Tyler McKnight, Wells, Texas; 5.3 seconds each. 4, JoJo Lemond, Holland, Texas, and Josh Patton, Lubock, Texas, 5.5. (second round) 1, (tie) Ty Blasingame, Ramah, Colo., and J.W. Borego, Weston, Colo.; and Tom Richards, Humboldt, Ariz., and Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 5.1 each. 3, Cole Dorenkamp, Lamar, Colo., and Levi O’Keeffe, Mohall, N.D., 5.3. 4, J.B. and Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D., 5.4. (total on two) 1, Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, and Mickey Gomez, Holland, Texas, 11.0. 2, Cole Dorenkamp, Lamar, Colo., and Levi O’Keeffe, Mohall, N.D., 11.5. 3, Jeff Johnston, Thedford, Neb., and Riley Wakefield, O’Neill, Neb., 12.5. 4, Mike Bacon, Boswell, Okla., and Kyle Horton, Stigler, Okla., 12.7.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, (tie), Tyler Corrington, Hastings, Minn., on Calgary Stampede’s Seargent Whitney and Ty Thompson, Wanblee, S.D., on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s Maple Leaf, 83 points each. 3, Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 82. 4, Call Marr, Twin Butte, Alberta, 80. (second round) 1, Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo., 83 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Big Wig. 2, Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 82. 3, (tie) Tyler Corrington, Hastings, Minn.; Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla.; and Jacobs Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, 81. (total on two) 1, (tie) Tyler Corrington, Hastings, Minn., and Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 164. 3, Bradley Harter, Loranger, La., 159. 4, Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., 155.
Tie-Down Roping: (first round) 1, Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, 8.0. 2, Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif., 8.3. 3, (tie) Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas, and Justin Brinkerhoff, Corrine, Utah, 8.4. (second round)1, Blake Deckard, Wagoner, Okla., 7.2. 2, Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas, 7.6. 3, Lane Livingston, Stephenville, Texas, 7.8. 4, (tie) Jake Hannum, Plain City, Utah, and Michael Perry, Bandera, Texas, 7.9. (total on two) 1, Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, 16.3. 2, (tie) Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas, and Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D., 18.2. 4, Cody Lawrence, Pleasanton, Texas, 18.5. .
Women’s Barrel Race: (first round) 1, Meghan Johnson, Deming, N.M., 15.25. 2, Carlee Pierce, Edmond, Okla., 15.30. 3, Shelby Janssen, Coleman, Okla., 15.37. 4, Shelby Herrmann, Stephenville, Texas, 15.39. (second round) Meghan Johnson, Deming, N.M., 15.14. 2, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 15.38. 3, (tie) Shelby Herrmann, Stephenville, Texas, and Kim Couch, Rattan, Okla., 15.40 each. (total on two) 1, Meghan Johnson, Deming, N.M., 30.39. 2, Shelby Herrmann, Stephenville, Texas, 30.79. 3, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 30.93. 4, Kim Couch, Rattan, Okla., 31.10.
Bull Riding: (first round) 1, Guthrie Murray, Miami, Okla., 88 points on Cervi Championship’s Bawl Baby. 2, Kody Lostroh, Ault, Colo., 87. 3, Tyler Willis, Wheatland, Wyo., 83, 4, (tie) Tustin Day, Lupton, Ariz., and Brennon Eldred, Sulphur, Okla., 82. (second round) 1, Brock Russell, Rye, Colo., 85 points on Diamond S’s Sandi’s Dream. 2, Cody Campbell, Summerville, Ore., 81. 3, Dustin Bowen, Waller, Texas, 80. 4, (tie) Trenton Montero, Winnemucca, Nev., and Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Okla., 78. (total on two) 1, Dustin Bowen, Waller, Texas, 158. 2, Cody Campbell, Summerville, Ore., 157. 3, Trenton Montero, Winnemucca, Nev., 156. 4, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 155.