BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The Governor’s Cup was as advertised, delivering three earnings records and three new World No. 1s at the close of the season.
Jess Pope Stamps Big Summer Run With Governor’s Cup Win
At the beginning of 100 Rodeos in 100 Days, the three-time NFR Average Champion was No. 31 in the World. By the time the Governor’s Cup came around he was No. 13 and in Sioux Falls he shot up the World Standings once again to No. 6.
Pope won nearly $40,000 in the season’s final rodeo, $30,000 of it coming from his winning 88.5-point ride on Brookman Rodeo’s Lunatic Heaven.
“It’s amazing (to win here), I didn’t have any luck at this rodeo last year,” he said. “I was discouraged, I was fighting my head coming into yesterday. It’s amazing what God’s plan is, sometimes I just gotta trust it even if it’s a little bit tough.”
Shad Mayfield Caps Historic Season With 6.9-Second Run to go Back-to-Back
Shad Mayfield has made eight career runs at the Governor’s Cup. Seven of them have been 7.4 or faster. He is the only tie-down roper to win the Governor’s Cup in its two years of existence and he did so on Saturday with his fastest run yet in Sioux Falls, 6.9.
The win not only solidified his No. 1 ranking, but pushed his season earnings to $287,722, enough to take back his regular season earnings record from Riley Webb, who broke it a year ago with $281,405.
“I told ‘em I was going (to break the record) in Fort Worth and they didn’t believe me, but here we are,” Mayfield said. “I’m really thankful, but we got a long way to go.”
Hailey Kinsel Wins Three Rounds En Route to Victory, No. 1 Spot in the World
Kinsel entered the Governor’s Cup No. 2 and left the cowgirl to beat after winning three rounds, including a 13.52 to seal it in the Finals.
There was no louder applause all night at the Denny Sanford Pentagon than when Kinsel and her palomino partner Sister crossed the line on Saturday.
“That horse and rodeo have done more for my life than anything I could ask for,” she said. “I just can’t thank (Sister) enough. I’m surprised every time, but I’m not surprised when she lays down a run like that.”
Kinsel has won four Gold Buckles, the last coming in 2022 when she entered the NFR No. 2.
The remaining Governor’s Cup champions were Dalton Massey in steer wrestling (4.0 seconds), Andrew Ward/Kollin VonAhn in team roping (3.9 seconds), Ryder Wright in saddle bronc riding (88 points), Shelby Boisjoli-Meged in breakaway roping (1.6 seconds), and Clayton Sellars in bull riding (88 points).
BAREBACK RIDING
Advancing: 1. Bradlee Miller, 170.5 points on two head; 2. (tie) Keenan Hayes and Garrett Shadbolt, 169.5 each; 4. Cole Reiner, 168.5; 5. (tie) R.C. Landingham and Rocker Steiner, 167.5 each; 7. Jess Pope, 166; 8. Waylon Bourgeois, 165.
Semifinals: Rocker Steiner, 89 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Ranch & Crow Interiors; 2. Cole Reiner, 87; 3. Waylon Bourgeois, 86; 4. Jess Pope, 84; 5. Keenan Hayes, 83, $3,611; 6. Bradlee Miller, 82, $3,611; 7. Garrett Shadbolt, 80.5, $3,611; 8. R.C. Landingham, 79, $3,611.
Finals: 1. Jess Pope, 88.5 points on Brookman Rodeo’s Lunatic Heaven, $30,000; 2. Rocker Steiner, 88, $22,500; 3. Waylon Bourgeois, 85, $15,000; 4. Cole Reiner, 81, $7,500.
STEER WRESTLING
Advancing: 1. Jesse Brown, 7.3 seconds on two head; 2. Rowdy Parrott, 8.3; 3. Justin Shaffer, 8.6; 4. Stetson Jorgensen, 8.7; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and J.D. Struxness, 9.0 each; 7. Cash Robb, 10.0; 8. Dalton Massey, 10.4.
Semifinals: 1. (tie) Dalton Massey, Jesse Brown and Cash Robb, 4.1 seconds each; 4. Stetson Jorgensen, 4.3; 5. J.D. Struxness, 4.8, $3,611; 6. Justin Shaffer, 4.9, $3,611; 7. Dakota Eldridge, 5.1, $3,611; 8. Rowdy Parrott, 5.9, $3,611.
Finals: 1. Dalton Massey, 4.0 seconds, $30,000; 2. Stetson Jorgensen, 4.0, $22,500; 3. Cash Robb, 4.2, $15,000; 4. Jesse Brown, 4.4, $7,500.
TEAM ROPING
Advancing: 1. Cyle Denison/Tanner Braden, 7.8 seconds on two head; 2. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 8.1; 3. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 8.4; 4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 8.6; 5. Luke Brown/Travis Graves, 9.3; 6. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 9.5; 7. (tie) Andrew Ward/Kollin Von Ahn and Clint Summers/Jake Long, 13.8 each.
Semifinals: 1. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 3.9 seconds; 2. Andrew Ward/Kollin Van Ahn, 4.0; 3. Luke Brown/Travis Graves, 4.1; 4. Clint Summers/Jake Long, 4.2; 5. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 4.5, $3,611; 6. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 9.2, $3,611; 7. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Cyle Denison/Tanner Braden, NS, $3,611 each.
Finals: 1. Andrew Ward/Kollin VonAhn, 3.9 seconds, $30,000 each; 2. Clint Summers/Jake Long, 4.1, $22,500; 3. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 14.0, $15,000; 4. Luke Brown/Travis Graves, NT. $7,500.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Advancing: 1. Damian Brennan, 170.5 points on two head; 2. Ryder Wright, 166; 3. Logan Cook, 164.5; 4. (tie) Kade Bruno and Brody Cress, 163.5 each; 6. Ryder Sanford, 162.5; 7. Kolby Wanchuk, 162; 8. Zeke Thurston, 160.5.
Semifinals: 1. Damian Brennan, 88 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Tickled Pink; 2. (tie) Brody Cress and Ryder Wright, 87.5 each; 4. Logan Cook, 86.5; 5. Kade Bruno, 84.5, $3,611; 6. Kolby Wanchuk, 82, $3,611; 7. Ryder Sanford, 79, $3,611; 8. Zeke Thurston, NS, $3,611.
Finals: 1. Ryder Wright, 88 points on Sutton Rodeos’ South Point, $30,000; 2. Damian Brennan, 85.5, $22,500; 3. Logan Cook, 85, $15,000; 4. Brody Cress, 78, $7,500.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Advancing: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 15.6 seconds on two head; 2. (tie) Dylan Hancock and Zack Jongbloed, 16.1 each; 4. Shad Mayfield, 16.2; 5. Kincade Henry, 17.6; 6. John Douch, 19.2; 7. Haven Meged, 25.8; 8. Hunter Herrin, 42.2.
Semifinals: 1. Shad Mayfield, 7.1 seconds; 2. Zack Jongbloed, 7.2; 3. Hunter Herrin, 7.3; 4. Dylan Hancock, 8.0; 5. Haven Meged, 8.3, $3,611; 6. Kincade Henry, 17.8, $3,611; 7. (tie) John Douch and Riley Mason Webb, NT, $3,611 each.
Finals: 1. Shad Mayfield, 6.9 seconds, $30,000; 2. Hunter Herrin, 7.1, $22,500; 3. Zack Jongbloed, 20.4, $15,000; 4. Dylan Hancock, NT, $7,500.
BREAKAWAY ROPING
Advancing: 1. TiAda Gray, 5.50 seconds on two head; 2. Taylor Munsell, 5.60; 3. Maddy Deerman, 5.70; 4. (tie) Shelby Boisjoli-Meged and Jackie Crawford, 5.90 each; 6. Bradi Good, 6.20: 7. Kelsie Domer, 14.1; 8. Martha Angelone, 14.5.
Semifinals: 1. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 1.9 seconds; 2. (tie) TiAda Gray and Kelsie Domer, 2.3 each; 4. Jackie Crawford, 2.5; 5. Martha Angelone, 2.50, $1,806 each; 6. Maddy Deerman, 6.40, $3,611; 7. Taylor Munsell, 98.00, $3,611; 8. Bradi Good, 99.00, $3,611.
Finals: 1. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 1.60 seconds, $30,000; 2. Kelsie Domer, 2.30, $22,500; 3. TiAda Gray, 2.50, $15,000; 4. Jackie Crawford, 2.60, $7,500.
BARREL RACING
Advancing: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 27.83 seconds on two head; 2. Ashley Castleberry, 27.89; 3. Halyn Lide, 28.00; 4. LaTricia Duke, 28.11; 5. Dona Kay Rule, 28.14; 6. Shelley Morgan, 28.16; 7. Andrea Busby, 28.64; 8. Chelsea Moore, 28.73.
Semifinals: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 13.72 seconds; 2. LaTricia Duke, 13.83; 3. Ashley Castleberry, 13.88; 4. Shelley Morgan, 13.93; 5. Andrea Busby, 13.94, $3,611; 6. Chelsea A Moore, 14.00, $3,611; 7. Halyn Lide, 19.00, $3,611; 8. Dona Kay Rule, 19.14, $3,611.
Finals: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 13.52 seconds, $30,000; 2. Ashley Castleberry, 13.78, $22,500; 3. LaTricia Duke, 13.86, $15,000; 4. Shelley Morgan, 14.02, $7,500.
BULL RIDING
Advancing: 1. Jeter Lawrence, 172.5 points on two head; 2. Clayton Sellars, 132; 3. T.J. Gray, 91.5 on one head; 4. Wacey Schalla, 88.5; 5. Hayes Weight, 86.5; 6. Rawley Johnson, 85.5.
Semifinals: 1. Hayes Weight, 90 points on Fettig Pro Rodeo’s Half Cocked; 2. Jate Frost, 86.5; 3. Jeter Lawrence, NS; 4. Clayton Sellars, NS; 5. (tie) T.J. Gray, Wacey Schalla, Rawley Johnson, Cooper James, NS, $3,611 each.
Finals: Clayton Sellars, 88 points on Burch Rodeo Company’s Cookies & Cream, $30,000; 2. Hayes Weight, 86.5, $22,500; 3. Jeter Lawrence, 85, $15,000; 4. Jate Frost, NS, $7,500.
