BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
A new format debuted this year at the NFR Open with three athletes advancing from three pools in each of event advancing to a nine-man winner-take-all Finals that paid $13,000 for first.
The event saw two familiar winners as bareback rider Keenan Hayes and barrel racer Jessica Routier both repeated and some regular season earnings recordholders showed why they were just that as Kaleb Driggers/Junior Noguiera won the team roping and Sage Newman won the saddle bronc riding.
BAREBACK RIDING
Pool A Qualifiers: 1. Weston Timberman, 171 points on two head; 2. Strawbs Jones, 164.5; 3. Donny Proffit, 160.5.
Pool B Qualifiers: 1. Shane O’Connell, 167.5 points on two head; 2. Mason Clements, 162.5; 3. Keenan Hayes, 162.
Pool C Qualifiers: 1. Taylor Broussard, 165.5 points on two head; 2. Richmond Champion, 162.5; 3. Leighton Berry, 162.
Finals: 1. Keenan Hayes, 89 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo Co’s Uncapped, $13,000; 2. Taylor Broussard, 87, $10,000; 3. Donny Proffit, 84.5, $7,000; 4. (tie) Richmond Champion and Leighton Berry, 82, $2,500 each; 6. Weston Timberman, 81, $1,500; 7. Shane O’Connell, 79.5, $1,500; 8. Mason Clements and Strawbs Jones, NS, $1,500 each.
STEER WRESTLING
Pool A Qualifiers: 1. Jacob Talley, 8.2 seconds on two head; 2. Dalton Massey, 11.6; 3. Fenton Nelson, 11.8.
Pool B Qualifiers: 1. Hayden Webb, 12.0 seconds on two head; 2. Jesse Brown, 14.5; 3. Gage Hesse, 14.7.
Pool C Qualifiers: 1. Scott Guenthner, 8.8 seconds on two head; 2. Stetson Jorgensen, 9.7; 3. Cameron Morman, 11.5.
Finals: 1. Scott Guenthner, 3.5 seconds, $13,000; 2. Gage Hesse, 3.9, $10,000; 3. (tie) Dalton Massey and Cameron Morman, 4.7, $5,250 each; 5. Jesse Brown, 5.0, $1,500; 6. Hayden Webb, 5.7, $1,500; 7. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Jacob Talley, 6.1, $1,500 each; 9. Fenton Nelsen, 6.3, $1,500.
TEAM ROPING
Pool A Qualifiers: 1. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Evan Arnold, 11.4 seconds on two head; 2. Garrett Rogers/Tyler Worley, 12.0; 3. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 14.6.
Pool B Qualifiers: 1. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 10.7 seconds on two head; 2. Blake Hirdes/Mike George, 14.8, 3. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.6 seconds on one head.
Pool C Qualifiers: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 14.3 seconds on two head; 2. Clay Ullery/Tyce McLeod, 20.4; 3. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 26.8.
Finals: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.4 seconds, $13,000 each; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 4.5, $10,000; 3. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 4.9, $7,000; 4. Garrett Rogers/Tyler Worley, 5.3, $3,500; 5. Clay Ullery/Tyce McLeod, Blake Hirdes/Mike George, Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Manny Egusquiza Jr./Evan Arnold, NT, $1,500 each.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Pool A Qualifiers: 1. Ira Dickinson, 165.5 points on two head; 2. Tanner Butner, 159.5; 3. Kody Rhinehart, 154.
Pool B Qualifiers: 1. Lefty Holman, 168 points on two head; 2. Statler Wright, 167.5; 3. Bailey Small, 164.
Pool C Qualifiers: 1. Sage Newman, 173.5 points on two head; 2. Cash Wilson, 166; 3. Quintin McWhorter, 161.5.
Finals: 1. Sage Newman, 88 points on Andrews Rodeo’s All Or Nothin, $13,000; 2. Ira Dickinson, 87, $10,000; 3. (tie) Statler Wright and Quintin McWhorter, 86.5, $5,250 each; 5. Kody Rinehart, 81, $1,500; 6. Cash Wilson, 79.5, $1,500; 7. Tanner Butner, 76, $1,500; 8. Bailey Small and Lefty Holman, NS, $1,500.
BREAKAWAY ROPING
Pool A Qualifiers: 1. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Jenna Dallyn, 7.5 seconds on two head each; 3. Christi Braudrick, 7.9.
Pool B Qualifiers: 1. Brooke Curuchet, 6.6 seconds on two head; 2. J.T. Acosta, 10.4; 3. Jordan Minor, 16.2.
Pool C Qualifiers: 1. Taylor Munsell, 5.6 seconds on two head; 2. Maddy Deerman, 2.8 seconds on one head; 3. Eryn Maddock, 2.8.
Finals: 1. Jenna Dallyn, 2.4, $8,200; 2. Jackie Crawford, 2.8, $6,560; 3. Christi Braudrick, 3.2, $5,330; 4. JT Acosta, 12.1, $4,100.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Pool A Qualifiers: 1. John Douch, 18.1 seconds on two head; 2. Paul David Tierney, 20.5; 3. Ben Ayre, 23.7.
Pool B Qualifiers: 1. Bo Pickett, 19.6 seconds on two head; 2. Shane Hanchey, 20.5; 3. Bodie Mattson, 22.5.
Pool C Qualifiers: 1. Cole Walker, 17.5 seconds on two head; 2. Cash Fuesz, 17.6; 3. Haven Meged, 17.8.
Finals: 1. Bodie Mattson, 7.6 seconds, $13,000; 2. Paul David Tierney, 7.9, $10,000; 3. Cole Walker, 8.3, $7,000; 4. Bo Pickett, 9.1, $3,500; 5. Shane Hanchey, 9.6, $1,500; 6. John Douch, 10.2, $1,500; 7. Cash Fuesz, 10.7, $1,500; 8. Haven Meged, 11.2, $1,500; 9. Ben Ayre, 11.5, $1,500.
BARREL RACING
Pool A Qualifiers: 1. Tayla Moeykens, 33.88 seconds on two head; 2. Emily Beisel, 33.93; 3. Erin Wetzel, 34.29.
Pool B Qualifiers: 1. Jessica Routier, 34.00 seconds on two head; 2. Sharon Gow, 35.25; 3. Madison Bean, 24.29.
Pool C Qualifiers: 1. Lisa Lockhart, 33.51 seconds on two head; 2. Chloe Gray, 33.66; 3. Savannah Bennett, 33.72.
Finals: 1. Jessica Routier, 16.59 seconds, $13,000; 2. Chloe Gray, 16.68, $10,000; 3. Lisa Lockhart, 16.77, $7,000; 4. (tie) Emily Beisel and Tayla Moeykens, 16.93, $2,500 each; 6. Erin Wetzel, 16.96, $1,500; 7. Sharon Gow, 17.18, $1,500; 8. Savannah Bennett, 17.23, $1,500; 9. Madison Bean, 17.42, $1,500.
BULL RIDING
Pool A Qualifiers: 1. Cole Wagner, 82.5 points on one head; 2. Coy Pollmeier, 82; 3. Cody McElroy, 81.
Pool B Qualifiers: 1. Hector Cardona, 164 points on two head; 2. Hayes Weight, 91.5 points on one head; 3. Riggin Shippy, 82.
Pool C Qualifiers: 1. Payton Fitzpatrick, 88 points on one head; 2. Josh Frost, 87.5; 3. Jace Trosclair, 80.
Finals: No qualified rides, Hector Cardona named NFR Open Champion.
*(all totals include ground money).
