BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The inaugural North Dakota Roughrider Cup brought together a majority of the Top 30 in each event to provide yet another World Standings shaking event in September.
The rodeo in Mandan paid more than $500,000, immediately making it the highest paying one-header in the PRCA and one of its 20 richest rodeos.
Rookie Bareback Rider Weston Timberman Wins Another Huge One
After winning Pendleton with 89 points in the Finals a week ago, Timberman was even better at the Roughrider Cup. On Macza Pro Rodeo’s OLS Tubs Stevie Knicks, he was 91 points, the highest marked ride of his career to win more than $18,000.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” he said. “A couple of weeks before this, we were fighting to stay in the Top 15.”
Timberman is now No. 6 in the World Standings.
Five-Time World Champion Tyler Waguespack Shoots Back into NFR Contention
After going out at at the beginning of June with a bicep injury, Tyler Waguespack’s reging atop the steer wrestling world looked like it had come to an end. Just no one told Waguespack himself that.
He was No. 41 in the World when he returned to action in August and has since surged all the way to No. 13 after adding almost $60,000 to his season earnings in the last six weeks.
Waguespack was a blistering 3.4 seconds in Mandan, his best run of the year, and it moved him up eight spots with a $14,572 payday.
TJ Gray Rises to No. 1 in PRCA Bull Riding World Standings
After Josh Frost was No. 1 from Fourth of July all the way until the middle of September, the No. 1 spot in the World has since changed hands twice.
Now, after 88 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Time in a Bottle, it belongs to TJ Gray, who will likely enter his first career NFR No. 1.
“I’m just having more fun than I ever have, this is the first year I’ve been healthy. Just getting to be able to get on a hot streak and go was awesome,” he said.
Since Aug. 1, Gray is 20-of-32 and has won almost $100,000.
Other winners of the inugural North Dakota Roughrider Cup were Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp in team roping (3.6 seconds), Statler Wright in saddle bronc riding (87.5 points), Dylan Hancock in tie-down roping (7.9 seconds), Bailey Bates, Josie Conner, and Danielle Lowman in breakaway roping (2.1 seconds), and Tiany Schuster in barrel racing (17.04 seconds).
BAREBACK RIDING
First Round: 1. Weston Timberman, 91 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Ols Tubs Stevie, $18,260; 2. (tie) Leighton Berry and Bradlee Miller, 86.5, $12,173 each; 4. (tie) Mason Clements and Cole Franks, 85.5, $5,478 each; 6. (tie) Jaceklane Frost, Sam Petersen and Jess Pope, 85, $2,435 each.
STEER WRESTLING
First Round: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.4 seconds, $14,572; 2. J.D. Struxness, 3.7, $12,671; 3. Cash Robb, 3.8, $10,771; 4. Cole Walker, 3.9, $8,870; 5. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Trisyn Kalawaia, 4.0, $6,019 each; 7. Ty Bauerle, 4.1, $3,168; 8. (tie) Jacob Edler and Riley Reiss, 4.2, $634 each.
TEAM ROPING
First Round: 1. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 3.6 seconds, $15,112 each; 2. Tee McLeod/Sid Sporer, 4.0, $13,141; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.1, $11,170; 4. (tie) Clay Smith/Coleby Payne and Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 4.3, $8,213 each; 6. (tie) Mason Appleton/Billie Jack Saebens and Pedro Egurrola/Justin Davis, 4.5, $4,271 each; 8. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 4.7, $1,314.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
First Round: 1. Statler Wright, 87.5 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Squash Blossom S, $17,935; 2. Dawson Hay, 87, $13,750; 3. Damian Brennan, 86.5, $10,163; 4. Cole Elshere, 85, $6,576; 5. (tie) Lucas Macza, Brody Wells and Ryder Wright, 84.5, $3,188 each; 8. (tie) Chase Brooks and Jake Finlay, 84, $897 each.
BREAKAWAY ROPING
First Round: 1. (tie) Bailey Bates, Josie Conner and Danielle Lowman, 2.1 seconds, $6,824 each; 4. (tie) Rickie Fanning and Lari Dee Guy, 2.2, $4,265 each; 6. McKenna Hickson, 2.3, $2,730; 7. (tie) Syerra Christensen and TiAda Gray, 2.4, $1,194 each.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
First Round: 1. Dylan Hancock, 7.9 seconds, $14,918; 2. Chet Weitz, 8.0, $12,972; 3. (tie) Tom Crouse and Lucas Potter, 8.1, $10,053 each; 5. Haven Meged, 8.3, $7,135; 6. (tie) Joel Harris and Bo Pickett, 8.4, $4,216 each; 8. Macon Murphy, 9.1, $1,297.
BARREL RACING
First Round: 1. Tiany Schuster, 17.04 seconds, $12,701; 2. Summer Kosel, 17.07, $10,796; 3. Hailey Kinsel, 17.11, $8,891; 4. Michelle Alley, 17.20, $7,621; 5. Tayla Moeykens, 17.22, $6,351; 6. Jordon Briggs, 17.23, $4,445; 7. (tie) Lisa Lockhart and Jamie Olsen, 17.25, $2,858 each; 9. Andrea Busby, 17.26, $2,223; 10. Emily Beisel, 17.28, $1,905; 11. Paige Jones, 17.31, $1,588; 12. LaTricia Duke, 17.36, $1,270.
BULL RIDING
First Round: 1. TJ Gray, 88 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Time In A Bottle, $17,879; 2. JR Stratford, 87.5, $13,707; 3. (tie) Maverick Smith and Hayes Weight, 86.5, $8,343 each; 5. Luke Mast, 86, $4,172; 6. (tie) Jake Gardner and Tristen Hutchings, 85, $2,682 each; 8. Mason Moody, 83, $1,788.
