BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The third stop during the Texas Swing is perhaps the most pivotal event of the entire year, RodeoHouston.
With its $2.1 million total payout, no regular season rodeo pays more and with the champions taking home a guaranteed $50,000, it sets up seasons like no rodeo.
Every RodeoHouston winner in 2023 not only made the NFR, but every single one finished in the Top 8 in the final World Standings. That group also included a pair of World Champions in Riley Webb and Ky Hamilton.
Berry Repeats in Bareback Riding
Leighton Berry has ascended back to the same place he finished the 2023 Texas Swing - No. 1 in the PRCA World Standings. After advancing fourth in his Super Series and Semifinal, Berry left no doubt he would be victorious for a second straight year by winning both rounds on Championship Sunday with rides of 88 and 91.5 points, the latter on Calgary Stampede’s Agent Lynx being the highest marked ride of the rodeo.
“I love this horse right here, this is my third time (on him). He’s always kind of beat me out of there, so today I was going to be really aggressive with my start,” Berry said of his winning dance with Agent Lynx. “They don’t make horses like that every day.”
Harris Brothers Provide Tie-Down Thriller
Joel Braden Harris was 8.2 to start of the Championship Shootout which was No. 1 until the very next cowboy. His brother, five-time NFR qualifier Ty Harris, got on the very same horse Joel had just ridden and made the exact same run, 8.2.
The score held up for the remaining two finalists and forced the brothers into a rope off, which was won by big brother Ty, who moved up to No. 2 in the World Standings with the first Texas Swing triumph of his career. For Joel, the $25,000 moved him to No. 5.
“Earlier we were getting ready and I said ‘man, let’s just tie and have a rope off, we’d have already won first and second at that point,’” Ty said. "'(Joel) kind of chuckled, but it actually happened.’”
Brennan Adds Second Texas Swing Title
Damian Brennan had three rides of 90 Points or More the entire 2023 season, he matched that total in 2024 already thanks to a pair of them on Sunday.
First, it was 90 aboard Calgary Stampede’s Wild Cherry followed by 91 on R. Watson’s Ed Bishop in the Shootout to win a winner-take-all round that saw all four cowboys go for at least 88 points.
With the win, Brennan has already made $106,810 this season and leads the PRCA World Standings by almost $40,000. A season ago, he made his first NFR in 13th place with $129,744 in the regular season.
BAREBACK RIDING
Championship: 1. Leighton Berry, 88 points The Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s Ain’t No Angel; 2. Tanner Aus, 85; 3. (tie) Garrett Shadbolt and Cooper Cooke, 84.5 each; 5. Keenan Hayes, 84, $2,500; 6. Clint Laye, 83, $2,500; 7. Nick Pelke, 81.5, $2,500; 8. Richmond Champion, 81, $2,500; 9. Clayton Biglow, 76, $2,500; 10. Caleb Bennett, 74, $2,500.
Championship Shootout: 1. Leighton Berry, 91.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Agent Lynx, $50,000; 2. Garrett Shadbolt, 87.5, $20,000; 3. Cooper Cooke, 86.5, $10,000; 4. Tanner Aus, NS, $5,500.
STEER WRESTLING
Championship: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 4.6 seconds; 2. Stetson Jorgensen, 5.0, 3. Tucker Allen, 5.1; 4. Dalton Massey, 5.4; 5. (tie) Walt Arnold and Tristan Martin, 6.7, $2,500 each; 7. Blake Knowles, 6.8 $2,500; 8. Ty Erickson, 8.1, $2,500, 9. (tie) Cody Devers and J.D. Struxness, NT, $2,500 each.
Championship Shootout: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 8.1 seconds, $50,000; 2. Tucker Allen, 9.9, $20,000; 3. Stetson Jorgensen, 15.2, $10,000; 4. Dalton Massey, NT, $5,500.
TEAM ROPING
Championship: 1. Andrew Ward/Tanner Braden, 5.7 seconds; 2. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins II, 6.2; 3. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 6.6; 4. Clint Summers/Jake Long, 7.1; 5. $2,500; 6. Jr. Dees/Coleby Payne, 11.1, $2,500; 7. (tie) Jesse Boos/Jace Steenhoek and Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 11.8, $2,500 each, 9. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Jonathan Torres and Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, NT, $2,500 each.
Championship Shootout: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.8 seconds, $50,000 each; 2. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 5.2, $20,000; 3. (tie) Andrew Ward/Tanner Braden and Clint Summers/Jake Long, 5.4, $7,750 each.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Championship: 1. Damian Brennan, 90 points on Calgary Stampede’s Wild Cherry; 2. Lefty Holman, 87.5; 3. Sage Newman, 86.5; 4. Cole Elshere, 86; 5. Statler Wright, 85.5, $2,500; 6. Zeke Thurston, 82.5, $2,500; 7. Brody Wells, 82, $2,500; 8. Quinten Taylor, 81.5, $2,500; 9. Ryder Sanford, 80, $2,500; 10. Ben T. Andersen, 79, $2,500.
Championship Shootout: 1. Damian Brennan, 91 points on The Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s R Watson Ed Bishop, $50,000; 2. Lefty Holman, 89, $20,000; 3. Cole Elshere, $10,000; 4. Sage Newman, 88, $5,500.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Championship: 1. Chance Thiessen, 8.7 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, 8.9; 3. Ty Harris, 9.7; 4. Joel Harris, 10.2; 5. Macon Murphy, 10.9, $2,500; 6. Trevor Hale, 22.4, $2,500; 7. (tie) John Douch, Shane Hanchey, Riley Mason Webb and Shad Mayfield, NT, $2,500 each.
Championship Shootout: 1. Ty Harris, 8.2 seconds, $50,000; 2. Joel Harris, 8.2, $20,000; 3. Marty Yates, 8.7, $10,000; 4. Chance Thiessen, NT, $5,500.
BREAKAWAY ROPING
Championship: 1. Macy Young, 2.7 seconds; 2. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Taylor Munsell, 3.1 each; 4. TiAda Gray, 3.4; 5. Hali Williams, 3.8, $2,500; 6. Rickie Fanning, 12.8, $2,500; 7. (tie) Willow Wilson, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, Jordan Jo Hollabaugh and Hope Thompson, NT, $2,500 each.
Championship Shootout: 1. Jackie Crawford, 3.7 seconds, $50,000; 2. (tie) Macy Young, Taylor Munsell and TiAda Gray, NT, $11,833 each.
BARREL RACING
Championship Shootout: 1. Leslie Smalygo, 14.51 seconds; 2. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 14.59; 3. Paige Jones, 14.71; 4. Lisa Lockhart, 14.73; 5. Sissy Winn, 14.76, $2,500; 6. Stevi Hillman, 14.79, $2,500; 7. Hailey Kinsel, 14.81, $2,500; 8. Andrea Busby, 14.90, $2,500; 9. Kassie Mowry, 14.98, $2,500; 10. Hayle Gibson, 19.72, $2,500.
Championship: 1. Leslie Smalygo, 14.35 seconds, $50,000; 2. Lisa Lockhart, 14.54, $20,000; 3. Paige Jones, 14.71, $10,000; 4. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 19.94, $5,500.
BULL RIDING
Championship Shootout: 1. Creek Young, 86.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Midnight Flyer; 2. T.J. Gray, 86; 3. Roscoe Jarboe, 74; 4. Tristan Hutchings, NS; 5. (tie) Chance Schott, Dustin Boquet, Josh Frost, Braden Richards, Jeff Askey and Jax Mills, NS, $2,500 each.
Championship: 1. Creek Young, 87 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Preacher, $50,000; 2. Roscoe Jarboe, 82, $20,000; 3. (tie) T.J. Gray and Tristan Hutchings, NS, $7,500 each.
