Saturday night is special at Roundup

DODGE CITY, Kan. – The final preliminary performance of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo revealed plenty of secrets on Saturday night.

In addition to securing Sunday’s championship-round qualifiers, the fourth night of Kansas’ largest rodeo featured lead changes in four of the seven events: bareback rider Steven Peebles of Redmond, Ore.; team ropers Trey Harmon of Pocasset, Okla., and Jace Crabb of Mangum, Okla.; saddle bronc rider Cole Elshere of Faith, S.D.; and barrel racer Sabrina Ketcham of Yeso, N.M.

“Dodge City has been one of my favorites to come to, and I look forward to coming every year,” said Elshere, 23, a 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “I’ve come to this rodeo a few times and made the short round two or three times. It’s got a big short round with a lot of money in it, and it’s a tour rodeo, so that counts for a lot right now.”

Yes, it does. Every dime counts, and not just for covering expenses. In rodeo, money earned equals championship points. The contestants in each event with the most money at the end of the season are crowned world champions.

For his part, Elshere matched moves with Harry Vold Rodeo’s Spring Creek for 85 points, earning $2,221 for winning the first go-round – the top 12 contestants in each event through the preliminary rounds in Dodge City earned the right to compete Sunday.

Elshere wasn’t the only contestant to find success Saturday. Harmon and Crabb moved into the lead on two runs after posting a second round-winning 4.5-second run. Combined with their morning run of 5.2 seconds, they jumped into the lead by just two-tenths of a second over Kaleb Driggers and Travis Graves.

Ketcham scored the fastest run of the rodeo in Saturday morning with a 16.87 to win the first go-round. She then blistered another run around the cloverleaf pattern in 17.08 to finish in a tie for second place in the second round. So far, she’s earned $3,498 in Dodge City with another round and the aggregate check yet to be paid.

Peebles, a four-time NFR qualifier who finished second in Dodge City a year ago, scored an 87 on Vold’s Dust Devil to claim the first-round win and the $2,645 payday. It was the second time the Oregon cowboy has tried his skill against the mare, which, he said, had been away from the arena while raising colts.

“They brought her back and she’s been fresh this year,” he said. “I knew how big she got and how hard she’s been bucking, so I knew she’d be all there.”

She was, but so was Peebles. Heading into this past week of rodeos, he was 21^st in the world standings and needs to make a significant move if he hopes to move into the top 15 on the money list in order to qualify for a fifth-straight NFR.

“This is a very important move for me, because we’re not at the end of the season yet, but we’re just a couple months away from it,” Peebles said, noting that the regular season ends Sept. 30. “Everybody’s fighting for those holes to make it for the NFR, and for me, especially, it’s important to be winning at these tour rodeos that have a lot of money.

“To be able to win the long round here at a tour rodeo like this is an awesome feeling. It pays pretty good, but I’m focused on winning the short round and the average tomorrow and see where it all adds up from there.”

Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
July 31-Aug. 4
Bareback riding: 1. Steven Peebles, 87 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Dust Devil, $2,645; 2. Luke Creasy, 83, $2,028; 2. (tie) R.C. Landingham and Evan Jayne, 82, $1,234 each; 3. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Justin McDaniel, 81, $529 each; 7. Seth Hardwick and Austin Foss, 80, $309; 9. (tie) Tom McFarland and Tilden Hooper, 79

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. 3. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9 seconds, $2,747; 2. Beau Clark, 4.0, $2,489; 3. Casey Martin, 4.2, $2,031; 4. (tie) Matt Reeves and Sean Thomas, 4.3, $1,493 each; 6. Chad Van Campen, 4.4, $956; 7. (tie) Ty Willick and K.C. Jones, 4.5, $418. Second round: 1. Bray Armes, 3.2 seconds, $2,747; 2. Casey Martin, 4.0, $2,389; 3. (tie) Ben Shofner, John Kloeckler and Jason Thomas, 4.1, $1,672 each; 6. Dru Melvin, 4.2, $956; 7. Kody Woodward, 4.3, $597; 8. Monty Eakin, 4.4, $239. Average leaders/short round qualifiers: 1. Bray Armes, 7.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Casey Martin, 8.2; 3. Seth Brockman, 9.4; 4. Dean Gorsuch, 9.6; 5. Riley Duvall, 9.7; 6. Glen Clark, 9.8; 7. Shayde Etherton, 10.0; 8. Ben Shofner, 10.1; 9. Clayton Moore, 11.0; 10. Cody Pratt, 11.1; 11. Jule Hazen, 11.5; 12. Cody Kroul, 11.7.

Team roping: First round: 1. Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly, 4.3 seconds, $2,470 each; 2. (tie) Charly Crawford/Ryan Motes and Riley Minor/Brady Minor, $4.8, $1,987 each; 4. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Matt Kasner and Brady Tryan/Cody Doescher, 4.9, $1,343 each; 6. (tie) Spencer Mitchell/Dakota Kirchenschlager, Erich Rogers/Cory Petska and Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.0, $537 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Justin Davis/Clay O’Brien Cooper and Trey Harmon/Jace Crabb, 4.5 seconds, $2,309 each; 3. Matt Sherwood/Tommy Zuniga, 4.6, $1,826; 4. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Travis Graves and Garrett Tonozzi/York Gill, 4.8, $1,343 each; 6. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Jared Bilby and Landon McClaugherty, 4.9, $698 each; 8. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 5.1, $215. Average leaders/short round qualifiers: 1. Trey Harmon/Jace Crabb, 9.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Travis Graves, 9.9;3. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 10.1; 4. Coleman Proctor/Matt Kasner, 10.4; 5. Brady Tryan/Cody Doescher, 10.6; 6. Colby Lovell/Martin Lucero, 10.7; 7. Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly, 11.0; 8. Caleb Smidt, 12.0; 9. (tie) Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill and Jake Orman/Corey Hendrick, 12.1; 11. Chase Wiley/Ace Pearce, 13.3; 12. Mike Bacon/Joseph Harrison, 13.7.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cole Elshere, 85 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Spring Creek, $2,221; 2. (tie) Cody Wright and Chad Ferley, 84, $1,481 each; 4. (tie) Tyler Corrington and Bradley Harter, 83, $666; 6. Jacobs Crawley, 81, $370; 7. Jesse Bail, 80, $296; 8. (tie) Cort Scheer, Ty Atchison and Jesse Wright, 79, $74 each; 11. (tie) Jake Wright and Brady Nicholes, 78.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Jerome Schneeberger, 8.5 seconds,$2,370; 2. E.J. Roberts, 9.0, $2,081; 3. Cody Ohl, 9.1, $1,751; 4. (tie) Bryson Sechrist and Landon McClaugherty, 9.3, $1,288 each; 6. (tie) Ben Madsen, Josh Peek and Scott Kormos, 9.4, $515 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Caleb Smidt and Hunter Herrin, 7.8 seconds, $2,215 each; 3. (tie) Fred Whitfield and Ryan Watkins, 8.1, $1,597 each; 5. Justin Macha, 8.3, $1,133; 6. (tie) Paul David Tierney and Clint Carpenter, 8.4, $670 each; 8. (tie) Clint Cooper and Jimmy Jumper, 8.5, $103. Average leaders/short round qualifiers: 1. Jerome Schneeberger, 17.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Justin Macha, 17.8; 3. Clif Cooper, 19.0; 4. Caleb Smidt, 19.1; 35. Cody Ohl, 19.4; 6. Clint Carpenter, 19.9; 7. Landon McClaugherty, 20.2; 8. Josh Peek, 20.5; 9. (tie) Blake Deckard and Tuf Cooper, 20.6; 11. Ben Madsen, 21.1; 12. Don Coffell, 21.2.

Barrel racing: First round: 1. Sabrina Ketcham, 16.87 seconds, $2,211; 2. Taylor Jacob, 17.10, $1,895; 3. Christine Laughlin, 17.12, $1,579; 4. Laura Lambert, 17.22, $1,053; 5. Shali Lord, 17.23, $1,053; 5. Carley Richaradson, 17.26, $842; 7. Annesa Self, 17.29, $632; 8. June Holeman, 17.30, $421; 9. Layna Kight, 17.32, $316; 10. (tie) Jessica Frost and Jaime Barrow, 17.33, $105.Second round: 1. Lizzy Ehr, 17.06 seconds, $2,211; 2. (tie) Kendra Dickson and Sabrina Ketcham, 17.08, $1,737 each; 4. Carley Richardson, 17.10, $1,368; 5. Annesa Self, 17.11, $1,053; 6. Laura Lambert, 17.13, $842; 7. (tie) Kaley Bass and Whitney Baker, 17.14, $526 each; 9. Christine Laughlin, 17.15, $316; 10. Laura Kennedy, 17.16, $211. Average leaders/short round qualifiers: 1. Sabrina Ketcham, 33.95; 2. Christine Laughlin, 34.27 on two runs; 3. Taylor Jacob, 34.32; 4. Laura Lambert, 34.35; 5. Carley Richardson, 34.36; 6. Annesa Self, 34.40; 7. Shali Lord, 34.41; 8. Jessica Frost, 34.51; 9. Lizzy Ehr, 34.54; 10. Laura Kennedy, 34.58; 11. Carol Chesher, 34.59; 12. Jean Winters, 34.60.

Bull riding: 1. Trevor Kastner, 91 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Hide Out, $2,549; 2. Nate Perry, 89, $1,954; 3. Sage Kimzey, 87, $1,445; 4. Clayton Foltyn, 86, $935; 5. Bart Miller, 85, $595; 6. Brad Harris, 84, $425; 7. Joe Frost, 82, $340; 8. Chris Roundy, 80, $255; 9. Lane Wilhelm, 79; 10. Shane Proctor, 78; 11. John Young, 73.