WACO, Texas --- Clint Cannon started the 2009 rodeo season with a win at the Texas Circuit Finals last January at the Heart O’ Texas Coliseum and finished the regular season with a win at the Heartland ProRodeo Championships here.
When the Waller, Texas, bareback rider won the Circuit Finals, it was on River Boat Annie, a tremendous horse owned by Carr Pro Rodeo. He won the semi-finals here on Saturday night with an 87-point effort on Gold Buckle’s Bar Bandit. He couldn’t have been any happier when he saw the horse beside his name in the finals. Cannon would get on River Boat Annie once again. This time the duo matched up for 89 points to tie the arena record that was set last night be Steven Peebles from Redmond, Ore.
Cannon’s success here earned him over $12,000 giving him and unofficial total of $233,457. He has now surpassed the regular season earnings record in every event. It was held by bull rider Matt Austin who earned $228,766 in 2005 en route to his world championship.
His goal now is to win the gold buckle signifying that he is the best bareback rider in the world. And, Cannon wants to win the title by over $50,000 so that there is no question about his athletic ability.
“I never thought a day like this would come,” Cannon said. “To set all these record and be this successful is a dream come true.”
Dreams came true for Tyler Willis from Wheatland, Wyo., as well when he won the Heartland Championship and secured the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rookie of the Year title in bull riding. Willis has been trading places in the standings with Taylor Cowan from Fort Pierre, S.D.
Cowan led coming into Waco by just over $100. He earned money on Friday in the quarter-finals, came back and placed second in the semi-finals and was the lone rider to stay on his bull for eight seconds. Willis won $8,750 here on Saturday night, enabling him to walk away with both titles.
“When Taylor bucked off (in the semi-finals), it took a lot of pressure off of me.” Willis said. “We’re good friends, go to school together and have been rodeoing together. We’re pretty competitive and the rookie means a lot to both of us, because it’s something that you can only win once.”
Wade Sundell, who had set an arena record earlier this week in saddle bronc riding, tied for the record again here on Saturday. Sundell had an 89-point ride on Gold Buckle Rodeo’s Special Time. Sundell added over $15,000 to his world earnings. He was ranked 12th prior to the Heartland ProRodeo Championships and will likely move up prior to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Other champions here include Ryan Jarrett, Summerville, Ga., in tie-down roping, Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C., and Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, in team roping and Chancey Larson, Manhattan, Kan., in steer wrestling.
The Heart O’ Texas Coliseum was sold out for Saturday night’s rodeo. Plans are now being made for the 2010 event.
WACO, Texas --- The following are semi-final and final results after the ninth performance of the Heartland ProRodeo Championships at the Heart O’ Texas Fair Rodeo, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009
Bareback Riding: (semi-finals) 1, Clint Cannon, Waller, Texas, 87 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Bar Bandit, $1,500. 2, Tim Shirley, Grant, Colo., 81, $1,250. 3 (tie), D.V. Fennell, Neosho, Mo., and Matt Bright, Azle, Texas, 79, $875. (final round) 1, Cannon, 89 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s River Boat Annie. 2, Fennell, 86, $5,000.
Tie-Down Roping: (semi-finals) 1, Ryan Jarrett, Summerville, Ga., 8.7 seconds, $1,500. 2, Skyler Moore, Mt. Vernon, Mo., 7.9, $1,250. 3, Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, 9.1, $1,000. 4, Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas, 9.9, $750. (final round) 1, Jarrett, $7,500. 2, Vest, $5,000.
Steer Wrestling: (semi-finals) 1, Chancey Larson, Manhattan, Kan., 3.6 seconds, $1,500. 2, Matt Reeves, Pampa, Texas, 4.4, $1,250. 3, Ronnie Fields, Oklahoma City, Okla., 4.5, $1,000. 4, Casey Martin, Sulphur, La., 4.8, $750. (final round) 1, Larson, 3.6, $7,500. 2, Fields, 3.7, $5,000.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (semi-finals) 1, Justin Browning, Lake Charles, La., 81 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Ginger Snap, $1,500. 2, Tate Owens, Platteville, La., 79, $1,250. 3, Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, 75, $1,000. 4, Jermiah Diffee, Hatfield, Ark., 70, $750. (final round) 1, Sundell, 89 points on Gold Buckle’s Special Time, $7,500. 2, Justin Browning, Lake Charles, La., 76, $5,000.
Team Roping: (semi-finals – three times) 1, Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C., and Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 4.9, $1,500. 2, Wes Kent, Grand Cane, La., and Bobby Baize, Anthony, N.M., 5.7, $1,250. 3, Nick Sartain, Yukon, Okla., and Kollin Von Ahn, Durant, Okla., 14.7, $1,000. (final round) 1, Brown and Lucero, 6.8, $7,000. 2, Kent and Baize, 10.8, $5,000.
Bull Riding: (semi-finals – three rides) 1, Brendon Reynolds, Pike Road, Ala., 79 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Confucius, $1,500. 2, Tyler Willis, Wheatland, Wyo., 77, $1,250. 3, Cody RoStockyj, China Spring, Texas, 75, $1,000. (final round --- one ride) Tyler Willis, Wheatland, Wyo., 84, $7,500.
The following are aggregate results after the ninth performance of the Heartland ProRodeo Championships at the Heart O’ Texas Fair Rodeo, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.
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