March 1, 2010 – Seven first-time champions rode off with bragging rights at the 35th Annual Stockton Oil Company Northern Rodeo Association Finals, held Feb. 18-20 in Billings, Mont.
The three-performance rodeo, which features the top 10 competitors in each event from the regular season of Montana rodeos, paid out roughly $60,000 and determined year-end champions for 2009.
Heading up the list of first-time winners was men’s all-around champion Gerald Eash of Trego and champion all-around cowgirl Bailee Novotny of Helena.
Eash, competing at the NRA Finals in both saddle bronc and bull riding, held off Wolf Creek's Sam Levine by a scant $87 for the prestigious all-around title, earning $10,004 on the year. In one of the closest races in NRA history, just $518 separated the top three finishers in the standings.
Novotny won her first all-around championship saddle by competing in breakaway roping and barrel racing. She placed in both events at the Finals in Billings to bring her year-end total to $10,082.
Ben Richmond of Havre won his first bareback riding championship by the hair on his chin over Ben Wrzesinski, who won the average at the Finals by spurring three broncs for 237 points. Another first-time winner, Cadee Tew of Harlowton, was the only cowgirl to rope all three calves in breakaway roping, winning both the average and year-end title in her event.
In team roping, Delon Parker of Billings and Shane Bessette of Great Falls were crowned the NRA’s year-end champion header and heeler, respectively, after Parker and partner Sid Sporer of Cody won the average by roping three steers in 15.0 seconds.
No bull riders were able to make the whistle on more than one bull, and Ryan Parsons of Boulder won the average title based on his high score of 80 points in the second round. But it was J.D. Harrell of Roy that held onto his large lead going into the Finals to win the bull riding year-end championship.
Havre's Guy Simanton was a repeat saddle bronc riding champion in Billings, overtaking Gerald Eash by winning the average with a three-head score of 234.5 points. He topped Beau Michael by just 1.5 points for the average title.
And former barrel racing champion Becky Toavs of Stevensville won another year-end title in her event, although the high-money winner of the weekend was average champ Annie Novotny. The Helena cowgirl rounded the cloverleaf pattern three times in 40.60 seconds to win the Finals by a half-second.
Shannon Blixt of Helena won his fourth steer wrestling title by holding off a hard-charging Michael Gollaher, who won the average by turfing three steers in 15.0 seconds. And Ryan Siemsen of Billings maintained his pre-finals lead to win the tie-down roping championship for a third time.
The junior all-around championship went to Choteau’s Celie Salmond, who roped and barrel raced her way to $4,045 on the season, while Casey Tew of Harlowton won the junior breakaway championship and Ty Steele of Arlee won the average and year-end title in junior barrel racing.
For complete results, visit www.northernrodeo.com.
