PRCA Rodeo News - Key to Heartland finals is to keep advancing

By Courtesy PRCA
Posted Friday, October 10, 2008

WACO, Texas - The storylines at the Heartland ProRodeo Championships are many and that's what makes the rodeo so much fun for contestants, fans and organizers. Add in that it is crunch time of the rodeo season and the drama unfolds. Just take the bareback riding of the challenge round held at the Heart O' Texas Fair Complex.

"It's like we're in overtime of a basketball game and you have somebody who can shoot a free throw to win the game or not," said Texas bareback rider Wes Stevenson, who survived Oct. 9th's cut from 12 to 10 of the playoff format.

Stevenson, who is in 16th place in the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings, is among the cowboys on the bubble (outside the Top 15) to make the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo that kicks off Dec. 4 in Las Vegas. He scored 78 points on Classic Pro Rodeo's Lexie to advance to the semifinals Oct. 10. He fell short of placing in the round, but he remains eligible for prize money to be awarded in upcoming rounds. The possible scenarios are many, but Stevenson is currently less than a $1,000 outside the Top 15.

"There are a lot of positions to be in and if I had to pick one, I'd pick the one I'm in right now," Stevenson said. "It's all one horse-at-a-time and it has been all year. I've got another horse tomorrow, so I have to go win on that one. There are all kinds of things I can worry about - the 'ifs, ands or buts.' But the only thing I can do is to do my best and let God take care of the rest."

On the other hand, bareback rider Jessy Davis has already mathematically locked up a berth to the Wrangler NFR, but with the recent economic bad news he can use the prize money to pay living and travel expenses. Davis won a round for the second time in the Heartland Championships with a 87-point ride on Rafter G Rodeo Company's Wrangler Bucks. Davis also finished first in the third performance on Oct. 5.

"The money is always great to have," said the Payson, Utah, cowboy who has won about $95,000 this year and is among Top 5 in the world. "I think this is a pretty good deal."

In other events, tie-down roper Scott Kormos, of Teague, Texas, helped his chances of making the Wrangler NFR by posting the fastest time in his event with a time of 8.3 seconds. Kormos was in 18th place in the Oct. 6 world standings. Pampa, Texas, cowboy Zack Cobb finished first in the steer wrestling, turfing his steer in 3.9 seconds. Saddle bronc rider Heith DeMoss, of Crowville, La., had the high-marked ride, scoring 77 points on Western Trails Rodeo's Stellar Feller. The duo of Tommy Edens, of Gatesville, Texas, and Wade Clayton, of Needville, Texas, stopped the clock in 5.4 seconds to grab the top spot. Bull rider Jerry Shepherd, of Nephi, Utah, claimed first place with a 91-point ride on Rafter G Rodeo's Tae Bo.

The nine-performance Heartland ProRodeo Championships began on Oct. 3 with six performances of preliminary rounds to trim the field from 30 contestants (or teams in team roping) per event. The championship round is at 7 p.m. (CT) Oct. 11 when the field is cut to eight and then four to crown inaugural Heartland champions. The Heartland Finals, with a total purse of $482,500, became the fourth leg of the PRCA's already lucrative championships. It joins the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, presented by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, the Ariat Playoffs of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

The Heartland ProRodeo Championships are the culmination of the Heartland ProRodeo Series that was created in October 2007 to provide support for rodeos with a committee purse of $30,000 or less.

Bareback riding - Matt Bright, Silas Richards, Wes Stevenson, Evan Jayne, Dave Worsfold, Dennis Foyil, Ryan Stutes, Jessy Davis, Tim Shirley, Caleb Bennett.

Tie-down roping - Fred Whitfield, Stran Smith, Cimarron Boardman, Matt Kenney, Kody Curry, Shane Hanchey, Justin Maass, Ian Welles, Doug Pharr, Scott Kormos.

Steer wrestling - Rodney Burks, Joey Bell Jr., Kyle Whitaker, Chad Van Campen, Zack Cobb, Gary Daniel, Cale Emmett, Stan Branco, Jack Hodges, Spud Duvall.

Saddle bronc riding - Brody Bolton, Kobyn Williams, Kyle Whitaker, Lyle Wellling, Jake Griffin, Marty Hebb, Curtis Garton, Leland Wood, Clayton Zibell, Heith DeMoss.

Team roping - Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, Bubba Bohac/Twister Cain, Nick Sartain/Mickey Gomez, Justin Lovell/Colby Lovell, Tommy Edens/Wade Clayton, Casey Gattis/Seth Smithson, Robert Pixley/Tyler McKnight, Caleb Mitchell/Kipp Harrell, Chance Kelton/Boogie Ray, Joel Bach/Wes Goodrich.

Bull riding: Jerry Shepherd, Chad Cole, Logan Allen, Bandy Murphy, Jay Morrow, Clay Lewis, Josh Barentine, Bobby Welsh, Tylor Wojciechowski, J.W. Harris.
 

Bareback riding - 1. Jessy Davis, 87 points on Rafter G Rodeo Company's Wrangler Bucks, $2,596; 2. Evan Jayne, 84, $1,947; 3. (tie) Dave Worsfold and Tim Shirley, 82, $974 each.

Steer wrestling - 1. Zack Cobb, 3.9 seconds, $2,596; 2. Spud Duvall, 3.4, $1,947; 3. Stan Branco, $5.5, $1,298; 4. Jack Hodges, 5.7, $649.

Tie-down roping - 1. Scott Kormos, 8.3 seconds, $2,596; 2. Stran Smith, 8.4 seconds, $1,947; 3. Matt Kenney, 8.8, $1,298; 4. Kody Curry, 9.5, $649.

Saddle bronc riding - 1. Heith DeMoss, 77 points on Western Trails Rodeo's Stellar Feller, $2,596; 2. Kyle Whitaker, 73, $1,947; 3. Curtis Garton, 72, $1,928; 4. Clayton Zibell, 71, $649.

Team roping - 1. Tommy Edens/Wade Clayton, 5.4 seconds, $2,596; 2. Justin Lovell/Colby Lovell, 6.7, $1,947; 3. Robert Pixley/Tyler McKnight, 7.0, $1,298; 4. Nick Sartain/Mickey Gomez, 7.3, $649.

Bull riding - 1. Jerry Shepherd, 91 points on Rafter G Rodeo's Tae Bo, $2,596; 2. Bobby Welsh, 87, $1,947; 3. (tie) J.W. Harris and Bandy Murphy, 85, $974 each.

The PRCA, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., is the largest and oldest rodeo-sanctioning body in the world. The recognized leader in professional rodeo, the PRCA is committed to maintaining the highest standards.

The PRCA, a membership-based organization, sanctions more than 650 rodeos annually, which draws 24 million attendees. The PRCA showcases the world’s best cowboys in premier events through the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour and its subsequent Ariat Playoffs series events, Dodge Xtreme Bulls, the PRCA’s world-championship bull riding tour; and the world-renowned Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Action from PRCA-sanctioned rodeos and its premier events appears on Fox Sports, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Each year, PRCA-sanctioned rodeos raise more than $26 million for local and national charities.