PRETTY PRAIRIE, Kan. -- PRCA bareback rider Dustin Murray was thrilled to find out he had drawn Butler and Son’s Lusty Lady at Kansas Largest Night Rodeo in Pretty Prairie, held July 15-18.
After all, every time Murray got aboard her, it turned into first-place money.
“This was the fourth time I had this horse, and the second time I had her in Pretty Prairie,” said Murray, a bareback rider from Wellston, Okla. “That’s one of my all-time favorite horses.”
Murray’s first victory aboard the mare was at the State Fair Rodeo in Oklahoma City in 2004, he said. He notched a first-place win aboard her at Pretty Prairie again in 2006, and then again in Coffeyville, Kan., in 2008.
While history repeated itself during the Friday night performance in Pretty Prairie, Murray also reached a new milestone. He scored 87 points, the highest-marked ride of his career.
Murray, who finished just outside of an NFR berth in 2008 and is a four-time qualifier for the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, also serves as the roughstock representative on the Prairie Circuit Board.
His season is going a little slower than some of his previous years, having sat out several months after getting injured in Austin. His ride aboard Lusty Lady was just his third ride since March. His goals for the rest of 2009 are to compete well at Prairie Circuit rodeos and also to qualify for the Heartland Series finals.
Oklahomans swept the roughstock events at Pretty Prairie. Saddle bronc rider Bobby Griswold, Geary, Okla., won his event with 82 points on Butler and Son’s Golden Chances, while Sam Wyatt, Fittstown, Okla., took top honors in the bull riding with 86 points aboard The Wonderer. Griswold won $1,639.60 and Wyatt $1,969.35.
The top money winner for the rodeo was tie-down roper Reese Riemer, Stinnett, Texas. He split first in the first go-round with Payden Emmett, Ponca, Ark., with a 9.7 clocking, then split first-place money in the second go with Jeff Miller of Blue Mound, Kan., with a time of 9.4. He pocketed $991.96 in each round and claimed $1,133.67 to bring his total winnings to $3,117.59.
Chase Crane, Boynton, Okla., claimed the first round of steer wrestling with a time of 4.2, then tied for second in the second go to claim the average with 8.9 on two head.
The duo of Adam Stueve, Newton, Kan., and Raylen Stueve, Park City, Kan., were able to keep the top prize money in the state, claiming the average with 17.5 on two head. The Stueves took second in the first go-round but finished out of the money in the second. They took home $892.22 each.
Jeanne Anderson of White City, Kan., took top honors in the barrel racing in 17.24. Her earnings totaled $1.318.69.
