— MARCH 19, 2009 — HOUSTON After weeks of grueling competition, the RodeoHouston BP Super Series Semifinals 1 ended with a bang as the top four contestants in each event move on to the Championship and a chance at $50,000.
“It’s a relief,” said tie-down roping qualifier Nate Baldwin, who came out on top with a run of 8.8 seconds. “At this point, you want to avoid that losers’ bracket because it only has two spots.” He ended the night with a total of $4,000 for the week and a spot in the Championship. Also moving on to Saturday’s main event are fellow ropers Cade Swor, Tim Pharr and Jerome Schneeberger.
Bareback rider Jared Smith took first place with a score of 84.5. He said you can never really prepare for something like Houston. “I’m not going to nod my head if I don’t plan to win,” he said. Joining Smith in the Championship are Heath Ford, D.V. Fennell and Tom McFarland.
Team roping header Travis Tryan said, “The main thing is to keep advancing to the final deal. We’re one step closer to the goal of $50,000.” Tryan and roping partner of three months Cesar de la Cruz pulled out a 4.8-second run to move them on to the Championship. “We practice pretty hard,” de la Cruz said, “and both ride really great horses. A team of great horses makes it a lot easier to work together.”
Fellow team ropers Ty Blasingame and Mickey Gomez, Brandon Beers and Jade Corkill, and David Key and Marty Becker also will move on to the Championship.
Jesse Kruse ended the Saddle Bronc Riding Semifinal 1 with a score of 84 points, moving him on to a chance at $50,000. He said by this point in the year, most of the riders have been on enough horses for practice, so they don’t really need preparation time for riding at RodeoHouston. “I just go out there and try not to screw up these really great horses they bring to Houston,” Kruse said. Bryce Miller, Chad Ferley and Jeff Willert will join Kruse in the Saddle Bronc Riding Championship.
First place steer wrestler Curtis Cassidy secured a spot in Saturday’s Championship, with a run of 3.8 seconds. He said he tries to keep active and stay in good shape to make his event a little easier on him. “I always say, ‘if you’re not winning, you need to go home and do some work,’” he said. Cassidy and 23-year-old horse, “Willie,” will move on to the Championship; along with fellow steer wrestlers K.C. Jones, Dean Gorsuch and Blake Knowles.
Barrel racer Tammy Key-Fischer had the fastest time in Semifinal 1 with a 15.17-second run. “It’s always fabulous to win,” Key-Fischer said. She is joined by Annesa Self, Brenda Mays and Jackie Jatazlau for the Championship round.
“It feels great,” said first place bull rider Wesley Silcox. He ended Semifinal 1 with a score of 85 points advancing, him to the Championship. “I made the finals last year, but choked,” he said. “Now I just treat it like it’s any other rodeo and ride.” Fellow bull riders, J.W. Harris, Jesse Bail and Marcus Michaelis also will move on to Saturday’s Championship and a chance at $50,000.
Tonight, 10 more athletes from each event that advanced through the 2009 BP Super Series will compete in Semifinals 2, with the top four from each event advancing to the Championship.
The remaining six contestants from each event and each Semifinals proceed to the Wild Card Round March 20, for their last chance at the $50,000 Championship payout.
In total, 10 contestants from each event will compete in the RodeoHouston Championship Round March 21. The top four will compete again in the Shootout that night, where $50,000 will be awarded to each event RodeoHouston Champion.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ is a Section 501(c)(3) charity that benefits youth, supports education, and facilitates better agricultural practices through exhibitions and presentation. Since its beginning in 1932, the Show has committed more than $235 million to the youth of Texas. The 2009 Show continues through March 22.
For complete results and highlights, visit the Show’s Web site at ww.rodeohouston.com.
