CULVER, Ore. – July 6, 2009 – Two-time World Champion Bareback Rider Bobby Mote is looking to add to his world title count and following the 2009 Cowboy Christmas edition the outlook is very bright.
Mote, of Culver, Ore., won an astounding $29,926 at rodeos that ended between June 29 and July 5. This is the largest Cowboy Christmas total to date during Mote’s career. In 2007, he won $19,958, the same year he won his second world title.
“No matter what time of the year it is, it is always nice to win nearly $30,000 in a week but with the extra attention paid to the Fourth of July week it is an extra bonus to be among the big money winners,” said Mote after the busy but profitable week. “I didn’t do anything special this year except I drew good horses everywhere I went and we had a good schedule that wasn’t too hectic but kept us moving. This by far is my best Fourth of July run.”
Mote’s biggest check came north of the border at the Ponoka (Alberta) Stampede where he tied for the average win with three-time world champion Will Lowe of Canyon, Texas. Mote won $9,230 to get his Fourth of July run underway. Mote competed in the first round on June 25 scoring 86 points on Kesler Championship’s Alley Trail, placing him second in the round and qualifying him for the finals on July 1. He returned to post a score of 83.5 points to finish with 169.5 points on two head. This was not the first time Mote had experienced success in Ponoka. He won the title in 2004.
From Ponoka, the 33-year old drove to Greeley, Colo., with traveling partner Jason Havens to compete in the first round of the Greeley Independence Stampede on July 2. Mote posted an 81-point ride on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Suzie Q, which tied him for sixth and qualified him for the finals on July 4.
Mote and his traveling partners – Havens, Ryan Gray and Brian Bain – collectively known as “The Pride,” then drove back to St. Paul, Ore., for the rodeo there on July 3. Mote spurred his way to an 85-point ride just one point behind Gray and finished tied for third adding another $4,243 to his total.
On the morning of July 4, Mote, Havens and Gray caught a commercial flight back to Denver and then up to Greeley, Colo., for the final round at 1:30 p.m. (MT). Mote turned in a picture perfect ride on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Molly Brown scoring 89 points to win the round and the average with a two head score of 170 points, adding another $7,793 from Greeley.
Immediately following his win in Greeley, Mote, Havens and Gray had a private plane waiting to take them to Cody, Wyo., for the Cody Stampede which started at 5 p.m. (MT). The trio landed at 4:20 p.m. Havens scored 86 points to tie for the win, while Mote tied for fourth with an 84 to add another $4,432 to his bank account.
“I love this time of the year when you can go to so many great rodeos and get on good stock one right after the other,” said Mote. “The Fourth of July stretch really just gets the summer season kicked off as there are so many great rodeos with big payouts over the next month. It is my favorite time of the year other than the Wrangler NFR.”
To finish off his Cowboy Christmas run, Mote flew to Arizona for the World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott on July 5. Mote finished in fine fashion with an 84-point ride placing second and collecting $4,228 to bring his grand total to $30,045.
It should also be noted that Mote won the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo, which concluded on Sunday, June 28 just prior to the start of Cowboy Christmas. Mote scored 88 points aboard Carr Pro Rodeo’s River Boat Annie for $3,420 and also tied for third at the Crooked River Roundup in Prineville, Ore., good for $684.
“It has been a great week and I hope it continues,” said Mote, who is now headed to the Calgary Stampede. “When you leave on a run like the Fourth of July with your traveling partners you always dream of everyone winning $10 to $15,000 but it very rarely happens. This year my traveling partners and I got to experience that with everyone picking up some big checks along the way. Everyone is riding well and we are all having a great time.”
For more information on Bobby Mote visit www.bobbymote.com and be sure to check out the video blog that features “The Pride.”
