Texas, The Snowbird State for Cowboys

By Susan Kanode
Posted Saturday, January 31, 2009

FORT WORTH - Snowbirds are generally known as senior citizens that are from the Northeast, Midwestern United States that migrate to the lower, warmer southern states, such as Texas.

Rodeo has its own snowbirds in saddle bronc riders and traveling partners Jake Griffin of Powell, Wyo., and J.W. McCuistion from Sugar City, Colo. Both call Texas their rodeo home each winter.

The weather is a minor reason these cowboys head south. Work and rodeo are the major reasons.

“Winter weather makes it hard enough to rodeo and by coming to Texas I can get to more rodeos. That saves money and allows me to work my welding business too,” said Griffin. “Plus I get to spend more time with my twin boys.”

For the last five years, Griffin, 2008 Mountain States Circuit average champion, has come to Stephenville while Texas Tech graduate, McCuistion claims Knox as his winter home. “I’ve been rodeoing down here every winter since college,” McCuistion said. “As long as I rodeo I will be here every winter.”

Both competed at the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo Friday. Griffin was the most successful scoring 78 points. Both will compete on their third horse Saturday and have an outside chance of qualifying for the championship round Feb. 8.

Texas residents and traveling partners started off the bareback riding right. Three-time world champion Will Lowe, from Canyon, scored 81 points. Lubbock resident and 2009 National Western Stock Show Rodeo (Denver) champion Wes Stevenson followed with an 80-point ride. This seats them second and third in the second round.

Barrel racer Shelly Morgan of Eustace, Texas, blazed through the arena on her first run stopping the clock in 16.88 seconds, putting her one one-hundreth of a second behind the first round leader. She will be making her second run on Saturday and hoping to join barrel racers that moved into the over-all standings after Friday’s matinee.

Courtney Sokol, had two great runs here and is now in second place overall with a total time of 34.21. Sokol, from College Station, Texas, is one one-hundreth of a second ahead of Terra Bynum, from Sterling City, Texas. Both are making plans to run at the championship here.

There are three performances at the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo presented by Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show on Saturday. The 11th performance starts at 10:00 a.m., 12th at 2:00 p.m., and the 13th at 7:30 p.m.

FORT WORTH --- The following are results from the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo presented by the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, Friday, Jan., 30, 2009. Results are updated daily and available at fwssr.com/results.asp

Tenth Performance --

Bareback Riding: 1, Wes Stevenson, Lubbock, Texas, 75 points on Western Trails Rodeo Company’s Aladdin. 2, Ryan Stutes, Sulphur, La., 74. 3, Gonzo Gonzales, Santa Ynez, Calif., 69. 4, Luke West, Fort Scott, Kan., 68.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Steve Gaines, Brandon, Miss., 4.6 seconds. 2, Mike Dickey, Caldwell, Texas, 5.5. 3, (tie) Wayne Smith, Pine Bluff, Ark., and Brad Morgan, Brandon, Miss., 6.1 each.

Team Roping: 1, Blaine Linaweaver, Leavenworth, Kan., and Richard Durham, Morgan Mill, Texas, 6.5. 2, Jake Barnes, and Monty Joe Petska, 11.2. 3, Bobby Joe Hill, Buffalo, Texas, and Trey Norris, Yantis, Texas, 12.5.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, (tie) Sam Spreadborough, Snyder, Texas, on Joker’s Wild, Weston Ireland, Sallisaw, Okla., on Shaggy, and Wes Burns, Stephenville, Texas, on Stellar Feller; 78 points each. 4, Sam Knight, Snyder, Texas, 75.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Chris Bradford, Kountze, Texas, 8.7 seconds. 2, Shank Edwards, Levelland, Texas, 10.2. 3, Charlie Russell, Shamrock, Texas, 10.4. 4, Landon McClaugherty, Tilden, Texas, 11.7.

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Terra Bynum, Colorado City, Texas, 17.01. 2, Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, 17.10. 3, Courtney Sokol, College Station, Texas, 17.15. 4, Susan Liggitt, New Caney, Texas, 17.21.

Bull Riding: (two rides) 1, Kyle Lozier, Mile House, B.C., Can., 80 points on David Bailey’s Ugly Joe. 2, Luke Knaff, East Helena, Mont., 69.

Eleventh Performance --

Bareback Riding: 1, Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 81 points on David Bailey’s Medicine Man. 2, Wes Stevenson, Lubbock, Texas, 80. 3, Ryan Stutes, Sulphur, La., 78. 4, Luke West, Fort Scott, Kan., 73.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Luke Boeser, Stapleton, Neb., 5.3. 2, Jeff Richardson, Fullerton, Neb., 7.1. 3, Gary Collins, Jr., Russell Springs, Kan., 7.3. 4, Robert Lehrmann, Brenham, Texas, 7.7.

Team Roping: 1, Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., and Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, 5.9 seconds. 2, Tee Woolman, Llano, Texas, and Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 8.4. 3, Chris Lawson, Dripping Springs, Texas, and Jett Hillman, Jones, Okla., 13.0. 4, Derick Borrego, Huntsville, Texas, and Chad Brock, Pasadena, Texas, 13.1.8

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Jake Griffin, Powell, Wyo., 78 points on David Bailey’s High Chapparal. 2, Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., 77. 3, Jesse James Kirby, Dodge City, Kan., 76. 4, Cody Angland, Cisco, Texas, 75.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Scott Kormos, Teague, Texas, 10.0 seconds. 2, Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, 10.1. 3, Trent Walls, Stephenville, Texas, 13.8. 4, Chad Johnson, Cut Bank, Mont., 17.1.

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Shelly Morgan, Eustace, Texas, 16.88 seconds. 2, Nellie Williams, Cottonwood, Calif., 17.15. 3, Brittany Pozi-Pharr, Victoria, Texas, 17.18. 4, Arinda Richards, Quitman, Texas, 17.25.

Bull Riding: (two rides) 1, Kyle Lozier, Mile House, B.C., Can., 80 points on David Bailey’s Ugly Joe. 2, Luke Knaff, East Helena, Mont., 69.

The following are current leaders --

Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, (tie) Kaycee Feild, Elk Ridge, Utah, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Real Deal and Jared Keylon, Fort Scott, Kan., on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Cool Runnings, 82 points each. 3, (tie) Dustin Mulrony, Pomeroy, Wash., and Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, 79 each. (second round) 1, Feild, 83 points on Western Rodeo’s WR. 2, Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 81. 3, Wes Stevenson, Lubbock, Texas, 80. 4, (tie) Ryan Stutes, Sulphur, La., and Hooper, 78 each. (third round) 1, Feild, 88 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Citation. 2, Mulrony, 84. 3, Hooper, 82. 4, Bee Jay Scott, Otley, Iowa, 75. (total on three) 1, Field, 253. 2, Mulrony, 240. 3, Hooper, 239. 4, Scott, 223.

Steer Wrestling: (second round) 1, Matt Reeves, Pampa, Texas, 4.3 seconds. 2, Kyle Hughes, Olney Springs, Colo., 4.4. 3, Steve Gaines, Brandon, Miss., 4.6. 4,(tie) Darrell Petry, Beaumont, Texas, and Blake Doyle, Granbury, Texas, 4.8 seconds. (total on two) 1, Doyle, 8.6 seconds. 2, Petry, 9.1. 3, Gaines, 9.2. 4, Hughes, 9.5.

Team Roping: (first round) 1, Coleman Proctor, Miami, Okla., and Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan., 5.4 seconds. 2, JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Texas, and Randon Adams, Logandale, Nev., 5.5. 3, (tie) Kelsey Parchman, Cumberland City, Tenn., and York Gill, Stephenville, Texas; Kevin Daniel, Franklin, Tenn., and Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 5.8 per team. (second round) 1, (tie) Brad Hamilton, Pollock, Texas, and Joe Day, Howe, Texas; Justin Yost, Hico, Texas, and Britt Bockius, Claremore, Okla., 5.4 seconds per team. 3, J.B. Lord, Piedmont, S.D., and Jeremy Clay, Stephenville, Texas, 6.0. 4, Blaine Linaweaver, Leavenworth, Kan., and Richard Durham, Morgan Mill, Texas, 6.5. (total on 2) 1, Linaweaver and Durham, 13.0. 2, (tie) Matt Petrus, Skidmore, Texas, and Dee Rampy, Bertram, Texas; Jake Cooper and Jim Ross Cooper, Stephenville, Texas, 14.0 per team. 4, Daniel and Lucero, 16.4.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D., 85 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Teddy Bear. 2, JJ Elshere, Quinn, S.D., 84. 3, Chet Johnson, Gillette, Wyo., 81. 4, Josh Reynolds, Corvallis, Mont., 80. (second round) 1, Elshere, 87 points on Western Rodeo’s Pine Ridge. 2, Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., 84. 3, (tie) Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas, Alex Wright, Milford, Utah, Jordan Furnish, Baird, Texas, and Taton, 79 each. (third round) 1, Reynolds, 83 points Rafter G’s Smokey. 2, (tie) Elshere and Max Filippini, Battle Mountain, Nev., on Rawhide, 82 points each. 4, Cody Taton, Newell, S.D., 81 (total on three) 1, Elshere, 253. 2, (tie) Reynolds and Bail, 241. 4, Taton, 237.

Tie-Down Roping: (second round) 1, Cash Myers, Athens, Texas, 7.7 seconds. 2, Houston Hutto, Del Rio, Texas, 7.8. 3, Matt Shiozawa, Chubbock, Idaho, 8.6. 4, Chris Bradford, Kountze, Texas, 8.7. (total on two) 1, Tyson Durfey, Colbert, Wash., 15.7 seconds. 2, Shiozawa, 17.2. 3, Hutto, 18.6. 4, Casey Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 18.7.

Women’s Barrel Race: (first round) 1, Angela Gilliam, Pelahatchie, Miss., 16.87 seconds. 2, Shawna Bourne, Chapel Hill, Tenn., 17.04. 3, Courtney Sokol, College Station, Texas, 17.06. 4, Layna Kight, Hills Point, Texas, 17.11. (second round) 1, Haley Thorne, Midlothian, Texas, 17.00. 2, Terra Bynum, Colorado City, Texas, 17.01. 3, Bourne, 17.02 seconds. 3, Carrie Thompson, Morton, Miss., 17.04. (total on two) 1, Bourne, 34.06. 2, Sokol, 34.21. 3, Bynum, 34.22. 4, Thorne, 34.39.

Bull Riding: (first round) 1, J.W. Harris, May, Texas, 83 points on Frontier’s Black Water. 2, JB Mauney, Mooresville, N.C., 80. 3, Neil Bourne, Springfield, Tenn., 75. 4, Shawn Hogg, Odessa, Texas, 74. (second round) 1, Mauney, 90 points on Frontier’s Monkey Blood. 2, Harris, 82. 3, (tie) Kyle Lozier, Mile House, B.C., Can., and McKennon Wimberly, Fort Worth, Texas, 80 each. (total on two) 1, Mauney, 170. 2, Harris, 165. 3, Lozier, 148. 4, Taylor Cowan, Ft. Pierre, S.D., 143.