HASTINGS, NEB. – (September 6, 2010) - The Hastings rodeo arena has been good to Quincy Opela.
The Stapleton, Neb. cowboy won three consecutive state high school rodeo team roping championships there (2004-2006), and on his first trip back to the arena this weekend for the Oregon Trail Rodeo, he won another title.
He and team roping partner Jeff Johnston won the average title, the fastest time on two runs. They also tied for first place in the first go-round with a time of 5.2 seconds and won fourth place in the second go-round with a time of 5.5 seconds.
The 22 year old cowboy, whose last name is pronounced “opal”, like the gem, got his PRCA card last year and partnered up with veteran cowboy Johnston, who lives 35 miles north of Opela near Seneca. The two practiced roping when Opela was in high school. Johnston, who is 14 years Opela’s senior, likes competing with the young man. “He’s carefree and doesn’t worry about who he’s up against and doesn’t have much fear. He’s confident but not cocky.”
For Opela, he looks up to Johnston, who has won the Nebraska State Rodeo Association championship and has competed at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo. “He knows when I do something wrong, and he’ll tell me or I’ll ask him.”
Opela also observes other team ropers, and looks up to guys like Jade Corkill and Brady Minor. “I’m watching the big guys and how they do it and learning from them.”
Opela earned a degree in construction management from Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington. He works for his dad on the family’s ranch. Johnston runs a ranch and is married with two young children.
Other event winners were bareback rider Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D.; saddle bronc rider Cody Taton, Mud Butte, S.D.; bull rider Triston Boor, Medicine Lodge, Kan.; tie-down roper Garrett Nokes, McCook, Neb.; steer wrestler Clay Cowan, Highmore, S.D., and barrel racer PJ Burger, Pauls Valley, Okla.
Other rodeo results follow.
Bareback Riding
1 Ty Breuer, Mandan, ND 88 points on 505 Inky, Korkow Rodeo Co; 2 Bo Casper, Ft Scott, KS 79 points; 3 Colten Blanchard, Dodge City, KS 77 points; 4 Clint Burton, Miles, Australia, 76 points
Saddle Bronc Riding
1 Cody Taton, Mud Butte, SD 86 points on 527 Carney Crap, Korkow Rodeo Co; 2 Matt Hebbert, Hyannis, NE 83 points; 3 Tyrel Larsen, Whitewood, SD 81 points; 4 Taos Muncy, Corona, NM 78 points
Bull Riding
1 Triston Boor, Medicine Lodge, KS 86 points on 658 Little Rascal, Korkow Rodeo Co; 2 Matt Pojanowski, Woodville, WI 83 points; 3 Wyatt Gregg, Highmore, SD 81 points; 4 Riggin Phillips, McKinney, TX 77 points
Tie Down Roping
1st go round
1 Garrett Nokes, McCook, NE 9.3 seconds; 2 Hunter Herrin, Apache, OK 9.5 seconds; 3 Rick Greiner, Highmore, SD 9.7 seconds; 4 Boe Brown, Harrold, SD 9.9 seconds
2nd go round
1 Clay Cerny, Brazoria, TX 8.0 seconds; 2 Matt Carlson, Sweetwater, OK 8.8 seconds; 3 Clay Cowan, Highmore, SD 8.9 seconds; 4 Kolby Ungeheuer, Columbus, KS 9.0 seconds
Average
1 Garrett Nokes, McCook, NE 9.3 seconds on 2 head; 2 Hunter Herrin, Apache, OK 9.5 seconds on 2 head; 3 Rick Greiner, Highmore, SD 9.7 seconds on 2 head; 4 Boe Brown, Harrold, SD 9.9 seconds on 2 head
Steer Wrestling
1st go round
1 Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, AL 3.9 seconds; 2 Tom Duvall, Hitchita, OK 4.0 seconds; 3 Brady Hageman, McCook, NE 4.4 seconds; 4 Bryce Stoltenberg, Gering, NE 4.7 seconds
2nd go round
1 Shane Henderson, Winfield, KS 4.4 seconds; 2 Clay Mindemann, Salina, OK 4.5 seconds; 3 Tanner McElhaney, Henryetta, OK 4.6 seconds; 4 Blake Mindemann, Fletcher, OK 4.8 seconds
Average
1 Clay Cowan, Highmore, SD 10.2 seconds on 2 head; 2 Blake Mindemann, Fletcher, OK 10.9 seconds on 2 head; 3 Stewart Gulager, Garland, KS 11.1 seconds on 2 head; 4 Jule Hazen, Ashland, KS 11.5 seconds on 2 head
Team Roping
1st go round
1/2 tie Jeff Johnston, Seneca, NE and Quincy Opela, Stapleton, NE 5.2 seconds and Lee Hagler, Ft Lupton, CO and JW Borrego, Pueblo West, CO 5.2 seconds; 3 Justen Nokes, Juniata, NE and Levi Tyan, Hayes Center, NE 5.5 seconds; 4 Cody Butler, Sanger, TX and Chance Butler, Sanger, TX 5.7 seconds
2nd go round
1 Cody Graham, Everton, MO and Jason Thompson, Ozark, MO 4.7 seconds; 2/3 tie Philip McCoy, Beggs, OK and Pake Stamper, Mounds, OK 5.2 seconds and Adam Rose, Willard, MO and Gabe Gwaltney, Carthage, MO 5.2 seconds; 4 Jeff Johnston, Seneca, NE and Quincy Opela, Stapleton, NE 5.5 seconds
Average
1 Jeff Johnston, Seneca, NE and Quincy Opela, Stapleton, NE 10.7 seconds on 2 head; 2 Cody Graham, Everton, MO and Jason Thompson, Ozark, MO 10.8 seconds on 2 head; 3 Adam Rose, Willard, MO and Gabe Gwaltney, Carthage, MO 11.8 seconds on 2 head; 4 Brian Dunning McClave, CO and Jason Trent, Burrton, KS 12.4 seconds on 2 head
Barrel Racing
1 PJ Burger, Pauls Valley, OK 16.69 seconds; 2 Diane Axmann, Loup City, NE 16.74 seconds; 3 Kristen Williams, Carthage, TX 16.81 seconds; 4/5 tie Margaret Stephenson, Tilden, TX and Cindy Gillespie, Ransom, KS 16.88 seconds
