Making history: RodeoHouston's first two Super Series in the books

By Kevin Carmody, PRCA
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Two defending RodeoHouston champions kept alive their hopes of a repeat title during weekend action as the rodeo’s second Super Series came to an end. Bobby Mote, the reigning and two-time world champion bareback rider whose $56,833 won in Houston last year paved the way for his 2007 world title, and tie-down roper Houston Hutto, who led the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings for most of the 2007 regular-season after his Houston victory, are among eight contestants in each event (eight teams in team roping) to have advanced to RodeoHouston’s semifinal round.

In RodeoHouston, 10 contestants (10 teams in team roping) compete in five separate, three-performance Super Series rodeos. The top four money winners (20 total) in each event in the five Super Series rodeos will advance to a two-performance semifinal round, where previous scores and times will be zeroed out.

Mote, of Culver, Ore., and Reigning World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Taos Muncy, of Corona, N.M., joined 10 reigning or past champions who advanced after Super Series I, March 3-5.

Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, the reigning and five-time world champion all-around cowboy, highlighted Super Series I as the only cowboy to advance to the semifinals in both team roping and tie-down roping. Meanwhile, Reigning World Champion Team Roper (Heading) Chad Masters of Stephenville, Texas, is RodeoHouston’s top money-earner thus far (with partner Jade Corkill of Fallon, Nev.) after a $9,950 haul in Super Series I.

“It was very hard to catch up with the guys who won a lot here last year,” Masters said. “It took me all year.”
Masters and the other semifinalists are in position to do quite a bit better if they can advance to the championship round on March 22, where the winners will share the $55,000 first-place check – the other six events pay $50,000 to the champion.

Steer wrestler Jason Miller of Lance Creek, Wyo., and team roper (heeling) Walt Woodard, both reigning champions in their respective events, also advanced out of Super Series I, as did past world champions Kelly Timberman of Mills, Wyo. (bareback riding, 2004); Clay Tryan of Billings, Mont. (team roping – heading, 2005); Patrick Smith of Midland, Texas (team roping – heeling, 2005); Ryan Jarrett of Summerville, Ga. (all-around cowboy, 2005); Mary Burger of Pauls Valley, Okla. (barrel racing, 2006); and Sherry Cervi of Marana, Ariz. (barrel racing, 1995 and 1999).

Bareback riding’s first four semifinalists featured, in addition to Timberman, the last three Resistol Rookies of the Year – Justin McDaniel of Porum, Okla. (2005); Steven Dent of Mullen, Neb. (2006); and Tilden Hooper of Carthage, Texas (2007).

While world champions highlighted those who advanced from Super Series I, the pool of contestants that emerged from Super Series II, for the most part, features a group ready to break out in 2008. Cowboys you might hear from later include: bareback rider Kaycee Feild of Elk Ridge, Utah (the son of five-time world champion and ProRodeo Hall of Famer Lewis Feild); steer wrestlers Dane Hanna of Littleton, Colo., and Troy Orr of Lebanon, Tenn.; tie-down roper Blake Huckabee of Shreveport, La.; and bull riders Cole Echols of Frierson, La., and Seth Glause of Rock Springs, Wyo.

For complete results of Super Series III and up-to-date coverage of RodeoHouston, visit www.prorodeo.com