10-Year-Old Barrel Racer Wins MLK Jr. Rodeo

By Susan Kanode
Posted Monday, January 19, 2009

DENVER, CO - A 10-year-old barrel racer stole the show at the MLK Jr. African American Rodeo at the National Western Stock Show on Monday.

Corriana Burkhalter won the ladies barrel racin with a time of 16.24 seconds. Riding her seven-year-old mare, Jewel, she finished one-one hundredth of a second faster than Denise Tyree. The duo has been winning quite a bit and are looking forward to a future together.

The MLK rodeo has been part of the National Western for the past four years. Deon Osborne won the calf ropin with an 11.9 second run. The bareback ridin champion was Jason Griffin who finished with a 72-point ride. Gerald Vaughn Jr. won the bull doggin with a 5.5-second run for the second consecutive year.

The ladies steer undecoratin again featured blazing fast times and exciting action. The ladies have a helper that keeps a steer running between their horses. When the competitor reaches down and pulls a ribbon off the steer’s back and raise it in the air, the clock is stopped. The winning run was made by Tiphani Carter who stopped the clock in 2.2 seconds.

There was one successful cowboy in the bull ridin. Jamal Turner had an 80 on the bull named Soldier Boy for the win.

Rodeo action continues here Tuesday with two performances of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

DENVER, Colo., --- The following are unofficial results from the Martin Luther King Jr., African-American Heritage Rodeo of Champions at the National Western Stock Show, Monday, January 19, 2009.

Calf Ropin -- 1, Deon Osborne, 11.9 seconds. 2, Chris Young, 13.0. 3, Johnny Ray Howard, 18.4. 4, Maurice Wade, 23.6.

Bareback Ridin – 1, Jason Griffin, 72 points. 2, Josh Brae, 71. 3, Ashanti Samuels, 69.

Bull Doggin’ --- 1, Gerald Vaughn, 5.5 seconds. 2, Chris Young, 5.9. 3, Wefus Tyus, 6.4. 4, Tory Johnson, 7.5.

Ladies Steer Undecoratin – Tiphani Carter, 2.2 seconds. 2, Shell Gaul, 2.4. 3, Denise Tyus, 2.5. 4, Kanesha Jackson, 2.6.

Ladies Barrel Racin – 1, Corriana Burkhalter, 16.24 seconds. 2, Denise Tyus, 16.25. 3, Stephanie Haynes, 17.20. 4, Tiphani Carter, 18.03.

Bull Ridin’ --- (one qualified ride) 1, Jamal Turner, 80 poin