Reigning World Champion Dominates Reno Rodeo

Posted Tuesday, June 23, 2009

RENO, Nev. --- There’s not much that would make Justin McDaniel happier than to qualify for his third Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and win a second consecutive world championship in bareback riding.

He put himself much closer to that with an outstanding ride at the Reno Rodeo on Monday night. McDaniel had a solid score of 79 in his first appearance on Sunday night. He came back and rode his horse for 84 points Monday to take the lead in the second round and over-all standings. His ride came aboard Sundowner of the Flying U Rodeo Company.

He has a total score of 163 points and while this may not maintain the top spot on the leaderboard through the next four performances, he is nearly assured a spot in Saturday night’s finals.

In saddle bronc riding, Wade Sundell from Boxholm, Iowa, came off the injured reserve and it was well worth the effort. Sundell is riding with a broken kneecap. He is tied with Bradley Harter, from Weatherford, Texas, for first place in the second round. They each have 83 points. Sundell is now in fourth place over-all and will be nursing that knee hoping to get back here on Saturday night.

With over one-half million dollars in prize money and coveted Reno Rodeo Championship Spurs, cowboys and cowgirls are giving their all. The fifth performance of the rodeo will see a new group of cowboys having their first and then second competition. Rodeo action gets underway at 7 p.m.

--- Following are unofficial results ater the fourth performance at the Reno Rodeo, Monday, June 22, 2009, courtesy of Clearwire.

Fourth Performance---

Bareback Riding: 1, Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., 84 points on Flying U Rodeo’s Sundowner. 2(tie), Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 80. 3(tie), Zach Dishman, Beaumont, Texas, and Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash., 79.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Brock Andrus, St. George, Utah, 4.1 seconds. 2, Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nev., 4.7. 3 (tie), Spud Duvall, Checotah, Okla., and Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Nev., 5.1.

Team roping: 1, Riley and Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 4.8 seconds. 2, Luke Brown, Santo, Texas, and Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 6.3. 3, Cody Mora, Arroyo Grande, Calif., and Josh Wineman, Nipomo, Calif., 6.7. 4, Jesse Sheffield, South Weber, Utah, and Wes Miller, Big Piney, Wyo., 6.9.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (three qualified rides) 1, Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, 83 points on Flying Five Rodeo’s Cat Ballou. 2(tie), Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., and Mike Outhier, Utopia, Texas, 77.

Tie Down Roping: 1, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 8.8 seconds. 2, Jesse Sheffield, South Weber, Utah, 9.7. 3, Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas, 10.9. 4, C.J. Solomon, Prairie View, Texas, 14.4.

Barrel Racing: 1, Tammy Key-Fisher, Ledbetter, Texas, 17.09 seconds. 2, Brandie Halls, Carpenter, Wyo., 17.16. 3, Brooke Catalani, San Antonio, Texas, 17.72. 4, Rachael Myllymaki, Arlee, Mont., 22.37.

Bull Riding: (one qualified ride) Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, 83 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Bring It.

Current Leaders ---

Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Ethan McNeill, 82 on Big Bend Rodeo’s Spring Fling. 2, Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash., 80. 2 (tie), Jason Havens, Prineville, Ore., and Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla, 79. (second round) 1, McDaniel, 84 points on Flying U Rodeo’s Sundowner. 2, Dustin Mulrony, Pomeroy, Wash.,82. 3, Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 80. 4 (tie), Jessy Davis, Payson, Utah; Zach Dishman, Beaumont, Texas; and Gray; 79. (total on two) 1, Dustin Mulrony, 154 points on two head. 2/3, Ethan McNeill and Jessy Davis, 151 each. 4, Randy VandenBos, 142. 5,

Steer Wrestling: (first round): 1 (tie), Brad Johnson, Reva, S.D.; Joey Bell Jr., Malakoff, Texas; and Jason Reiss, Dickinson, S.D.; 4.7. 4 (tie), KC Jones, Decatur, Texas; Jule Hazen, Protection, Kan.; and Dean Gorsuch, Gearing, Neb.; 4.8. (second round) 1/2, Rhett Kennedy, Chowchilla, Calif., and Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 3.8. 3, Jake Hannum, Ogden, Utah, 3.9. 4, Gorsuch, 4.1. (total on two) 1, Bell 9.1. 2, Gorsuch, 9.9. 3, Reiss, 10.4. 4, Johnson, 11.3.

Team Roping: (first round) 1, Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Michael Jones, Stephenville, Texas, 4.9 seconds. 2, Chad Masters, Clarksville, Tenn., and Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 5.1. 3 (tie), Kelsey Parchman, Cumberland City, Tenn., and Monty Joe Petska, Turlock, Calif.; Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore., and Russell Cardoza, Farmington,Calif. 5.8. (second round) 1, Masters and Corkill, 5.6. 3, Cody McMinn, Caddo Mills, Texas, and Joe Day, Howe, Texas, 5.8. 4, Kaleb Driggers, Albany, Ga., and Brad Culpepper, Auburn, Ga. 5.9. (total on two): 1, Master and Corkill, 10.7. 2, Tryan and Jones, 11.8. 3, Luke Bronw, Santo, Texas, and Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 12.1. 4, Wade Wheatley, Hughson, Calif., and Cody Cowden, Merced, Calif. 12.5.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round): 1, Billy Etbauer, 89 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Devil Lady. 2, Justin Arnold, 88. 3, Wes Burns, 85. 4, JJ Elshere, 82. 5 (tie), Levi Berry and Cody Wright, 81. (second round) : 1 (tie), Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas, on Flying U’s Flood Plain and Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, 83. 3, Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 81. 3 (tie), Anthony Bello, Oakley, Utah, and Justin Arnold, Santa Margarita, Calif., 78. (total on two): 1, Arnold, 166. 2, Harter, 163. 3, Cody Wright, 162. 4, Sundell, 157.

Tie Down Roping: (first round): 1, Landon McClaugherty,Tilden, Texas,7.8 seconds. 2, Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, 9.5. 3, Jason Vohs, Las Vegas, Nev., 9.7. 4, Doug Pharr, Victoria, Texas, 9.6. (second round) 1, Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 7.8 seconds. 2, Trevor Thiel, Greeley, Colo., 8.6. 3, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 8.8. 4, Casey Wilson, Benson, Ariz., 8.9. (total on two) 1, Vohs, 19.0. 2, Ryan Jarrett, Summerfield, Ga., 19.3. 3, Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas, 20.4. 4, McClaugherty, 20.6.

Barrel Racing: (second round) : 1, Lindsay Sears, Nanton, Alberta, 16.96 seconds. 2, Sue Smith, Blackfoot, Idaho, 17.01. 3 Tammy Key Fischer, Ledbetter, Texas, 17.09. 4, Brandy Halls, Carpenter, Wyo., 17.16. (total on two): 1, Sears, 34.03. 2, Smith, 34.41. 3, P.J. Burger, Pauls Valley, Okla., 34.45. 4, Fischer, 34.46.

Bull Riding: (first round): 1, J.W. Harris , 91 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Major Shock. 2, Sean Case, 89. 3, Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, 83. 4,Ted Bert, 78.