Big score, big payday on Big Dip
Joe Frost saved the best for last Monday.
After watching six of the first nine competitors in the bull riding competition get bucked off, Frost scored an impressive 87.5 points atop Big Dip.
“That was a really good bull,” said Frost of Randlett, Utah, who won the top day money prize of $5,500. “It’s a bull that I knew and I was really happy to have him. He done just what he was supposed to do and it was a battle I could handle.”
Brazil’s Fabiano Vieira had an 85.5-point ride atop Rhythm & Blues to finish second, while a pair of Texans — Cole Melancon of Liberty and Cooper Davis of Buna — were the only other riders to stay on their bulls for eight seconds.
“The bulls dang sure buck,” Frost said. “Being the last day (of Pool A action) there’s a little pressure. Most everybody had a chance togo ahead and make it back if they can make a good ride and sometimes that makes it harder to ride.”
Frost topped the Pool A standings with $15,000 in earnings, while Davis ($10,000), Vieira ($8,000) and Ty Wallace ($7,500) of Collbran, Colo., also finished among the top four to advance directly to Showdown Sunday.
Frost was happy to see that Wallace, his travelling partner, also ad- vanced to the championship round where the winner will take home $100,000.
The pair will now head south of the border to compete at rodeos in either Sheridan, Wyo., or Vernal, Utah, on Thursday and Colorado Springs, Colo., on Friday and Saturday before heading back to Calgary.
“We’ll make sure we can be back here on Sunday — there’s a lot of money up for grabs,” said Frost, who is happy to be in contention to win the big money after a poor showing last year.
“This is only the second time I’ve been here and last year was like my first rodeo. I didn’t ride very good. I’m pretty excited, pretty tickled to be a part of it.”
BULLDOGGING BUDDIES
When steer wrestler Kyle Irwin posted Monday’s fastest time of 3.8 seconds, Chason Floyd was the first person to shake his hand.
Floyd had earlier stopped the clock in 4.0 seconds, but he wasn’t afraid to congratulate Irwin for edging him out to win $5,500.
“That’s the way rodeo is, especially steer wrestling,” said Irwin, who hails from Robertsdale, Ala. “We’re all a bunch of buddies. Cha-
son’s a great guy. He steer wrestles outstanding. I’d have been the same way with him. That’s just the type of person that he is and the type of people that we are.”
Thanks to his quick run, Irwin finished second among Pool A competitors with $11,000 in earnings to advance directly to Showdown Sunday.
“The first year I was here (in 2015) I won second, so I’ve made it down to the final four before,” Irwin said. “That’s the ticket now is to get to the final four and you win good money out of this. That’s on my agenda this week and I like to check ’em off whenever I achieve ’em, so that’s the plan.”
Tyler Waguespack of Gonzales, La., finished atop the Pool A standings with $11,500 in winnings, while Cody Cassidy ($9,500) of Donalda, Alta., and Cole Edge ($7,750) of Durant, Okla., rounded out the top four.
Floyd finished in fifth, just $750 behind Edge, and will have to return on Wild Card Saturday to try to earn a spot to compete on Sunday.
NOTES
For the second day in a row, Kelly Bruner of Millsap, Texas, had the fastest barrel racing time. She stopped the clock at 17.17 seconds to win $5,500 and boost her earnings to $19,000. … Saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss of Heflin, La., followed up his first-place showing on Sunday with another one on Monday. He scored 89 points atop Curly Bill to win $5,500 which boosted his earnings to $11,000.