PRORODEO Sports News - August 23, 2024

LOGAN, UTAH

Win keeps Brown’s NFR hopes alive Final Push CACHE COUNTY FAIR & RODEO

BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News J esse Brown needed a moment. Correction, he needed another moment. Back on June 1, the steer wrestler finished a tenth-of-a-second better than Layne Delemont to win the Leduc Black Gold Pro Rodeo. It has remained the high point of his season for a long time. For a guy who finished third in the world standings last year, a random victory in Alberta, Canada, feels more like a blip on the journey back to a fifth-straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. But for much of 2024, the Baker City, Ore., native has been trying to find a spark to really get things going. A win in Logan, Utah, might be just that. During his slack run on Aug. 6, at the Cache County Fair and Rodeo, Brown finished in 4.1 seconds, setting the standard early on. Fellow steer wrestler Levi Rudd would eventually match the result, resulting in a shared title. The victory was crucial for the No. 13 steer wrestler in the PRCA | RAM World Standings as it provides some much-needed prize money to help keep him in the Top 15. “For kind of being on the bubble-ish, that’s kind of huge,” Brown said with a laugh when talking about the big picture. “I’ve been plucking away with checks and stuff, but I haven’t really won. I think I’ve won one other rodeo, and it was a smaller rodeo, so it’s my second win of the season and it’s huge.” Last year, Brown claimed five regular season rodeo wins and earned enough money to qualify for the Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, S.D., an event he also went on to win. It all added up to more than $276,000 in earnings, a runner-up finish in the average at the NFR and a personal-best third-place showing in the world standings. Unfortunately, the momentum from 2023 didn’t fully carry over into 2024. Coming into the week, Brown was 13th in the standings with $72,607 to his credit before the result in Logan. For some, that situation might be extremely uncomfortable. Brown is embracing the challenge. The $3,854 earned for the victory is just what he was looking for. Not only does the outcome help him in the overall standings, but the rodeo is part of the PRCA Playoff Series, meaning the points earned will help him in qualifying for that event in late September. Make no mistake, Brown isn’t satisfied with where he is, but he hopes one win could be a moment that helps him get to where he wants to be. “I think it’s just about closing out the season and making every run count,” Brown said. “I’ve got all the rodeos I could want here at the end, so I’m not worried about being short on any of those. Every run counts and do the best with what you’ve got and scratch and claw for every dollar.”

TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY EARNER Cooper Cooke ($5,675, bareback riding) BAREBACK RIDING

Cooke

1. Cooper Cooke ...................... 87.5 pts. 2. Dean Thompson ......................... 86.5 3. Tilden Hooper ............................... 85 (Tie) Lane McGehee ...................... 85 STEER WRESTLING 1. Jesse Brown ......................... 4.1 sec. (Tie) Levi Rudd ............................ 4.1 3. Tyler Waguespack ........................ 4.3 TEAM ROPING 1. C. Denison/T. Braden ............ 4.2 sec. 2. Four tied at ................................... 4.5 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Ryder Wright ....................... 87.5 pts. 2. Kade Bruno ................................... 86 (Tie) Ira Dickinson ........................ 86 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Riley Webb ........................... 7.2 sec. 2. Dylan Hancock ............................. 7.6 (Tie) Shad Mayfield ...................... 7.6 BARREL RACING 1. Andrea Busby ................... 16.86 sec. 2. Toria Madsen ........................... 16.92 3. LaTricia Duke ........................... 16.98 BULL RIDING 1. Tristen Hutchings ................... 90 pts. 2. Ky Hamilton .................................. 87 (Tie) Jeter Lawrence ..................... 87

Complete results/Page 65

Amanda Dilworth photo

Jesse Brown tied with fellow steer wrestler Levi Rudd for the win at the Cache County Fair & Rodeo after clocking a 4.1-second run, Aug. 6.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/23/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 8/23/2024

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

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