PRORODEO Sports News - July 12, 2024

OAKLEY CITY, UTAH

OAKLEY INDEPENCE DAY RODEO

Ernie Courson hangs on for Oakley win A Finisher

BY BRADY RENCK, Special to ProRodeo Sports News T here is a “Most Interesting Man in the World” quality to Ernie Courson Jr.’s resume. His journey to the professional ranks was more of a slalom course. He began riding bulls when he was 14, then opted for the steady paycheck of bullfighting, while also working as a commercial fisherman. The gravitational pull of rodeo eventually proved too strong. Courson now remains a testament to talent, faith and family. The 30-year-old bull rider continues to demonstrate resilience as he chases his first Wrangler National Finals rodeo berth. Sabotaged by an injury last season and stung by a slump this year, Courson is back on track. He captured the title at the 89th Annual Independence Day Rodeo in Oakley City, Utah, delivering an 89-point ride on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Leroy Carter. “I have kind of been struggling this year. Before the rodeo, my wife (Elizabeth) was encouraging me. And I said, ‘If life is going to keep giving me lemons, I might as well make some lemonade.’ It was time to end Leroy Carter’s streak and end my rough streak,” Courson said. “He turned back and went into my hands and disappeared. It was about six seconds in, and I thought this whistle has to be close. I didn’t think I could hang on anymore. And when I let go of the rope my neck snapped back, so I know I gave it everything I had.” Courson snapped his right collarbone late last August, which left him slowly regaining traction and trusting “my body when I hit the dirt.” He sat 17th in the standings, poised to reach the sport’s biggest stage when the abrupt ending foiled his plans. He currently sits 33rd and believes the calendar will allow for him to rally. “I think we lit the fire with this win,” Courson said. “We are ready to go and move forward. I am not worried about my collarbone anymore. I have let that go.” The unpredictable nature of bull riding demands a strong mind. The lack of success can undermine confidence. Courson leans on his family and sons Trenton and Ryder for encouragement and inspiration. “They play a big role in it. You can go through some of the roughest times, and they are always there,” Courson said. “My oldest son Trenton will always tell me I am so close even if I am not. It helps out. And my wife reminds me that the storm will end. She will read me Bible verses that fit our situation. So, that’s why I say it’s God’s plan a lot. Everything I do is for them. They are my motivation.” Courson did not take the traditional path. There has never been an elevator to the top, only stairs. There was a time he wasn’t sure he would ride bulls again. Watch him at his best, like in Utah, and it’s hard to imagine him not in a chute. “I stopped riding for three years while I was a bullfighter. There were times I would get on after a show and I won. I always had that fire, and I had a lot of buddies and their parents always saying I should ride,” Courson said. “They kept fueling that fire. And now is the time to get this season going.”

TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY EARNER Ernie Courson Jr. ($7,163, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING

Courson

1. Clay Jorgenson .................. 87.5 pts. (Tie) Cole Reiner ....................... 87.5 (Tie) Garrett Shadbolt ............... 87.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Cash Robb ........................... 3.5 sec. 2. Stetson Jorgensen ...................... 3.6 3. Jace Logan ................................. 3.8 (Tie) Grant Peterson ................... 3.8 TEAM ROPING 1. M. Theriot/C. Curry .............. 4.2 sec. 2. Jr. Dees/JC Flake ......................... 4.3 3. Five teams tied at ........................ 4.4 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Brody Cress ....................... 89.5 pts. 2. Lefty Holman ............................... 88 3. Sage Newman .............................. 87 (Tie) Kolby Wanchuk .................... 87 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Ty Harris .............................. 7.4 sec. 2. Cole Clemons .............................. 7.7 3. Tuf Cooper .................................. 8.1 (Tie) Bryce Derrer ....................... 8.1 BARREL RACING 1. Halyn Lide ........................ 17.27 sec. 2. Ashley Castleberry .................. 17.29 3. Toria Madsen .......................... 17.31 BULL RIDING 1. Ernie Courson Jr. .................. 89 pts. 2. Chase Dougherty ...................... 88.5 (Tie) Josh Frost ........................ 88.5

COWBOY CHRISTMAS

John Golom photo In the final performance of the Oakley Independence Day Rodeo, Ernie Courson Jr. captured the bull riding win with an 89-point trip on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Leroy Carter.

Complete results/Page 112

ProRodeo Sports News 7/12/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 7/12/2024

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