PRORODEO Sports News - July 26, 2024

NAMPA, IDAHO

Win spurs Larsen in late-season charge Comeback SNAKE RIVER STAMPEDE

BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News O rin Larsen is finally starting to feel good, both physically and mentally. After months of starts and stops, with some significant downtime mixed in, the Ingis, Manitoba, cowboy is beginning to find himself – and the rest of the ProRodeo bareback riders should be on notice. “Just trying to stay healthy, that’s kind of been the main thing,” Larsen said. “I’ve got a really, really good team behind me. Obviously, I’ve got a family that gives me a ton of support and all that. It’s been working out and God’s looking after me. We’re on the up-and-up.” Larsen’s return to action has quickly become a return to form as the nine-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier continues to build momentum. The latest mile marker on his comeback trail came at the Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho. Larsen won the average with 173.5 points on two head, bringing home $6,047 in prize money. Larsen’s 83.5-point ride in the opening round left him a full point outside of earning round money, but it was good enough to bring him back for the finals. Facing Cervi Championship Rodeo’s R Watson’s Prairie Fire, the PRCA veteran turned things up a notch, posting the only 90-point ride of the rodeo to win the round and secure the average title. “Everyone I talked to seemed really, really high on that horse. It was pretty sweet that it worked out,” Larsen said. The victory was crucial for Larsen’s path back to his 10th straight NFR this December. As of July 23, he was 19th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with slightly more than $61,000 in earnings. It’s a position that would have been hard to imagine just a few months back as Larsen navigated a litany of ailments. After hurting his knee at the 2023 NFR, he injured it again in the winter. Then, at RodeoHouston, Larsen sustained a groin injury that shelved him until mid-April, putting his NFR streak in serious jeopardy. Since the calendar flipped to July, Larsen has chipped away at the margin between his position in the world standings and spot in the Top 15. Along with the Snake River Stampede, he won the Black Hills Roundup in Belle Fourche, S.D., and picked up checks at two other spots. So far, the month has been worth more than $12,500 in earnings, giving him a strong shot at being back in Las Vegas. Even as all those details sort themselves out, Larsen isn’t missing a chance to savor the little moments that happen along the way. The Snake River Stampede has long been one event he’s wanted to do well at. While the final outcome of his 2024 season is still to be determined, he’s certainly enjoying the path that hopefully leads back to NFR. “Honestly, I’ve made the short round a couple of times, but honestly not really done well (at Snake River),” Larsen said. “I’ve always wanted one of those silver platters and I finally got one.”

TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY EARNER TJ Gray ($11,106, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING

Gray

1. Orin Larsen ............... 173.5 pts. on 2 2. Tilden Hooper ............................. 172 3. Mason Clements ...................... 171.5 (Tie) Keenan Hayes .................. 171.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Rowdy Parrott ............ 11.6 sec. on 3 2. Cody Devers .............................. 12.3 3. Bridger Anderson ...................... 12.4 TEAM ROPING 1. Tomlinson/Smith ........ 12.8 sec. on 3 2. J. Bland/T. Thompson ................ 13.1 (Tie) R. Kittle/W. Woodfin .......... 13.1 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Thayne Elshere ......... 175.5 pts. on 2 2. Ryder Wright .............................. 175 3. Wyatt Casper ........................... 174.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Cole Clemons ............. 23.3 sec. on 3 2. Joel Harris ................................. 24.1 3. Michael Otero ............................ 24.2 BARREL RACING 1. Dona Kay Rule .......... 31.43 sec. on 2 2. Jordan Driver ........................... 31.65 3. Kaycee Killingsworth ............... 31.85 BULL RIDING 1. TJ Gray ........................ 174 pts. on 2 2. Miles Johnson ............................ 166 3. Brady Portenier ............................ 86

Complete results/Page 100

Hailey Rae photo

Bareback rider Orin Larsen came out on top at the Snake River Stampede after his 90-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s R Watson’s Prairie Fire.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/26/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 7/26/2024

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

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