ProRodeo Sports News 2023 Year-End Edition

STOCK OF THE YEAR

Pendleton Whisky’s Let ’er Buck Awards

BY TRACY RENCK S tanding out among a crowd of exceptional roughstock requires a perfect balance of animal athleticism and the cowboys capable of showcasing that talent. The 2023 “Pendleton Whisky’s Let ‘er Buck Bucking Stock of the Year Awards” recognized bareback horse Night Crawler of Pickett Pro Rodeo, saddle bronc horse Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies and top bull Bayou Bengal of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo for the PRCA’s Top Stock of 2023. Night Crawler started turning heads at the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo when Kaycee Feild had a 92-point ride on the horse to win Round 10. That was a preview of things to come. Feild had a 93-point trip on Night Crawler in January of 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. Feild bettered that with a 93.5-point ride on the standout horse to win the Darby (Mont.) Xtreme Bareback event in June. “It is really special to win this award,” Cullen Pickett said. “I’ve been blessed with a handful once-in-a-lifetime kind of horses and she’s one of those. Kaycee had her at the NFR, Fort Worth and then at Darby and it got better every time, and she gives everybody a chance. She’s super special and she had a colt this year also.” Night Crawler is 11 years old, weighs 1,300 pounds and is 15 hands. Night Crawler is Pickett Pro Rodeo’s second Bareback Horse of the Year, the first was Top Flight in 2021. “She (Night Crawler) shows up when it matters,” Pickett said. “Most every time she has been at the NFR, they have either won the round or she NIGHT CRAWLER Pickett Pro Rodeo 2023 Bareback Horse of the Year

Kaycee Feild captured

the title at the Darby

(Mont.) Xtreme Bareback event with a 93.5-point ride on Night Crawler June 4. Hailey Rae photo photo

has been the horse of the night kind of deal. She has her best day when it matters most.” XPLOSIVE SKIES Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies 2023 Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year Xplosive Skies has now proven to be a star horse in two events. The Calgary Stampede horse won the Bareback Horse of the Year in 2021 and now in 2023, Xplosive Skies takes top honors as the Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year. “What is amazing about this is she wins the world in bareback and two years later she wins the world in the broncs,” Calgary Stampede’s Keith Marrington said. “That shows her athletic ability

“I think what is so special about her is that

she is consistent,” Marrington said.

2023 TOP STOCK BAREBACK RIDING

“She never has a day off. She is calm in the chutes, and she gives the guys the opportunity to out on her clean and she leaves hard. The guys are really excited when they draw her, they are a little bit nervous because if you stub your toe, she can buck you off.”

1. Night Crawler – Pickett Pro Rodeo 2 Yipee Kibitz – Calgary Stampede 3. OLS Tubs Stevie Knicks – Macza Pro Rodeo SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Xplosive Skies – Calgary Stampede 2. The Black Tie – Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics 3. All Or Nothin’ – Andrews Rodeo BULL 1. Bayou Bengal – Pete Carr Pro Rodeo 2. Polar Express – Stace Smith Pro Rodeos 3. Red Demon – Universal Pro Rodeo

BAYOU BENGAL Pete Carr Pro Rodeo 2023 Bull of the Year

The talent of Bayou Bengal has never been questioned. Now the rank bull is recognized as the PRCA’s best for 2023. “What makes him (Bayou Bengal) different than a lot of bulls is he really breaks off the ground and is leaping in the air and kicking,” said Billy Jones, the operations manager for Pete Carr. “Whereas a lot of bulls are just kicking and he breaks off the ground big time in the front end.

He’s always been pretty bad a**.”

and stamina, and it is pretty amazing to win two world championships in two different events. When she won the world in the barebacks, we used her in a couple of different events in the broncs. We knew she had a lot of talent in the bronc riding so we thought we would give the bronc riders the opportunity to ride her. We are pretty tickled to win this award.” Xplosive Skies is 13 years old and weighs 1,250 pounds. She is 15.3 hands. She is the granddaughter of ProRodeo Hall of Fame horse, Grated Coconut.

Bayou Bengal is 6 years old and weighs 1,800 pounds. “He kind of knocks out the same tracks every time and rides knowing what he is going to do and when they do ride him, they can win first, and they do have the ability to ride him,” Jones said. “He doesn’t get ridden very much, but he is a rideable bull and when they do ride him, it’s for big scores. It is fun to watch guys try to ride him because he is leaping and cracking. He’s not just kicking his feet.”

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