ProRodeo Sports News 2023 Year-End Edition

NFR TOP STOCK BAREBACK HORSES 1. (tie) C5 Rodeo’s Virgil Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire 3. (tie) Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s San Angelo Sam Frontier Rodeo’s Breaking News SADDLE BRONC HORSES 1. Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies 2. Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Hammer Stone 3. Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Gucci Equine Foul Motion BULLS 1. Universal Pro Rodeo’s Red Demon 2. (tie) Honeycutt Rodeo’s Bales Hay’s MAGA Stace Smith ProRodeos’ Polar Express QUALIFYING STATUS To be eligible for the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo top stock award, all bareback horses, saddle bronc horses and bulls had to perform twice during the Finals, Dec. 8-16. The top three animals in each event were determined on total animal judges’ scores on two outs. “I’m super happy with his performance,” C5’s Rodeo’s Tyson Cardinal said. “We are very proud of him at his age. Not too many horses out there at 4 years old and he’s 15 now. This is a huge accomplishment for him. Every time we load him in the chutes, I don’t ever remember him having a bad trip.” Virgil weighs 1,600 pounds. Gun Fire is 12 years old and weighs 1,500 pounds. At the NFR, Gun Fire was as good as ever – making life difficult for Orin Larsen in Round 5 and then giving 2022 PRCA Bareback Riding World Champion Jess Pope all he could handle and then some as he only registered a 78.5-point ride in Round 10. “This (NFR award) means a lot because she’s competing against 110 of the best horses in the world there, so it is quite the honor to be able to walk away with this award,” Frontier Rodeo’s Heath Stewart said. “Gun Fire pretty much does the same thing every time and she blows in the air, and she is strong. She gives the guys a shot at first place every time.” As for Universal Pro Rodeo’s Red Demon, that bull was making headlines throughout the 2023 PRCA regular season as he finished third in the Pendleton Whisky’s Let ‘er Buck Bull of the Year voting. At the NFR, no bull was better. “This is great and that’s what you work for is to have the best one there (at the NFR),” said Universal Pro Rodeo’s Terry Williams. “That’s a great deal. When Red Demon comes, he really means it. He bucks hard and really kicks.” Most recently, Universal Pro Rodeo won Top Bull of the NFR in 2020 with Pookie Holler. Red Demon is 5 years old and weighs, 1,650 pounds. This was his first appearance at the NFR. In Vegas, Red Demon bucked off Jeff Askey (Round 5) and T Parker (Round 10).

Bareback rider Jayco Roper split the Round 5 win on C5 Rodeo’s standout horse Virgil with an 89.5-point ride. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Roseanna Sales

Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire made life tough on 2022 PRCA World Champion Jess Pope in Round 10. The duo combined for 78.5 points. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Click Thompson

ProRodeo Sports News 12/22/2023

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