ProRodeo Sports News - April 26, 2024

RED BLUFF, CALIF.

RED BLUFF ROUND-UP

Worth Waiting

Landingham stays red hot with record-setting effort BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News A record-breaking ride for a significant payday and his first ever victory at his hometown rodeo. That’s a sentence R.C. Landingham would have been hard pressed to think could happen just a year ago, yet it became reality at the 103rd installment of the Red Bluff Round-Up. The Hat Creek, Calif., resident accomplished all of that in the final bareback ride of the rodeo, posting a 92.5-point effort on C5 Rodeo’s Virgil. The score eclipsed the previous mark of 90 points set by Donny Proffit on the same horse last year. “I grew up junior rodeoing in Red Bluff and all the little towns around here and I’ve been riding in this arena a long time,” Landingham said, noting he was actually born in Red Bluff 33 years ago. “I’ve had a little bit of success, won some checks, but I’ve never won here.” It was a milestone moment in a comeback setting. After qualifying for four straight trips to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from 2019-22, Landingham found himself in unbearable pain during the 2023 season. For years, he had ridden with bone spur near where he sits on his rigging. He had long managed the discomfort, but finally it got so bad that his left leg wouldn’t properly function sometimes. “I took a month off at one point and came back and tried to ride again,” Landingham said. “I still won a little bit, but it was getting so miserable that if I did make the Finals, I knew I wasn’t going to do any good. So, I decided to have surgery to have that removed and start over this year.” Following the September procedure, Landingham took some time to recuperate and prepare for 2024. It’s a plan that has worked extremely well thus far. The ride in Red Bluff alone was worth $8,615. It was the latest in a string of successes as Landingham also placed fourth in the average at the San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo and picked up a fourth-place finish at the Oakdale (Calif.) Saddle Club Rodeo. Combined, the three April paydays brought Landingham to more than $40,500 in earnings already this season and the No. 10 spot in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. For Landingham, the results have been a reaffirming moment that he made the right call last year. He feels the best he’s felt in years and the early portion of the season has also allowed him a moment to prioritize his focus. He and his wife, Bliss Bidwell, are expecting their second child in August, so competing close to home and finding success have been key. A new addition to the family. A body finally free of continuous pain. A chance to get back to Las Vegas and compete for a world title. Landingham is a long way from where he was a year ago and certainly enjoying the ride. “The winter run was good. I’ve rodeoed with Clayton Biglow and we’ve just been kind of going to the bigger rodeos and trying to be home with our families as much as we can, but still stay up there in the standings and just do what we’ve got to do right now and see how hard we’re going to have to rodeo in the summertime,” Landingham said. “The last couple weeks have been really good, got a couple checks between Red Bluff and San Angelo. It moved me up into the Top 15 and just gives you a little more confidence and motivation to keep going.”

TOP MONEY EARNER Riley Webb TOP SCORES

($11,360, tie down roping) BAREBACK RIDING

Webb

1. R.C. Landingham ................ 92.5 pts. 2. Bronc Marriott .............................. 87 3. Tanner Aus .................................... 86 STEER WRESTLING 1. Stetson Jorgensen ...... 19.1 sec. on 4 2. Darcy Kersh ............................... 20.4 3. Gavin Soileau ............................. 20.6 TEAM ROPING 1. C. Masters/W. Cox ...... 29.3 sec. on 4 2. J. Smith/D. Rich ........................ 30.2 3. C. Weitz/C. Futrell ...................... 32.3 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Logan Cook ........................ 89.5 pts. 2. Logan Hay .................................... 87 3. Three tied at ............................... 86.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Riley Webb ................. 36.5 sec. on 4 2. Shad Mayfield ............................ 37.0 3. Dylan Hancock ........................... 39.0 BARREL RACING 1. Hayle Gibson ............ 34.50 sec. on 2 2. Megan McLeod-Sprague .......... 34.53 (Tie) Abby Phillips ................... 34.53 BULL RIDING 1. Chase Wimer ......................... 87 pts. 2. Jordan Spears .............................. 86 3. Tyler Bingham ............................ 84.5

Complete results/Page 62

Phil Doyle photo Hometown cowboy R.C. Landingham set the arena record in Red Bluff, Calif., with a 92.5-point ride on C5 Rodeo’s Virgil. Landingham earned $8,615 at the PRCA Playoff Series stop.

ProRodeo Sports News 4/26/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 4/26/2024

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