ProRodeo Sports News - August 18, 2023

DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIR & RODEO

CASTLE ROCK, COLO.

Ready to Run After back-to-back wins, James/Cox set for August marathon TOP SCORES TOP MONEY EARNER Ernie Courson Jr. ($5,878, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING Courson

BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News F or Tanner James/Wyatt Cox, the team roping victory at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo in Castle Rock, Colo., actually started less than 24 hours earlier. Sitting behind the barrier at the Mountain Valley Stampede in Heber CIty, Utah, James knew he and his partner had drawn a good steer to chase. It was going to come out of the gate at a manageable pace, giving the California-based tandem the setup they needed. After being hit with a recent breaking the barrier violation during a run, James took a breath and slowed down the moment. “I told myself I was going to make sure I see the start completely before I left,” James said. “When I saw what I wanted to see, the momentum just kind of kicked off from right there and rolled on into Colorado and I just tried to keep it going.” In Utah, the duo went for 4.9 seconds, good enough to secure first-place. And, even after 10 hours of driving across the Western plains, nothing could slow down their mojo. The pair followed up their win in Utah with an even better Aug. 6 showing in Colorado, posting a time of 4.2 seconds at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo to win that title as well. All told, James and Cox picked up $7,704 in prize money between the two events. More than that, they picked up a lot of momentum. Currently sitting just outside the top 20 in the PRCA | RAM World Standings, both James/Cox came into this part of the season with a focus on the finish. They intentionally set up the entire month of August as a marathon endeavor. Over the course of the next four weeks or so, Cox estimates the pair will try to make more than 20 rodeos. “Here in August is where you can get a lot of momentum built up. We planned it that way from the beginning. We actually kept a pretty low profile in July just because we knew there’s so many good rodeos in August, you don’t want to miss any sitting on the sidelines,” Cox said. “There’s a lot of people that went home in August and they got to relax and take a week off. We’ve been trying to hit the road in August. It’s paying off. We took our time off early on and we’re feeling sharp and trying to get some momentum before the Northwest.” After closing out July with almost $2,300 in earnings from a third-place finish at That Famous Preston (Idaho) Night Rodeo, the pace hasn’t slowed since turning the calendar. And neither has the success. The back-to-back wins to start the month are something James and Cox believe they can parlay into a steady stream of good runs over the next few weeks, which could lift them into position for a spot among the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo competitors.

1. Cooper Cooke ......................... 90 pts. (Tie) Tim O’Connell ....................... 90 3. Richmond Champion .................. 87.5 (Tie) Dean Thompson ................. 87.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Sam Goings .......................... 3.7 sec. (Tie) Kodie Jang ........................... 3.7 (Tie) Travis Munro ........................ 3.7 (Tie) Dirk Tavenner ....................... 3.7 (Tie) Tyler Waguespack ................ 3.7 (Tie) Landris White ....................... 3.7 TEAM ROPING 1. T. James/W. Cox ................... 4.2 sec. 2. L. Aguilera/J. Fillmore .................. 4.3 3. Two tied with ................................ 4.5 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cole Elshere ........................... 88 pts. 2. Q Taylor ...................................... 87.5 3. Damian Brennan ............................ 87 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Shane Hanchey ..................... 8.1 sec. 2. Ty Harris ....................................... 8.5 3. Zack Jongbloed ............................ 8.8 BARREL RACING 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi ....... 17.12 sec. 2. Wenda Johnson ....................... 17.14 3. Ilyssa Riley ............................... 17.18 BULL RIDING 1. Ernie Courson Jr. ................. 86.5 pts. 2. Clayton Sellars .............................. 85 3. Josh Frost ..................................... 76

Brian Gauck photo

Tanner James and Wyatt Cox claimed the win in Castle Rock, Colo., with a 4.2-second run. The win earned them $4,668 each.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/18/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 8/18/2023

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

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