ProRodeo Sports News - August 23, 2019

O’Connell hoping win boosts him into NFR race Bareback rider Shane O’Connell is eagerly chasing his second berth to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The 23-year-old from Rapid City, S.D., made his Wrangler NFR debut last season, finishing 10th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings and sixth in the average at the Finals. O’Connell’s 2019 season hasn’t been as successful. He’s hoping that might be turning around. O’Connell won Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg, Aug. 1-3, with an 89-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Nutrena’s Anything Goes. That earned him $2,955. But O’Connell was in 32nd in the world standings with $37,439 as of Aug. 19. “I had a killer week that week,” O’Connell said. “I’ve been kind of hurt, so I went home for about a week and got healed up and came back.” After, O’Connell won in Great Falls, Mont., earned a check in Heber City, Utah, won the title in Phillipsburg, then flew to Regina, Saskatchewan, where he won again. “The season has been pretty terrible,” he said. “But I’ve still got my health, and to have a weekend like that shows that anything is possible. If a guy can have two or three of those, you’ll be right back in the middle of it.” O’Connell is 12th in the ProRodeo Tour standings with 3,549.11 points. He’s ahead of the 25th spot by 946.86 points, putting him in a good spot to make the Tour Finale in Puyallup, Wash. “That’s going to be big money at a very crucial time (in Puyallup),” O’Connell said. “Nobody’s safe still. I know there’s a spot open for me. I just have to do what I can to make it back.” KANSAS’ BIGGEST RODEO PHILLIPSBURG, KAN.

W.T. Bruce photo

Chance Oftedahl posted a 7.3-second run to win the Gooding (Idaho) Pro Rodeo.

GOODING PRO RODEO GOODING, IDAHO Oftedahl on mend and winning After dealing with a sprained ankle, Chance Oftedahl is starting to heal. And the results on the rodeo trail are telling. Over the last three weeks the tie-down roper he was 58th with $19,628. His success of the last several weeks has reminded the Minnesotan of his capability. “These last three weeks are what a guy dreams

has won about $17,000, including taking home $4,715 from the Gooding (Idaho) Pro Rodeo, Aug. 15-17, by stopping the clock in 7.3 seconds. “I’ve been 6 (seconds) a few times before and 7 many times, but it didn’t feel like I was 7.3,” Oftedahl said. “I was thinking it was 7 but not 7.3.” His ankle injury kept him out for about a month during the summer. But as he healed, Oftedahl also got back to basics. “It’s a combination of a lot of things,” said Oftedahl, 23. “I just got back to going at them 100 percent – not safety-ing up – running at the barrier and trying to be as fast as I can no matter what. Even if 11 seconds is winning the rodeo I’ll try and tie them as fast as I can.” As of Aug. 19, Oftedahl was 37th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with $37,112. On July 30,

about doing,” Oftedahl said. “It’s been something that I’ve been wondering where it’s been all summer. You start doubting yourself. I’m glad it turned around when it did. It was looking pretty dark there for a while.” Oftedahl’s grandfather, Dan Raflik, passed away recently, so Oftedahl was heading home for the funeral. It was the second grandfather that Oftedahl has lost this year. After that, he’ll be back on the rodeo road. “For my tight-knit family, we lost my grandpa that I was really close to at the end of April,” he said. “That was really tough on the whole family. Now, losing this grandpa we’re still almost in shock from the last one. This kind of piled on top of it all. It’ll be good to see everyone. I haven’t been home in about two months.”

ProRodeo Sports News 8/23/2019

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