ProRodeo Sports News - August 5, 2022

DEADWOOD, S.D.

Former champ Pearson keeps NFR hopes on track Staying Alive DEADWOOD DAYS OF ’76 RODEO

BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to ProRodeo Sports News W hile the summer run of 2022 hasn’t gone quite the way Tyler Pearson hoped it would, the 2017 PRCAWorld Champion Steer Wrestler isn’t sweating it. “It’ll turn around, you just have to keep going,” Pearson said, a veteran of the road who has earned more than $1 million in his career and competed at five Wrangler National Finals Rodeos. Pearson proved he walks the walk and talks the talk after turfing a pair of steers during the 100th anniversary of the Days of 76 Rodeo in Deadwood, S.D., to take the win. “It’s been slow,” Pearson admitted, “so it’s good to finally get a good win like that somewhere.” Competing during the slack in Deadwood, Pearson went 4.1 on his first steer and 3.9 on the second to place in both rounds at a tie for fourth and a tie for third, respectively. His two-run aggregate of 8.0 seconds just clipped Blake Knowles’ 8.3 for the victory. Pearson was aboard his good yellow horse Casper, who is 15 this year and carrying world leader, and Pearson’s hauling partner, Tyler Waguespack to many of his wins as well, including the second round win in Deadwood. As he often does, Pearson relied upon friend Kyle Irwin, who rode Pearson’s grey horse Metallica, for the haze. “He’s a good one for sure,” Pearson said of the 14-year-old gelding who’s provided the hazes for several world championship runs in the past few years including Pearson’s in 2017, Ty Erickson’s in 2019 and Waguespack’s in 2018 and 2021. Pearson picked up $6,784 in Deadwood, huge for him as he is battling down the stretch to return to the NFR again in December. As July closed out, Pearson found himself 30th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. Deadwood was also a stop on the NFR Playoff Series, so the win moved Pearson up in those standings as well. Only the top 23 in the Playoff Series standings will advance to the $1 million NFR Playoff to be held at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup Sept. 8-11. There have been high points this summer for Pearson, including an unexpected all-around title at the California Rodeo in Salinas, the week before Deadwood. “I’ve never roped there before,” Pearson noted. “But CJ DeForest’s appendix ruptured and his partner, Andy Holcomb, needed someone to fill in.” Because of the four head format in the team roping (as opposed to just two head in the steer wrestling), Pearson was only able to rope in a few of the rounds, but he made the most of the chance, placing twice. “We placed in two rounds, and I won a round in the steer wrestling,” Pearson said, noting he may make it a plan to rope in Salinas in 2023. “We had a ball.” Though Pearson still enjoys the challenge of the rodeo trail, he notes that being home with wife Carissa and son Stetson, 9, and daughter Steelie, 6, is precious time. “He’s a big-time roper,” Pearson said of Stetson. “He just won the breakaway average at his finals. He’s a tie-down roper, team roper and breakaway. My daughter is a barrel racer and breakaway roper.” With two months left to decide the 2022Wrangler NFR qualifiers, Pearson is far from panicked. “I feel like I’ve been bulldogging well, things just haven’t been on my side. I’ve gotten some barriers,” he said. “But it’s going to turn around.”

TOP MONEY WINNER Blake Ash TOP SCORES

($7,477, tie- down roping) BAREBACK RIDING

Ash

1. Cole Franks ............................ 88 pts. 2. Four tied at . .................................. 85 STEER WRESTLING 1. Tyler Pearson ................ 8.0 sec. on 2 2. Blake Knowles . ............................ 8.3 3. Jake Fulton .................................. 8.5 TEAM ROPING 1. J. Clay/B. Saebens ........ 9.1 sec. on 2 (Tie) T. Wade/T. Yates . ................. 9.1 3. A. Ward/B. Hawkins ..................... 9.2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. CoBurn Bradshaw .................. 89 pts. 2. Wyatt Casper ................................ 87 3. Ross Griffin . .............................. 86.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Blake Ash .................... 17.5 sec. on 2 2. Trevor Hale . ............................... 18.3 3. Two tied at ................................. 19.0 STEER ROPING 1. John E. Bland . ............ 35.9 sec. on 3 2. Mike Chase ................................ 38.1 3. Tony Reina ................................. 40.7 BULL RIDING 1. Tyler Bingham ..................... 88.5 pts. 2. Trey Holston . ............................. 86.5 3. Coy Thorson ................................. 85

Complete results/Page 72

Kristen Schurr photo

Tyler Pearson, the 2017 PRCA Steer Wrestling World Champion, kept his hopes alive to make his sixth Wrangler National Finals Rodeo by winning the Days of ’76 Rodeo in Deadwood, S.D.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/5/2022

ProRodeo Sports News 8/5/2022

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