ProRodeo Sports News - December 16, 2022

mark riding Calgary Stampede’s X-9 Xplosive Skies, the 2021 Pendleton Whiskey Let ‘Er Buck Bareback Horse of the Year. JULY 31 – Bareback rider Tim O’Connell and saddle bronc rider Stetson Wright repeat as champions at the 2022 Cheyenne Frontier Days.

AUG. 6 – Taylor Santos earns $11,442 at the Lea County Rodeo in Lovington, N.M., in tie-down roping and steer roping.

AUGUST

AUG. 11 – World renowned Stock Contractor Neal Gay, a ProRodeo Hall of Famer, passed away at his ranch in Terrell, Texas with his family by his side. He was 96. For more on Neal Gay’s contributions to rodeo, please see our Passages section. AUG. 17 – The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association names Cinch as the title sponsor for the inaugural Playoffs. In March, the PRCA announced the Playoffs will take place at the Puyallup Rodeo at the Washington State Fair, Sept. 8-11, and will crown the champions of the season long NFR Playoff Series presented by Pendleton Whisky. The $1 million payout just before the PRCA regular season ends on Sept. 30 will play a key role in catapulting athletes into the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge. Ellensburg Rodeo Xtreme Bulls. It held up. No one stayed aboard in the second round, leaving Potter to net $27,693 which helped him qualify for the 2022 Wrangler NFR. SEPT. 11 – Saddle bronc rider Layton Green was one of the champions at the Cinch Playoffs Series in Puyallup, Wash. He earned a rodeo-best $18,850 and secured a spot in the Wrangler NFR. SEPT. 13 – Stetson Wright won the Pendleton Whisky Xtreme Bulls Finale in Pendleton, Ore., and the year-end PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour title as well. He finished the four rounds of competition with 257 points on three head, making him the only cowboy to ride three bulls at the event. The Milford, Utah cowboy, earned an event-best $20,648 for his performance at the Finale. SEPT. 17 – Bareback SEPT. 3 – Maverick Potter had an 88.5-point ride on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s By the Batch in the first round of the

Hailey Rae photo

JUNE 5 – Bareback rider Rocker Steiner, above, set a new PRCA world record with his 95-point ride on C5 Rodeo’s Virgil in Darby, Mont. Steiner earned

JUNE

$10,000 for the win. JUNE 10 – Sage Kimzey, a seven-time PRCA Bull Riding World Champion, including in 2021, is out for the remainder of the 2022 season with a left shoulder injury. Kimzey had been bothered by a left shoulder injury since high school, and the injury worsened when he was bucked off Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Severe Weather at the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Frontier Days and PRCA Rodeo in Weatherford, Texas. JUNE 25 – Tie-down

SEPTEMBER

roper Riley Webb, right, clocked an electric 7.8-second run in the finals to win the prestigious Reno Rodeo with a 25.7-second time on three head. Webb earned $16,479 in Reno, which helped the rookie qualify for the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge.

rider Kaycee Feild, right, captured the first Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up title of his storied career after going for 90 points on Sankey Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ horse, MLW’s Irish Eyes in the short go round. With a two horse score of 175.5 points, Feild took home the title and $10,218. SEPT. 26 – The PRCA, the State of South Dakota, Experience

Fernando Sam-Sin photo

JULY 5 – Reigning PRCA world champions – team roping header Kaleb Driggers and team roping heeler Junior Nogueira – showed just how good

JULY

they could be over the 2022 Cowboy Christmas run. The duo set a Cowboy Christmas single-event timed-event earnings mark at $35,152 each. JULY 16 – The 2022 ProRodeo Hall of Fame class led by Trevor Brazile is inducted in Colorado Springs, Colo. Saddle bronc rider Kade Bruno earned $25,596, the most of any contestant at the NFR Open powered by RAM in Colorado Springs, Colo. JULY 18 – Tie-down roper Caleb Smidt wins the storied Calgary Stampede and leaves town with $67,000. JULY 30 – Logan Hay became part of the sport’s fabric forever, breaking the saddle bronc riding world record with a 95.5-ride at the Hardgrass Bronc Match in Pollockville, Alberta. Hay set the

Roseanna Sales photo

Sioux Falls and Cinch announced the Cinch Playoffs will have athletes competing for the Governor’s Cup and vying for the more than $1 million purse Sept. 28-30, 2023, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. It will be the richest rodeo in South Dakota history.

ProRodeo Sports News 12/16/2022

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