ProRodeo Sports News - February 2, 2024

DENVER, COLO.

T Parker gets key early season win Mountain Top BY TANNER BARTH T he outcome of the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo wasn’t what Resistol Rookie of the Year T Parker had envisioned. In his Las Vegas debut, he NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW & RODEO

TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY EARNER T Parker ($16,003, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING

rode three bulls and missed Rounds 7 and 8 with a shoulder injury. He pocketed $40,459 in the process to finish 13th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. He didn’t let that disappointment linger long. The Winnie, Texas, bull rider took nearly a month off after the NFR to recover from an injury but was right back to his winning ways at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver. Parker was the last cowboy out in the 12-man short round. The excitement inside the Denver Coliseum mounted to a fever pitch after the first 11 bull rider bucked off. That set the stage for Parker’s 84-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Dirty Mike. His payoff including ground money amassed $16,003 in the Mile High City. “I’m really excited about this win,” Parker said. “I just bought a house two or three weeks ago. So, this is perfect, it gives me some more money to go buy some land with.” A pep talk from stock contractor Binion Cervi helped Parker reach the right mindset moments before the ride. “I saw Binion, and he looked at me and said, ‘let’s go get this done’,” Parker said. “I met him for the first time in Houston and ever since then I’ve always liked the guy. He told me that and it reminded me of my dad telling me to go grit down, have fun, and ride him jump for jump.” The win didn’t come without some additional drama. Parker said a miscommunication led to the gate being swung open before he actually nodded his head. “I was sitting there telling the judge to push him over and he asked if that was good, and I said push him over one more time and I shook my head, and the gate came open and I was like oh no,” Parker said. “I didn’t nod, but I just had to go back to the basics, and I rode him. My dad used to do that to me in the practice pen if I was taking too long. He would just throw the gate on me. I had God on my side, and it couldn’t have worked out better.” Parker hopes this is only the beginning of a successful winter run. “This win gives me a whole lot of momentum,” he said. “It sets me up pretty good going off into this season because I was injured after the NFR. I couldn’t really go anywhere, so I took a little break. But I’m back and ready to keep riding.”

Parker

1. Garrett Shadbolt ................. 86.5 pts. 2. Bradlee Miller ............................... 86 3. Cooper Cooke ............................... 85 (Tie) Will Lowe ............................. 85 STEER WRESTLING 1. Tyler Pearson ........................ 3.3 sec. 2. Justin Shaffer .............................. 3.8 3. Travis Munro ............................... 4.0 (Tie) Kyler Dick ............................ 4.0 TEAM ROPING 1. D. Egusquiza/L. Lord ............ 4.0 sec. 2. W. Imus/T. McKnight ................... 4.5 (Tie) M. Theriot/C. Curry .............. 4.5 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Brody Cress ........................... 91 pts. 2. Kolby Wanchuk ............................. 88 3. Cort Scheer ................................... 86 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Tanner Green ........................ 7.3 sec. 2. Garrett Elmore ............................. 7.4 3. Pecos Tatum ................................ 7.5 BARREL RACING 1. Hailey Kinsel ..................... 14.73 sec. (Tie) Halyn Lide ....................... 14.73 3. Maggie Poloncic ...................... 14.81 BULL RIDING 1. T Parker ................................. 84 pts. * No other qualified rides

Complete results/Page 48

Greg Westfall photo

T Parker captured the bull riding title at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo with an 84-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Dirty Mike. He was the only cowboy to ride in the finals.

ProRodeo Sports News 2/2/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 2/2/2024

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