ProRodeo Sports News - Jan. 21, 2022

GREAT FALLS, MONT.

RAM MONTANA CIRCUIT FINALS

Fresh off NFR debut, Newman wins Montana Circuit Finals Trucking TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY WINNER

BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to the ProRodeo Sports News T here is no slowing Sage Newman down. The Melstone, Mont., saddle bronc rider fulfilled a lifelong dream when he competed at his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge in December. But what is, for most, a grueling, physically demanding test of strength and stamina was just fun for the 23-year-old cowboy. Newman was competing again just one week after Vegas. Other than taking a break around the Christmas holiday – no doubt only because there were no saddle bronc ridings to enter – Newman hasn’t missed a weekend. He just loves riding bucking horses, and the joy was evident in his performance during the RAMMontana Circuit Finals Rodeo in Great Falls, Jan. 13-15. Newman rode three horses for 248 points to clinch the average win, earning $9,862. “I feel great,” Newman said of his busy schedule since ending the 2021 season 11th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. “I could have taken ten more (in Las Vegas)! “I’m healthy and I just want to keep on rolling,” he continued. “I’m looking forward to riding more bucking horses and having fun.” Newman has competed at the circuit finals in the past but never managed to secure a win. “I’ve been three or four times and every time, I’ve messed something up on one of them,” he said. “So, my goal for this time was just to be consistent. It all worked out great.” Newman started his run aboard the Sankey Pro Rodeo and Phenom Genetics horse Broken Bulb, a horse with whom he had some history. “I’d been on him before, so I knew what he was,” Newman said. “He was a nice one to have.” Newman was 82 points to kick things off, winning second in the round behind hauling partner, and fellowWrangler NFR cowboy Chase Brooks. Newman drew another Sankey bronc for night two, Intelligent Caddy. “I’d seenWade (Sundell) go for 88 or 89 on that horse,” Newman said. “The trip with me was just good and that was our eliminator pen, so I was happy to get by one.” Only five cowboys conquered their broncs in round two and Newman’s 81.5 was the best ride of the night. “Great Falls is always a blast,” Newman said. “We have good stock and a bunch of them come from the NFR so it’s a good time.” Newman was in the driver’s seat for the average title rolling into the final night of competition, not that he was aware of that. To clinch the win, Newman drew the NFR horse Pikuni Cougar of NewWest Rodeo. It was his first time to give the horse a try. “He circled around there to the right and was fun to get on.” Newman had an 84.5-point ride and picked up another second-place round check, again behind Brooks, and sealed the average. Brooks meanwhile earned the year-end title, meaning the hauling partners qualified for the NFR Open powered by RAM, July 13-16 in Colorado Springs, Colo., with the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.

Brittney Barnett ($11,895, barrel racing) BAREBACK RIDING

Barnett

BROTHERS IN ARMS Regardless of venue, brothers- in-law Radley Day and Taylor Williams have the Montana Circuit Finals figured out — the team from Volberg claimed their third straight MCFR average win in 2022, making it two wins in Great Falls and one in Kalispell which hosted in 2021. Interestingly, the partners both ride horses raised by Williams’ family including Baybe Bullet, Williams’ heel horse who also carried his wife Joey to the 2021 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Breakaway, the Montana Circuit championship and was voted the Montana Circuit Breakaway Horse of the Year.

1. Caleb Bennett . ............ 248 pts. on 3 2. Tristan Hansen ........................ 247.5 3. Dantan Bertsch .......................... 247 STEER WRESTLING 1. Timmy Sparing............17.1 sec. on 3 2. Trevin Baumann .........................17.7 (Tie) Ross Mosher......................17.7 TEAM ROPING 1. R. Day/T. Williams . .... 17.6 sec. on 3 2. D. Bird/I. Folsom ....................... 26.5 3. W. Williams/Z. Schweigert ........ 28.2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Sage Newman ............. 248 pts. on 3 2. Alan Gobert ............................. 241.5 3. Houston Brown ....................... 230.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Landon Williams ........ 35.2 sec. on 3 2. Chad Johnson ........................... 39.4 3. Haven Meged ............................ 40.4 BARREL RACING 1. Brittney Barnett ........ 38.89 sec. on 3 2. Abigail Knight . ........................ 39.59 3. Ashley Day .............................. 40.05 BULL RIDING 1. Cole Hould ............... 164.5 pts. on 2 2. Caleb McMillan .......................... 151 3. Kobe Whitford . ................. 88.5 on 1 ALL-AROUND COWBOY Caden Camp ($4,315, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping).

Complete results/Page 40

Clay Guardipee photo Saddle bronc rider Sage Newman, above, kept his momentum from the 2021 season going into 2022 by winning the RAM Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo in Great Falls.

ProRodeo Sports News 1/21/2022

ProRodeo Sports News 1/21/2022

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