ProRodeo Sports News - January 10, 2020

Brody Cress wins all three rounds Clean Sweep BY MATT NABER M aking a clean sweep after switching circuits isn’t a typical outcome. But saddle bronc rider Brody Cress is far from typical. Fresh off winning the average at his third consecutive RAM TEXAS CIRCUIT FINALS RODEO

ALL-AROUND COWBOY Tanner Green, TOP SCORES

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the only saddle bronc rider to win Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days three years in a row won all three rounds at his first RAMTexas Circuit Finals Rodeo inWaco, Jan. 4. The Wyoming cowboy’s first week of the 2020 calendar year was worth $16,502 between his Waco win ($9,252) and his performance at the New Year’s Eve Buck & Ball in Gillette, Wyo., where he posted the top ride in Round 1 and placed second in the finals to earn $7,250. “I’ve been able to get stuff reset from the Finals,” said Cress, who previously competed in the Mountain States Circuit. “I wasn’t riding the way I wanted to, so it’s nice to work on things and get to where it felt better.” Cress had ridden all three of his Waco draws before, most recently his Round 3 bronc – Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Tex. During Round 8 of the 2019Wrangler NFR, Cress and Big Tex combined for an 86.5-point ride. Less than a month later they made it an 88-point win for Round 3 inWaco. He also won Round 1 inWaco with 87.5 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeos’ Hammer Cocked and Round 2 with 87.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Orange Crush. A few days before hitting Waco, Cress rang in the new year by winning the first round in Gillette with 89 points on Burch Rodeo’s Knock Out John and placed second in the final round with an 86.5-point ride. “The five (broncs) I got on after the Finals were better than the ones I got on during the Finals,” Cress said. “I moved down here because I knew there was an opportunity to get on broncs that had been to the NFR or were going to the NFR. Getting on horses that allow you to win all three rounds is a big reason I came to this circuit.” Switching to the Texas circuit also had logistical benefits because Cress travels with Isaac Diaz and Shorty Garrett. “It’s great to get in with guys like that and work on getting better, and I feel ready for 2020,” Cress said. Ranking sixth in the 2019 Texas Circuit standings meant winning the average at the finals was the only way for Cress to qualify for the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo. “It’s outstanding to ride against the caliber of guys in the Texas circuit and get the ball rolling,” Cress said. “I know the circuit didn’t count (for the world standings), but it’s still money in your pocket to set yourself up to go rodeo on. It’s good to get the ball rolling for the start of the year and I’m excited for the winter rodeos now.” Cress missed the RAMNCFR last year due to an ankle injury, but he made it there via the Mountain States Circuit in 2015 and 2018. Rodeo won’t be the only thing Cress is working on in the coming months. He’s one semester away from completing his master’s degree in ag and consumer science from Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas. “I want to rodeo for as long as I can because you can only do it for so long, then I’ll have the degree there for when I need it,” Cress said.

$2,570, tie-down roping and team roping BAREBACK RIDING

Green

1. Jake Brown ................ 258.5 pts. on 3 2. Will Lowe ..................................... 258 3. Leighton Berry ............................. 253 STEER WRESTLING 1. Matt Reeves ................ 12.6 sec. on 3 2. Sam Powers ............................... 14.6 3. Heath Thomas ............................ 15.7 TEAM ROPING 1. C. Lovell/ R. Ashford ... 16.3 sec. on 3 2. L. Brown/D. Wingereid ............... 20.9 3. C. Masters/W. Thorp ................... 26.4 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Brody Cress .................. 263 pts. on 3 2. Jacobs Crawley ............................ 247 3. Isaac Diaz .................................... 235 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. John Douch ................. 24.9 sec. on 3 2. Sterling Smith ............................. 25.8 3. Charlie Gibson ............................ 26.2 STEER ROPING 1. Trevor Brazile .............. 36.1 sec. on 3 2. Scott Snedecor ........................... 36.3 3. J. Tom Fisher .............................. 45.9 BULL RIDING 1. Jeff Askey .................. 171.5 pts. on 2 2. Parker McCown .................. 86.5 on 1 3. Toby Collins ................................... 86

James Phifer photo

Saddle bronc rider Brody Cress won the RAM Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo in his first year with the Texas Circuit.

Complete results/Page 42

ProRodeo Sports News 1/10/2020

ProRodeo.com

36