ProRodeo Sports News - January 19, 2024

ODESSA, TEXAS

SANDHILLS STOCK SHOW & RODEO

Bareback rider Brayze Schill, 19, gets big win in Odessa Major Step TOP SCORES

BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to ProRodeo Sports News T exas bareback rider Brayze Schill is busy. Texas City, all before Halloween. The West Columbia, Texas, cowboy also started his college rodeo career at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, quickly climbing to third in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s (NIRA) Southern Region. Schill is majoring in construction management, a degree he admits he hopes he won’t need until far into the future. “Hopefully, I’ll be riding bucking horses long enough I won’t have to worry about it,” Schill, 19, joked. Judging by his performance at the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo in Odessa, Texas, Schill’s hopes may become reality. Competing in the final performance of the first stop on the 2024 PRCA Playoff Series on Jan. 13, Schill claimed the first major victory of his career, conquering Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Nutrena’s Tic Tac for an 87-point ride. Though a rookie this year, Schill was well aware of the horsepower he had drawn. “I knew Tic Tac, she’s a good one,” Schill said. “I knew she had some moves right out of there, so I was going to have to be aggressive and be quick with my feet.” The veteran bucking horse, who has bucked at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and carried cowboys to wins from Tucson, Ariz., to Austin, Texas, did not disappoint. “She left hard out of there and I thought, ‘Man, this is going to be good,” Schill recalled. “I just kept trying to set my feet, keep fighting.” Schill began riding mini bucking horses at age 10, following in his dad Adam’s footsteps. The elder Schill rode professionally though he had retired by the time his son came along. Schill has also had help from six-time NFR bareback rider Jake Brown. “I learned everything from my dad about how to ride bucking horses,” Schill said. “Jake helps me a lot because he knows a lot about rodeo, how things work now. He helps me with where to enter and things like that. There’s a whole different aspect to it than just riding bareback horses.” After finding success at the junior level, including a top 10 finish at the 2022 National High School Finals Rodeo and the 2022 Jr. World Finals Championship, Schill bought his PRCA permit a year ago but said it was a bit of a struggle at first. With the win in Odessa, Schill earned $3,294, adding to a good start to the 2024 season. Schill has big plans for the new year and is currently inside the top 30 in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. In addition to the Odessa win, Schill competed at the San Antonio qualifier event held in Uvalde, Texas, during Odessa and punched his ticket to the major winter stock show rodeo next month. Schill bought his rookie card last fall and immediately hit the ProRodeo trail, winning second at Hempstead the first weekend out of the gate. He followed with checks in Waco and

Lord

Egusquiza

TOP MONEY EARNERS Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord ($7,313, team roping) BAREBACK RIDING 1. Brayze Schill............................87 pts. 2. Lane McGehee.............................85.5 3. Tuker Carricato............................84.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Tim Kemp......................8.6 sec. on 2 2. Seth Peterson................................8.8 3. Wade Steffen.................................9.2 (Tie) Ty Allred................................9.2 TEAM ROPING 1. D. Egusquiza/L. Lord.....7.8 sec. on 2 2. Four tied at ...................................8.9 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Statler Wright.......................87.5 pts. 2. Sterling Crawley..............................84 (Tie) Riggin Smith..........................84 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Haven Meged.........................7.3 sec. 2. Shad Mayfield................................8.5 3. Sterling Smith................................8.7 STEER ROPING 1. Jess Tierney.................52.1 sec. on 4 2. Cooper Mills................................56.8 3. Chad Mathis................................57.3 BULL RIDING 1. Maverick Potter.......................88 pts. 2. Justin Houston...............................86 (Tie) Brett McAbee Jr......................86

Complete results/ Page 40

Robby Freeman photo Resistol Rookie bareback rider Brayze Schill captured the biggest win of his young ProRodeo career in Odessa, Texas. His 87-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Nutrena’s Tic Tac cemented the win.

ProRodeo Sports News 1/19/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 1/19/2024

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