ProRodeo Sports News - January 25, 2019

CIRCUIT FINALS RIVER RAM COLUMBIA

And being a college kid, it wasn’t like money was flowing into his bank account. He borrowed money from his brother, T.J., to get another car and get back on the rodeo hunt until the insurance money came in. Three weeks later, it happened again. And later in the summer, a hail storm pummeled his windshield and left the car dented. “There were a lot of questions like, ‘Man, I don’t know if I want to live this,’” Levi said. “But I still had a very blessed year.” It was all positive at the RAMCRCFR. He entered the circuit finals rodeo in fifth place, nearly $9,000 behind leader Roscoe Jarboe. He knew that was likely too large a lead to overcome and focused on the average. An 80-point ride in the first round was good for second and $1,194. After getting bucked off in the second round, he won the third with an 87-point ride on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Short Bus, earning $1,592. His 167-point score on two head earned him the average title and another $2,388. He took home $5,174 from Yakima. “It meant a lot to me,” he said. “I had a plan to go in there. I knew that I probably wouldn’t win the circuit (year-end title) because I’ve been at college and missed a lot of circuit rodeos. But I knew if I wanted to go (to the RAM NCFR) I had to win the finals there. It was pretty cool how it worked out.” While it’s extremely early in the 2019 season, Levi was 30th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with $5,773 as of Jan. 25. Levi finished third in the 2018 PRCA | RAMPermit Standings with

and the silver to go on them, right now he’s all in on the rodeo trail. Levi learned his bull riding from his dad, who did a lot of amateur competitions. Levi and T.J. were home- schooled, which allowed them to work hard early in the week to be done quickly. “He and I would buckle down and get all of our school done in two or three days in the week, so we could go rodeo on

the weekend,” Levi said. “We spent a lot of miles together in the camper, our whole family. That makes our family really close. Living that close, you can’t help but be best friends with all of them.” They traveled so much, Tim said their truck has 530,000 miles on it. When Tim flew down to meet Levi in Texas, the two of them hitting the rode brought back those memories. “Rodeo was always our life, so that’s all we talked about,” said Levi, whose first phone call after every bull ride is to his dad. “He got my head straight. He made me realize to enjoy it, accept the challenge of being at a higher level. He made me relax and comforted me when I wasn’t comfortable, he made me realize that those ProRodeos are my comfort zone. He helped enforce that.” He helped Levi from the start and continues to do so. “Everything I learned about riding bulls comes from him,” Levi said. “He must have done something right because he had it figured out.” Not only was that trip key in turning around Levi’s season, it was also key in having fun. “It was an absolute ball,” Tim said. “It was just like old times.”

$30,417. In the process, he won four rodeos: the Wichita Falls (Texas) PRCA Rodeo, the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah, the Cle Elum (Wash.) Round Up and the Bonner County Rodeo in Sandpoint, Idaho. Each win has a special meaning for Levi. But the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo pops to the front of his mind first. “Vernal, Utah was a major win,” said Levi, who rode Powder River Rodeo’s Newsome for 91 points. “…That was also the night I hit my second deer. It (the win) was a dream come true to ride such a great bull and break into the 90s on my permit year. That’s something I’ve dreamed of doing since I was a little kid. That was really cool.” The Mesalands (N.M.) Community College student has a certificate in spur and bit making and silversmithing. This spring he will get his associate degree in business management. While he plans to have a career after rodeo building saddles FAMILYAFFAIR

Tie-down roper Bo Pickett, seen here Jan. 13, won the average at the RAM Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo. Roseanna Sales photo

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Bo Pickett................. 26.1 sec. on three 2. Tyson Durfey..................................26.3 3. Cooper Martin................................28.3 4. Preston Pederson...........................31.4

BARREL RACING 1. Cheyenne Allen....... 41.70 sec. on three 2. Kacey Gartner...............................41.73 3. Italy Sheehan................................41.93 4. Jordan Minor................................42.92

BULL RIDING 1. Levi Gray......................167 pts. on two 2. Roscoe Jarboe.................................164 3. Jordan Spears.................................160 4. Chase Dougherty.............................151

Complete results on Page 46

ProRodeo Sports News 1/25/2019

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