ProRodeo Sports News - July 23, 2021

O’Connell notches historic 93.5 TimO’Connell CALGARY STAMPEDE CALGARY, ALBERTA

already had tied the top- scored ride in ProRodeo history – twice. At the Calgary Stampede, the three-time PRCA Bareback Riding World Champion added the second-highest scored ride in PRCA history. With it came something that had eluded him in his illustrious career – a crown from the Calgary Stampede. The Zwingle, Iowa, cowboy registered a 93.5-point ride aboard long-awaited box. “This was on my bucket list,” O’Connell said. “This is a world-renowned rodeo. This means more than the money.” Four riders besides O’Connell are tied with the highest-scored bareback ride of 94 points in ProRodeo. O’Connell’s first 94-point ride came in 2020 aboard Northcott Macza’s Stevie Knicks in San Angelo, Texas. He then had a 94-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire inWeatherford, Texas, April 3. The other 94-point bareback riders are Wes Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies in the finals to check off a

Stevenson on Kesler Rodeo’s Cover Girl in

Billie-Jean Duff photo

Tim O’Connell adds another accolade to his resume after winning the bareback riding in Calgary.

Dallas, 2002; Will Lowe on Kesler Rodeo’s Sky Reach in Omaha, Neb., 2003;

and fourth rounds in Pool A, O’Connell jumped to the No. 1 spot. He also gained 1,500 ProRodeo Tour points. O’Connell was battling through a rib injury that made things difficult with the rank Calgary Stampede horses. “I’mmore banged up than usual,” O’Connell said. “I took a rigging to my ribs a few weeks ago, but I’m going to fight through it. I’ve never had a rib injury before, but I’ll have to suck it up.”

Ryan Gray on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Grass Dance in Eagle, Colo., 2009; and Tilden Hooper on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Big Tex in Silver City, N.M., 2009. The only other rider to notch a 93.5-point ride is Caleb Bennett, who did it on Gun Fire in Cody, Wyo., in 2019. After earning $66,000 in Calgary ($36,200 of it counting toward the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings) including earnings from winning the first

ProRodeo Sports News 7/23/2021

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