ProRodeo Sports News - July 24, 2020

Moody wins Vernal one year after winning Nephi Real McCoy BY MATT NABER T he second Saturday of July must be McCoy Moody’s lucky day. The Utah bull rider has claimed ProRodeo wins at two of the biggest rodeos in his home state on that day two years in a row. On Saturday, July 13, 2019, Moody won the Ute Stampede in DINOSAUR ROUNDUP RODEO VERNAL, UTAH

ALL-AROUND COWBOY TOP SCORES

Nephi, Utah, for $6,907. Then on Saturday, July 11, 2020, he won the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah, with an 88.5-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Newsome. “I’ve always wanted to win the Dinosaur Roundup since it’s in my home state,” Moody said. “I’d like to win every rodeo in Utah if I could.” The luck of the draw was on Moody’s side in Vernal since Newsome had been part of the win there in 2018. “I saw him in Vernal a couple of years ago,” Moody said. “He (Levi Gray) was 91 points on him, so I had an idea of what he (Newsome) would do. He set me up perfectly.” Only four bull riders made qualified rides in Vernal. With ground money in the works, Moody earned $4,802. “Ground money helps us a lot more than some people think,” Moody said. “It should put me at the top of the Wilderness Circuit standings.” The Delta, Utah, cowboy broke onto the ProRodeo scene in 2018 and finished 12th in the PRCA | Resistol Rookie Standings with $15,271. Moody’s Nephi win in 2019 made up nearly half his season earnings, but it helped push him to 10th in the Wilderness Circuit Standings. He’s hoping the Wilderness Circuit will be his passport to the 2021Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Moody leads the Wilderness Circuit’s bull riding standings and plans to hit the circuit finals as a steppingstone toward a world title. In the meantime, Moody’s focused on the long term. “Stay on as many bulls as I can, make the circuit finals and try to make the NFR next year,” Moody said. “I want to win the world multiple times.” Winning Vernal provided a boost of confidence for the 23-year- old cowboy. “It makes me want to go even harder and to more rodeos now,” Moody said. The dust had barely settled in Vernal and Moody was already thinking about his next rodeo. “Nephi is only an hour from home, so I felt like I had an advantage there,” Moody said three days before the 2020 Ute Stampede started. “Hopefully I can do it again this year. “I always try to show up and win, and I’d like to win Nephi back- to-back. After getting that win in Vernal, I’m ready to roll.”

Stetson Wright, $2,764, saddle bronc riding and bull riding BAREBACK RIDING

Wright

1. Orin Larsen ............................ 90 pts. 2. Ty Breuer ....................................... 87 3. Taylor Broussard ........................ 86.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Blake Knowles ....................... 3.4 sec. 2. Payden McIntyre .......................... 3.8 3. Jule Hazen .................................... 4.0 TEAM ROPING 1. T. Wade/B. Saebens .............. 4.0 sec. 2. C. Snow/J. Nogueira .................... 4.1 3. C. Kidd V/C. Futrell ....................... 4.2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Jesse Wright ....................... 86.5 pts. 2. Brody Cress .................................. 85 3. Two tied at .................................. 84.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Colton Farquer ...................... 9.1 sec. 2. Riley Pruitt ................................... 9.3 3. Two tied at .................................... 9.5 BARREL RACING 1. Shelley Morgan ................. 17.04 sec. 2. Lisa Lockhart ........................... 17.06 3. Hallie Hanssen ......................... 17.09 BULL RIDING 1. McCoy Moody ..................... 88.5 pts. 2. (Tie) Stetson Wright ...................... 83 Roscoe Jarboe .............................. 83

Matt Cohen photo

28.9% The percent the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo’s total payout in- creased from last year, rising from $121,992 to $157,183.

Complete results/Page 50

ProRodeo Sports News 7/24/2020

ProRodeo.com

32