ProRodeo Sports News July 9, 2021

COWBOY CHRISTMAS

BLACK HILLS RODEO BELLE FOURCHE, S.D.

Cowboy’s lonely ride to the top

Sometimes one being the loneliest

number isn’t all that bad.

Daylon Swearingen made a solo, 15-hour drive from Texas to Belle Fourche, S.D., after his traveling partners were injured and couldn’t compete. The Black Hills Roundup made the drive well worth it for the 22-year-old cowboy. Swearingen was the only bull rider to make the whistle at the rodeo, earning $13,240, including ground money. Swearingen rode Powder River Rodeo’s Audacious on a re-ride for 90 points. “It (the win) was really big, way bigger than I thought it was going to be,” Swearingen said. “I drove 15 hours by myself that day to get there. It was a long drive, but it was worth it.” The win jumped the Georgia cowboy up to 35th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with $18,171. Just before the Fourth of July run, Swearingen also split the win at the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo with a 90-point ride on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Ugly Wish. That earned him another $3,656. Swearingen missed all of the winter and much of the spring with shoulder and hip injuries. While his hip and groin are still banged up, the shoulder is much better. “I feel pretty good,” he said while driving to Canada for the Calgary Stampede. “I’m trying to work stuff out in my hip and groin area that I had worked on. Once I get that figured out, I’m going to feel really good.” With the win, Swearingen might be focusing more on the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I wasn’t trying to, but I have a really great opportunity in front of me to go up here to Calgary,” he said. “So I’m pretty thankful for that. I’m entered up a little bit.”

Alaina Stangle photo Bull rider Daylon Swearingen had a 90-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Audacious. He earned $13,240, including ground money, for eight seconds of work.

HOME OF CHAMPIONS RODEO RED LODGE, MONT. Hughes clocks 6.9-second run for tie-down win

Westyn Hughes had a heck of a Fourth of July run. The Caldwell, Texas, cowboy earned $19,194 over Cowboy Christmas, including $4,474 for winning the Home of Champions Rodeo in Red Lodge. The tie-down roper equaled the second-fastest time of the 2021 season when he stopped the clock in 6.9 seconds.

Hughes, who made the NFR for the first time last season, is in fifth place in the PRCA world standings with $65,888. Hughes earned money at eight rodeos over Cowboy Christmas, including taking more than $4,000 at three rodeos.

Hughes

ProRodeo Sports News 7/9/2021

ProRodeo.com

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