ProRodeo Sports News - June 15, 2018

Cody Devers is on a roll. After winning the Woodward (Okla.) Elks Rodeo, he went on to win the first round of the College National Finals Rodeo in 3.8 seconds in Casper, Wyo. Dan Hubbell photo

Devers wins $4,422 at Woodward Elks Rodeo PerfectTiming

BY MATT NABER T iming is everything in bulldogging and for planning a rodeo. By moving the Woodward (Okla.) Elks Rodeo from the third week of July to June 6-9 and adding steer roping, the rodeo’s total payout increased from $87,407 last year to $141,076 this year. Steer wrestler Cody Devers cashed in on the surprisingly large prize money by winning the average in 10.1 seconds on two head. “I told them I had to see it to believe it,” said David Peck, Woodward Elks Rodeo committee secretary. “When I saw that first list (of contestants) it was, ‘Wow, these are amazing.” Devers may have been destined to winWoodward. He was born between two rounds of the rodeo on July 21, 1995, when his dad, Marty, was competing as a steer wrestler and tie-down roper. His mom, Sabrina, is a barrel racer. The family continues to sell barrel racing horses. “I’ve always wanted to winWoodward,” Devers said, noting that he’ll be wearing the Woodward buckle. Devers credited his success at Woodward to riding Jule Hazen’s 9-year-

old American Quarter Horse, Corona, who had been to only a handful of rodeos. “It was a green horse,” Devers said. “We just started her, and she was working really good. Corona is really easy to score on and she runs right off the bat.” Hazen, Devers’ traveling partner, hazed for Devers at Woodward. “He’s been bulldogging really good, andWoodward is kind of a hometown rodeo for both of us,” Hazen said. “All of our family and friends were there, and my family was equally excited for him and my mare because she is green and we’re having success on her.” SEASON OF PROGRESS Hazen noted Devers is competing with a more levelheaded approach. “He’s gotten onto situational bulldogging,” Hazen said. “I was talking to him and I said, ‘Do not break the barrier,’ because if he got out, he would get first. When you’re young, you think you need to blow the barrier out. But it was a smart, smart bulldogging for him.” Devers won the first round with a 5.5-second run. He didn’t have to place

TOPS AT WOODWARD — June 6-9

ALL-AROUND COWBOY Quay Howard $3,158

BAREBACK RIDING 1. Tim O’Connell ........................... 89 pts. 2. Jake Brown ...................................... 88 3. Orin Larsen ................................... 85.5 4. Lane McGehee ................................. 85

STEER WRESTLING 1. Cody Devers .............. 10.1 sec. on two 2. Ty Erickson ................................... 11.8 3. Tyler Pearson ................................ 14.9 4. Trell Etbauer ................................. 17.2

TEAM ROPING 1. T. Green/F. Fisher .................... 4.1 sec. 2. L. Aguilera/B. Norman .................... 4.6 3. (tie) T. Shoop/T. Shoop ................... 5.3 A. Ward/R. Ward ............................ 5.3

Tie-down roping and steer roping

ProRodeo Sports News 6/15/2018

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