ProRodeo Sports News, June 29, 2018

RENO RODEO

Reno-vations

Tsinigine and Yates win Reno Rodeo

BY MATT NABER T eam roping is all about chemistry, and the newly formed team roping duo of Aaron Tsinigine and Trey Yates have found a formula for success, as they won the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo on June 23. “I was high call here three out of the last four years, and I finally got these Reno spurs,” Tsinigine said. “When you’re growing up as a kid, it’s a dream to win, and to finally do it is a big weight off my shoulders.” Both ropers brought their share of past success to the table, but neither had won a pair of the highly coveted Reno spurs. Tsinigine, 31, was the 2015World Champion Team Roping Header and won the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver earlier this season. Yates turned 23 the day after winning Reno. He hasn’t been to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but has a great chance to qualify after winning Reno and by starting off the 2018 season winning the RAM Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo in Loveland, Colo. “I’ve never even come close (to winning Reno before), but I had a good

partner and I think that’s a big thing in this sport,” Yates said. “It’s a true blessing.” The duo was up against some of the biggest names in the PRCA, some with years of experience roping together. “When the money is big and it’s a big rodeo, I feel like I’m at my best and ready to roll,” Tsinigine said. “I just try to do my job and not worry about anyone else.” Yates, who won the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., June 16, wasn’t worried either, not with Tsinigine as the header. “I knew I had one of the best headers in the world, and we were going to dictate what we would win,” Yates said. “He’s a winner, and winners don’t mess up in pressure situations like that.” Tsinigine and Yates placed third in the first round in 5.3 seconds and clocked in at 6.1 in the second round. “I looked at the fifth high call and I felt like we all drew a stronger steer,” Tsinigine said. “We had to be 6.8 (seconds), and we were 6.7. …We had to be 6.7, but I wasn’t going to toss it.” Their 6.7-second run tied for fifth in the final round and placed them one-tenth of a second ahead of the pack in the average with 18.1 seconds on

TOPS AT RENO — June 15-23

ALL-AROUND COWBOY Jordan Ketscher $2,491

BAREBACK RIDING 1. Tim O’Connell ........... 251 pts. on three 2. Caleb Bennett ............................. 250.5 3. Kaycee Feild ................................... 247 4. Seth Hardwick ............................ 246.5

STEER WRESTLING 1. Hunter Cure ............ 13.6 sec. on three 2. Dru Melvin .................................... 13.7 3. (tie) Cole Edge .............................. 14.1 Blake Knowles .............................. 14.1

TEAM ROPING 1. Tsinigine/Yates ........ 18.1 sec. on three 2. J. Stipes/J. Smith ......................... 18.2 3. (tie) C. Markham/J. Clay ............... 18.8 C. Denison/L. Siggins ................... 18.8

Tie-down roping and team roping

ProRodeo Sports News 6/29/2018

ProRodeo.com

34