ProRodeo Sports News - March 8, 2019

SAN ANTONIO & RO DEO STOCK SHOW

Tate Kirchenschlager (right) and Ross Ashford paired up for San Antonio when their partners didn’t qualify. Although it was their first rodeo roping together, the temporary duo won with $25,750 each. Greg Westfall photo

for a long time,” saidHanchey, 29. “It is pretty cool to get it. I’ve wonHouston and I’ve won FortWorth twice. I was missing San Antonio, and I got it.” Hanchey, the 2013 PRCA Tie-down Roping World Champion, claimed the San Antonio buckle with that $23,500. “I’ve been very fortunate to win a lot of big rodeos,” said Hanchey, who also won the 2013Wrangler NFR average championship. “For whatever reason, I didn’t know if the first few years (here at San Antonio) if the format was just not my style because I’mmore of an average-type roper, and everybody kind of wants to count me out when you have to go fast. For whatever reason, I just kind of had a tough time until two years ago when I got in the groove and figured out how you need to advance and figured out the format and knew I didn’t need to finish first all three times inmy group to advance.” – Tracy Renck LARSENWINS SANANTONIO FOR SECONDTIME Orin Larsen entered San Antonio with only $700 won for the 2019 season but making multiple high scores at San Antonio with a 92.5-point finale launched him from 93rd to fourth in the bareback riding world standings thanks to the rodeo’s $29,500 check. Before the final round, Larsen was leading the pack of San Antonio bareback riding finalists with $14,500 won. With his winning ride on Feb. 23, Larsen’s San Antonio winnings totaled $29,500. “I’ve been fortunate with how this rodeo treats me, and I hope to keep it rolling,” Larsen said. Despite recovering from knee surgery in November before the Wrangler

National Finals Rodeo (though he managed to still compete in Las Vegas in December) Larsen won the San Antonio rodeo for the second time since joining the PRCA in 2011. The bar was set high with Richmond Champion’s 92-point ride in the final round, but Larsen wasn’t feeling any pressure to top the score. Larsen’s first San Antonio win came in 2016, and this time around was just as exciting as the first time for the 27-year-old, Canadian cowboy. “There’s not one more special, it’s a buckle that’s a huge honor to win,” Larsen said. Larsen had ridden his finals horse, Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage, twice before, once at The American and the other time while winning Round 8 of the 2016Wrangler NFR with 87.5 points. “It would be silly to say I’m a self-made man,” Larsen said. “I have been praying a lot and putting my trust in Christ and have tons of family support and support from the city here too. They have been second to none.” –Matt Naber TOP STOCK IN SANANTONIO The Top Stock of the San Antonio Show & Rodeo was Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage (bareback riding); Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Womanizer (saddle bronc riding); Powder River Rodeo’s SweetPro’s Bruiser (bull riding). Scooter, owned by Kyle Irwin and Tyler Pearson, was named the top steer wrestling horse, and team roping horses Smoke and Ice Cube, owned by Kirchenschlager and Ashford, respectively, were chosen as the top horses in their event. – PRCA Staff

ProRodeo Sports News 3/8/2019

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