ProRodeo Sports News - March 9, 2018

said. “He’s always told me, talking in life, he says we need to talk positive and think positive. So, when he told me that, I said, ‘You know, Devan, tomorrow, that horse is going to get rode. You spur the hair off it and make it squeal like a pig stuck under a five gate.’” Much like a football offensive coordinator, Reilly took to film study to find flaws in the horse’s defense. “I was watching some film on (Killer Bee) the night before with Cole Elshere,” Reilly said, “and we were talking about a little game plan. With her bucking style, I knew that if I could beat her to the ground, I’d be alright. With that caliber of horse, you can’t hesitate and you can’t make a mistake, so I just wanted to make sure that I kept it simple.” Despite the looming challenge presented by the two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Top Bucking Stock winner, Reilly completed the tallest of tasks in style. “It’s been crazy,” Reilly said. “I’ve had a lot of support frommy family and friends back home. Once I got off and I threw my hands up in the air, I was happy just to ride that horse as well as I did. I didn’t care what the score was, I was just happy with my performance. To be honest, it’s still sinking in. I’ve been smiling all week.” Much like his son, John could only do so much to hold back his exuberance. “I was watching it on the computer, on the Wrangler Network,” John said. “When they announced the score, I came flying up out of my chair, jumping across the room, hootin’ and hollerin’. I was like, ‘No way, this is so cool.’”

hunts in Cody, Wyo., where he specializes in bighorn sheep. John cherishes their father-son time spent tracking and harvesting some of the biggest game inWyoming. “It means everything to me,” John said. “I tell Devan, ‘I know you have your rodeo career, but all I ask is that you set time aside in the fall so that we can get away for a week and we hunt up in the mountains.’ It means a lot to hang out, drink beer, eat a steak and just tell stories and jokes. It’s great.” Though hunting is a rather mainstream hobby of cowboys, Reilly also enjoys reading books and listening to audiobooks and podcasts as he travels across the country to rodeos. Last May, the three-year PRCA veteran started a podcast, fittingly calling his show “Blazing Trails.” Reilly has had notable rodeo guests on his podcast, such as 2017 PRCA Announcer of the Year Bob Tallman and three-time bull riding WNFR qualifier Ty Wallace. “After college, a lot of people stop learning and get into the monotonous grind of the day to day,” Reilly said. “So, I started reading books and listening to podcasts to try to better myself. I’m one of those guys that likes to talk to people and learn about how they got where they’re at and what motivates them. There are people blazing trails through life and this is where they get to tell their story.” Someday, Reilly hopes to blaze his own trail to Las Vegas for the WNFR. Having auditioned his talent in Tucson, Reilly believes he’ll bushwhack his way to the biggest rodeo in the world. “The NFR is the main reason I get up in the morning, work out, watch film, ride the spur board and stay in the best shape I can,” he said. “I’d love to be able to get there and show what I can do on those caliber of horses.”

UNIQUEVANTAGE POINT

Though Reilly didn’t grow up around rodeo, the sport fits his mantra. The self-proclaimed “Modern Day Mountain Man” views life through a unique scope, a worldview that blends Western fundamentals with a contemporary dash of renaissance. “I’ve always looked up to people that were ahead of their time, those that were always blazing a trail through life,” Reilly said. “I look at the mountain men. They were the ones that blazed the trail west. And then there’s the cowboys, who were driving cattle to sale. I’ve always looked up to those kinds of people.” Avid doesn’t begin to describe Reilly’s affection for hunting. Having lived life parallel to the Bighorn Mountain range in Sheridan, Wyo., Reilly works as a hunting guide for the NX Bar Ranch, an outfitter in Sheridan. As much as he enjoys the fruits of his rodeo labor, the bareback rider loves just as much to explore the expanses of the unseen. “I love rodeoing and I love being a cowboy,” Reilly said. “But I like to get away from it and get back to nature and see God’s work firsthand.” Reilly lives in Stephenville, Texas, though only temporarily. With Texas’ rodeo schedule due to pick up its pace, he felt it was only right to limit the logistical struggle of being on the road. But he’s found a way to make Texas feel more like home. “I brought a whole cooler full of elk meat with me,” Reilly said with a chuckle. John also works as a hunting guide, leading

Tie-down roper Jake Pratt won both the final round and the average in Tucson. Dan Hubbell photo

Complete results on Page 50

SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Jade Blackwell ......... 166.5 pts. on two 2. Bradley Harter ............................... 164 3. Tim Ditrich .................................. 161.5 4. Rusty Wright .............................. 160.5

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Jake Pratt ............... 32.7 sec. on three 2. Cody Quaney ................................ 33.9 3. Mesquite Mahaffey ....................... 34.6 4. Two tied at .................................... 35.5

BARREL RACING 1. Christine Laughlin ... 34.89 sec. on two 2. Jessi Fish .................................... 35.03 3. Teri Bangart ................................ 35.20 4. Lori Todd .................................... 35.31

BULL RIDING 1. Dave Mason ............. 147.5 pts. on two 2. Dalan Duncan ............ 90.5 pts. on one 3. Tristan Mize .................................. 87.5 4. Chris Roundy ................................... 87

ProRodeo Sports News 3/9/18

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