ProRodeo Sports News - May 26, 2023

REDDING, CALIF.

REDDING RODEO

Unique team roping duo of Williams/Stewart win Partnership

BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to ProRodeo Sports News D uring the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association rodeos in the West Coast Region, Cody Stewart is doing his best to help his team from Feather River College defeat the team from Lassen College, coached by DanWilliams Jr. But during the spring run of ProRodeo, the two multi-event cowboys have teamed up with success, including a big win in the team roping at the 75th anniversary of the Redding (Calif.) Rodeo on May 20. The duo roped two steers in 11.1 seconds, earning $6,035 apiece to move each cowboy to second in the current California Circuit standings. “It was fun,”Williams, 39, said. He split the win in the team roping in Redding in 2018 and has placed nearly every year at the rodeo, which he called his hometown rodeo before moving to Susanville to take the coaching job at Lassen. With good checks in a round and the average of the tie-down roping, Williams also picked up the all-around title with $8,154. “It was pretty cool,” he said, noting that he has competed inside the Redding Rodeo Grounds arena since his high school rodeo days. “I’ve split it a couple of times, but I had never placed in multiple events before.” As it turned out, his stiffest competition in the all-around race nearly came from his partner. “I got the barrier on my first one in the tie-down to win it,” Stewart, 22, said. “I guess I’ll let him have this one,” he added with a joke. Stewart grew up roping, following in his dad’s footsteps, and has a couple of trips to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) under his belt already in both the tie-down roping and team roping, making the top 10 both times. The partnership came together when Stewart transferred fromWest Hills College to Feather River, moving back home to Janesville, which is just down the road from Susanville. “We roped together at some of the amateur events a couple of years ago,” Stewart said. “We live right down the road from each other, so we can practice together and work on our run.” “He lives about a mile fromme,” Williams added. “He goes to Feather River, so I see him at the college rodeos, and we go brand cows and do things together. So, I talked to him about getting together for the ProRodeos.” The team kicked things off with a check at King City in February and has been solid through the spring run. “We’ve been plugging along but it felt like it finally came together,” Williams said. Williams has been aboard Fifty, a palomino horse he raised and trained while Stewart uses Cracker, a bay mare he has ridden since sixth grade. Competing on the final day of the rodeo in Redding, Williams and Stewart pulled tight in 5.4 seconds on the first steer to tie for the round win. The pair went 5.7 seconds in the second round to split third in that go and clinch the average by three tenths over Daniel and Graves. “It is my biggest ProRodeo win so far,” Stewart said. Now that the team “is starting to click,” Williams and Stewart are contemplating making a little rodeo run this summer following a trip to Casper for the College Finals. Stewart is competing in the tie-down roping at his final CNFR, while Williams is coaching a teammember in the bull riding. After that, Williams will be prepping for the NFR Open; he qualified after winning the California Circuit Finals on New Year’s weekend with Todd Hampton.

Complete results/Page 51

Hailey Rae photo Heeler Dan Williams Jr., left, gets ready to make his throw after header Cody Stewart made his catch at the Redding (Calif.) Rodeo. The duo won the average. “We roped together at some of the amateur events a couple of years ago. We live right down the road from each other, so we can practice together and work on our run.” – CODY STEWART “We’ve been plugging along but it felt like it finally came together.” – DAN WILLIAMS JR.

STEER WRESTLING 1. Curtis Cassidy ............... 9.7 sec. on 2 2. Levi Rudd .................................. 10.1 3. Dakota Eldridge . ........................ 11.3 TEAM ROPING 1. Williams Jr./Stewart .... 11.1 sec. on 2 2. K. Daniel/T. Graves ..................... 11.4 3. J. Flenniken/T. Worley ................ 11.5 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Q Taylor .............................. 88.5 pts. 2. Kade Bruno ................................... 88 3. Q McWhorter ............................. 86.5

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Riley Webb . ................ 16.0 sec. on 2 2. Jake Pratt . ................................. 16.1 3. Dylan Hancock ........................... 16.5 BARREL RACING 1. Miley Bunting . .................. 17.32 sec. 2. Sue Smith ................................ 17.36 3. Payton Schoeppach ................. 17.49 BULL RIDING 1. Ky Hamilton ........................ 85.5 pts. 2. Kase Hitt ....................................... 84 3. Levi Gray . .................................. 83.5

TOP MONEY EARNER TOP SCORES

Riley Webb ($6,172, tie down roping) BAREBACK RIDING

Webb

1. Ty Pope ............................... 87.5 pts. 2. Tanner Aus .................................... 85 (Tie) Keenan Hayes ....................... 85 (Tie) Tim O’Connell ....................... 85

ProRodeo Sports News 5/26/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 5/26/2023

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

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