ProRodeo Sports News - November 2, 2018

Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic From Hell was a draw from heaven for saddle bronc riders this season. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Dan Hubbell

“You’ll be 87 or above on him, and if you ride him he will be in the top three every time,” Burch said. Clay Elliott placed fifth on Lunatic FromHell during Round 10 of the 2017Wrangler NFR with an 83.5-point ride. A season of high scores followed with: • Jake Wright, 87 points at the Clovis (Calif.) Rodeo, April 28 • Wade Sundell 87 points at the Casey Tibbs Match of Champions Xtreme Bronc Ride in Fort Pierre, S.D., June 2 • Jacobs Crawley 88 points at the Home of Champions Rodeo in Red Lodge, Mont., July 4 • Dusty Hausauer 89 points at the Deadwood (S.D.) Days of ’76 Rodeo, July 28 • Allen Boore 93 points at the Home on the Range Champions Ride in Sentinel Butte, N.D., Aug. 4 • Dawson Hay 92.5 points at the United States Open Xtreme Broncs Match in Faith, S.D., Aug. 8. Standing more than 15.2 hands tall and weighing more than 1,300 pounds, this 10-year-old, light-colored bay gelding has improved with age. Lunatic FromHell was third in the running when he was 5 years old. “Everyone in this business is out to raise great horses and make it better for cowboys,” Burch said. “Better horses mean more chances to win, and my hat’s off to those guys, everyone has improved their breeding programs.” SPOTTED DEMON Nobody made a qualified ride on Big Stone Rodeo, Inc.’s Spotted Demon, and it wasn’t from lack of trying on last year’s runner-up for Bull of the Year. “They don’t come along every day, and when they do it’s just a bonus,” said Bruce Sunstrum, owner of Big Stone Rodeo, Inc. “It means quite a bit because there are a lot of bulls out there to pick from. There’s probably 500-600 out there, and to get through that many is a pretty good deal.” The 1,800-pound behemoth got the best of many of the PRCA’s top bull riders in 2018, including:

• Colby Demo at the Redding (Calif.) Rodeo, May 18 • Brody Yeary at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo Xtreme Bulls, •Thor Hoefer at the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo, July 6 • J.M. Pulido at the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Old Spanish Days Stock Horse Show & Rodeo, Aug. 4 • Billy West at the Canby (Ore.) Rodeo, Aug. 18 • Boudreaux Campbell at the Kitsap Stampede Xtreme Bulls in Bremerton, Wash., Aug. 22 • AaronWilliams at the Kitsap Stampede, Aug. 24 • Eli Vastbinder at Walla Walla (Wash.) Frontier Days, Aug. 31 • Garrett Tribble at the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale, Sept. 12. “When he bucks and turns back, he kicks pretty high, and he’s a big bull,” Sunstrum said. “He’s not a real mean bull, but he’s got what it takes to be a champion.” The last time a PRCA cowboy made a qualified ride on Spotted Demon was nearly 18 months ago. Tyler Taylor made an 89.5-point ride on Spotted Demon at California Rodeo Salinas, July 23, 2017. Whether anyone will cover the 9-year-old bull at the 2018 Wrangler NFR is difficult to predict, Sunstrum said. “It’s a tough deal to win for horses and bulls because there are so many good ones out there,” Sunstrum said. “To get No. 1 is special.” June 13

No one in the PRCA made a qualified ride on Big Stone Rodeo, Inc.’s Spotted Demon during the 2018 season. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Greg Westfall

TOP STOCK OF THEYEAR BAREBACK RIDING 1. Virgil, C5 Rodeo, 24 points

SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Lunatic From Hell, Burch Rodeo, 35 pts. 2. Maple Leaf, Frontier Rodeo, 14 pts. 3. Spring Planting, Flying Five Rodeo, 11 pts. (tie) Floodtide, Rosser Rodeo, 11 pts.

BULL RIDING 1. Spotted Demon, Big Stone Rodeo, 52 pts. 2. SweetPro’s Bruiser, D&H Cattle, 23 pts. 3. Hot and Ready, Smith, Harper & Morgan, 21 pts.

2. Onion Ring, Korkow Rodeos, 17 pts. 3. Showstomper, Frontier Rodeo, 9 pts.

ProRodeo Sports News 11/2/2018

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