ProRodeo Sports News - Oct. 18, 2024

MINOT, N.D.

RAM BADLANDS CIRCUIT FINALS RODEO

Strong Start BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News T hayne Elshere’s finish to his permit season didn’t go exactly as planned. Battling through some nagging injuries and the mental fatigue being both a college and PRORODEO competitor during the 2024 season, the Sturgis, S.D., product last competed at the end of the August before taking a needed breather ahead of the PRCA Permit Finals at the beginning of October. The trip to Waco, Texas, rekindled something in Elshere. It’s a spark that carried over to the RAM Badlands Circuit Finals. “I’ve kind of been fighting some injuries here these last few weeks and I’ve been taking some time off, kind of getting my mind right a little bit. And then going down to that Permit Finals and seeing that big crowd down there and how important it was, that kind of set my mind right for it,” Elshere said. “I went up (to the Badlands Circuit Finals) with my brother and was just plum excited to get on some more and got pretty lucky it ended up that way.” The two-event roughstock competitor dominated the competition in Minot, S.D., en route to winning the saddle bronc riding average title, finishing fourth in the bull riding average and taking home all-around cowboy honors at the three-day event. Between the two events, Elshere walked away with $11,300 in prize money, including $8,326 from saddle bronc. The Gillette (Wyo.) College standout set a tone early in saddle bronc, winning the opening round with an 84.5-point ride on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Hard Drive, a horse he’d previously faced at the Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho. While his second-round matchup with Sutton Rodeos’ Knobs did produce a score of 81, it didn’t pay any money, leaving Elshere in an uncertain position heading into the third round. The up-and-coming competitor left no doubt, posting an 85-point effort on Korkow Rodeos’ Ringworm to win the go-round, finishing with 205.5 points on three head, 4.5 points ahead of Shorty Garrett. In bull riding, Elshere tied for a win in the second go-round with an 87.5-point effort on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Trinity while also covering in the first round. That led to $2,974 in total earnings from bull riding, which propelled him to the all-around honor. With a significant payday already on his ledger for the 2025 season, Elshere is excited to see what his future in the PRCA holds as a Resistol Rookie. He’ll continue to rest up over the next week before hitting the road with his Gillette College teammates later this month for a competition in Colorado. While the juggling act between college and PRCA events will once again be a grind, Elshere has a lot of reinvigorated confidence that he’s capable of handling the load. “It feels super great seeing all the hard work I’ve put into this pay off, all the practice that I’ve put into it and rodeos I’ve went to. It just feels awesome to have it all finally pay off the way it did,” Elshere said. “We’ll rest up this week, kind of baby (the injuries) a little and then get going again there.”

Win has Elshere heading into rookie season with momentum

TOP MONEY EARNER Jerry Adamson TOP SCORES

($10,705, tie down roping) BAREBACK RIDING

Adamson

1. Clay Jorgenson ............ 247 pts. on 3 2. Kyle Bloomquist ........................ 240 (Tie) Andy Gingerich .................. 240 STEER WRESTLING 1. Wynn Schaack ........... 15.0 sec. on 3 2. Sawyer Strand .......................... 15.3 3. Landon Sivertsen ...................... 15.6 TEAM ROPING 1. B. Mattson/T. Smith ... 17.7 sec. on 3 2. B. Pirrung/D. Hart ..................... 21.3 3. C. Gorrell/N. Berquist ................ 23.0 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Thayne Elshere ......... 250.5 pts. on 3 2. Shorty Garrett ............................ 246 3. Cole Elshere ............................... 244 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Jerry Adamson .......... 25.2 sec. on 3 2. Newt Bruley .............................. 29.3 (Tie) Myles Kenzy ..................... 29.3 BARREL RACING 1. Alyssa Gabrielson .... 42.57 sec. on 3 2. Lisa Lockhart .......................... 42.62 3. Fonda Melby ........................... 42.85 BULL RIDING 1. Mason Moody .............. 246 pts. on 3 2. Jestyn Woodward ........... 169.5 on 2 3. Koby Jacobson .......................... 166

Chuck Miner photo Thayne Elshere captured the saddle bronc riding win at the RAM Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo with 250.5 points on three head. His 85-point ride on Korkow Rodeos’ Ringworm in Round 3 secured the vicotry.

Complete results/Page 51

ProRodeo Sports News 10/18/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 10/18/2024

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