ProRodeo Sports News - October 27, 2023

DUNCAN, OKLA.

Jacob Benham captures coveted title Memories BY DIANNE FINSTAD, Special to ProRodeo Sports News J acob Benham believes he’s ready to be a full-fledged professional cowboy now, and he’s got the buckle to prove it. The Dodge City, Kan., cowboy kicked off his official rookie year by winning the saddle bronc riding average at the RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in Duncan, Okla., with 224 points on three head, for a $4,297 payout. “It was very exciting,” Benham said. “That was actually my first circuit rodeo with my new wife, and my whole family was there supporting me, and it was a great, amazing deal.” Young RAM PRAIRIE CIRCUIT FINALS

TOP MONEY EARNER TOP SCORES

Creek Young ($7,968, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING

It was the 24-year-old newlywed’s second time at the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, but after last year’s event, he opted for a second season competing on his permit before turning pro. “I decided I would like to have one more year of learning how to enter rodeos, and just overall riding broncs. Also, my relationship with God needed work. At that time, I didn’t feel like I was ready to go out on the road without being physically and spiritually prepared to do that,” Benham said. “Everything that’s happened to me this year, I give all the credit to God.” While his dad was also a saddle bronc rider, Benham’s own start in rodeo was deferred. His older brother had a serious rodeo wreck on a steer and had to be revived in the arena by his mother, a nurse. Understandably, the family was leery about letting Benham get into roughstock events. So, he started with team roping, and then as he got older, began entering the ranch bronc riding. His saddle bronc career began in earnest at Pratt (Kan.) Community College, under coach Rocky Patterson, a four-time World Champion steer roper. “It was really great to be under him and have that mentorship of how to be a champion and learn how to rodeo correctly. It was great learning under him,” Benham said. 2023 was a season where Benham learned to navigate various rodeo challenges, like the tire falling off his pickup on the way to a rodeo. While building his confidence at various events, he also picked up experience rodeoing alongside his heroes who have helped him along, like Isaac Diaz and Wade Sundell. At the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, Benham collected a third-place check opening night, for a 77.5-point ride. The second round things didn’t go his way, so it all came down to his final horse, Crazy Buck, from Frontier Rodeo. At breakfast that morning, Frontier’s Rodeo Manager Heath Stewart shared the horse got a lot of guys off in the first few jumps. And that Wade Sundell planned to give him much more rein the next time he drew the horse. Armed with that information, Benham made a quick call to Sundell, to build his game plan. Sure enough, as advertised the horse went left and right, then repeated. “He puts his head down and out, and jerks about a foot and a half of rein through my hands, and I’m at the end of my hack rein and I’m trying to lift and get all that slack back out,” Benham said. But he rode through the storm, and while the score landed just outside the pay zone for the second straight night, Benham was the only bronc rider to make all three whistles, so he won the average and the invitation to the NFR Open next July in Colorado Springs, Colo.

1. Jayco Roper................. 252 pts. on 3 2. Kade Berry....................................236 3. Gauge McBride.............................235 STEER WRESTLING 1. Travis Munro................14.7 sec. on 3 2. Tanner Brunner............................14.8 3. Gus Franzen.................................15.4 TEAM ROPING 1. Proctor/Medlin..............18.1 sec. on 3 2. B. Buckaloo/G. Foster..................22.9 3. A. Ward/B. Hawkins II..........10.9 on 2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Jacob Benham...............224 pts. on 3 2. Ean Price...........................163.5 on 2 3. Weston Patterson......................161.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Cash Fuesz...................26.1 sec. on 3 2. Paul David Tierney.......................27.1 3. Glenn Jackson.............................28.1 STEER ROPING 1. Cole Patterson..............33.2 sec. on 3 2. Coleman Proctor..........................38.9 3. Tiffany Lujan................................39.1 BULL RIDING 1. Creek Young...............166.5 pts. on 2 2. Cody Hazelton...............................163 3. Coy Pollmeier.................................86

Complete results/Page 58

Kay Miller photo

Saddle bronc rider Jacob Benham had a 71-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Crazy Buck. The ride helped him win the average at the RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in Duncan, Okla.

ProRodeo Sports News 10/27/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 10/27/2023

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

36

37