ProRodeo Sports News - October 27, 2023

MINOT, N.D.

Austin Hurlburt places in two events Good Times BADLANDS CIRCUIT FINALS

BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News A year ago, Austin Hurlburt left Minot, N.D., with conflicting feelings. On one hand, the Norfolk, Neb., cowboy was pleased with his efforts at the 2022 RAM Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo. He won two of the three tie-down roping rounds to capture the average championship. On the other hand, he had successfully taken down three steers as part of his steer wrestling runs, but only placed in one round and missed earning money in the average. “This year, one of my goals was I wanted to place in the average in both of them. I ended up having both of them accomplished,” Hurlburt said. Hurlburt qualified for both events once again and put together a strong showing over the Oct. 13-15 weekend, winning the average in tie-down roping for the second-straight year, while placing third in the steer wrestling average. In all, the three days earned Hurlburt a little more than $10,000. After two steady runs of 9.4 and 9.1 to start the tie-down roping competition, Hurlburt knew he needed a strong finish to claim the average title. He drew a good calf and turned in a time of 8.1 seconds, the quickest time of any tie-down roper for the entire rodeo. That effort gave him an aggregate time of 26.6 seconds on three head, putting him 3.3 seconds better than runner-up finisher Bodie Mattson. In steer wrestling, Hurlburt rebounded from a first go run that wasn’t quick enough to earn money by placing fourth in the next two rounds. His aggregate time of 14.6 seconds put him third in the average. Staying persistent was a running theme for Hurlburt throughout the 2023 season as he got off to a solid start in the winter, hit some rough patches in the summer and then rebounded to close things out strong. A mentor once told him that bad luck only lasts for so long before something good comes around, but the only way to get to good luck is to keep entering rodeos. “I tell you what – I kept entering,” Hurlburt said with a laugh. “Overall, I’d say after this last weekend things went well, but the personal goals I had I fell a little short on. It would have been nice to win a few more checks over the Fourth of July and into the months of July and August, but it all worked out how it should have.” With a positive showing at the Badlands Circuit Finals, Hurlburt has a renewed mindset heading into the 2024 season. He’s set aside plans to head home for respite in favor of traveling to some early winter rodeos over the coming weeks in hopes of maintaining the positive momentum from the circuit finals. With any luck, those goals Hurlburt missed out on last year could be within reach shortly. “It dang sure gives a guy a lot of confidence and makes it easier to start entering them rodeos earlier in the year – and makes you want to start entering them,” Hurlburt said. “About the time a guy thinks, ‘Oh, I might take a little break,’ you’re like, ‘Nope. Now I’ve got a lot of confidence, so I better keep entering.’”

TOP MONEY EARNER TOP SCORES

Mason Moody ($14,601, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING

Moody

1. Ben Kramer ............... 240.5 pts. on 3 2. Shane O’Connell ......................... 238 3. Chase Yellow Hawk ..................... 228 STEER WRESTLING 1. Cameron Morman ....... 12.1 sec. on 3 2. Scott Kleeman ........................... 13.7 3. Austin Hurlburt .......................... 14.6 TEAM ROPING 1. J. Peterson/T. Smith ... 20.7 sec. on 3 2. Jr. Dees/R. Ashford .................... 21.0 3. G. Howell/R. Curuchet ............... 22.4 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cash Wilson ............. 242.5 pts. on 3 2. Cole Elshere ................................ 235 3. Jade Blackwell ......................... 231.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Austin Hurlburt ........... 26.6 sec. on 3 2. Bodie Mattson ........................... 29.9 3. Thane Lockhart .......................... 37.1 BARREL RACING 1. Lisa Lockhart ............ 40.61 sec. on 3 2. Lakken Bice ............................. 40.69 3. Molly Otto ................................ 40.91 BULL RIDING 1. Mason Moody .............. 228 pts. on 3 2. Riggin Shippy ............................ 78.5 3. T.J. Schmidt .................................. 77

Complete results/Page 59

Alaina Stangle photo

Tie-down roper Austin Hurlburt was in top form at the RAM Badlands CFR, winning the average with a 26.6-second time on three head.

ProRodeo Sports News 10/27/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 10/27/2023

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

40

41