ProRodeo Sports News - October 30, 2020

RAM FIRST FRONTIER CIRCUIT FINALS Kilgus joins relatives as First Frontier champ Family Affair BY NEAL REID, Special to ProRodeo Sports News F irst Frontier Circuit championships are becoming the norm for contestants with the last name Kilgus. On Oct. 25, 19-year-old roper Zane Kilgus became the newest member of his family to earn a circuit title after teaming with veteran Scot Brown to win the team roping average at the RAM First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo in Harrington, Del. TOP MONEY WINNER and ALL-AROUND TOP SCORES

Kilgus and Brown put together a three-head average time of 33.0 seconds to join Kilgus with his older brother, Zach, and sister-in-law, Alicia, as First Frontier Circuit champions. Zach won a handful of circuit championships in 2006 and 2014 – including the all-around, team roping and tie-down roping in 2014 – while Alicia’s barrel racing crown also came in 2014. Becoming a circuit champion like his family members was a thrill for the teenaged Zane, who made the long trek back to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, where he’s majoring in equine and ranch management. “We just (wanted to) knock all three of them down and see what happened, and it was pretty good,” said Zane, who was riding a heading horse namedWhiskey and owned by Jose Mota. “I was excited to go (to the circuit finals) for the first time and am glad it went well. My family helps me a lot, and without my brother, mom (Deniess) and dad (Ned), I wouldn’t have made it this far with my roping.” The Kilgus-Brown tandem won the opening round at Quillen Arena in 6.4 seconds, finished third in round two in 11.7 seconds and had a workmanlike run in the closing round to easily take the hardware. It was the first circuit championship for the Texas native Brown, who rode his 9-year-old bay, Tank, at the circuit finals. “He turned three really good steers, and we roped smart,” said Brown, 43, who lives in Lancaster, Pa. “We were first out on the first one and just wanted to get him knocked down, and I guess we drew the best one and ended up winning the round to set (the pace) from there. It’s going to be fun (going to Kissimmee, Fla., for the RAMNational Circuit Finals Rodeo), especially after 2020, to be able to get out of here and go do something fun.” Zane also followed in Zach’s footsteps by winning the all-around crown, thanks to a runner-up finish in tie-down roping behind J.R. Myers and a check in steer wrestling. Zane took a haul of $9,929 back to campus and can’t wait to get to the RAM NCFR, April 9-10, where he’ll also be competing in tie-down roping as the circuit’s year-end standings runner-up. “I’m really excited to go in two events,” Zane said. “I’m excited to go down with J.R. and Scot Brown. Scot and J.R. have little boys, and we’ve decided we want to go to Disney World when we’re down there. I can’t wait.”

COWBOY Zane Kilgus Steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, $9,929 BAREBACK RIDING 1. Tim Kent......................... 247 pts. on 3 2. James Carter................................. 226 3. Clovis Crane.................................. 211 STEER WRESTLING 1. John Leinaweaver..........26.9 sec. on 3 2. Colton Swearingen....................... 39.1 3. Blake Naglak................................. 40.9 TEAM ROPING 1. Z. Kilgus/S. Brown.........33.0 sec. on 3 2. J. Mota/C. Cox.............................. 47.3 3. C. Smith/K. Brown.........16.2 sec. on 2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Will Stites....................... 217 pts. on 3 2. Clovis Crane.................................. 214 3. Eli Hershberger............... 153 pts. on 2 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. J.R. Myers.....................33.0 sec. on 3 2. Zane Kilgus................................... 34.6 3. Michael Mousseau........................ 35.4 BARREL RACING 1. Christina Mulford.........47.44 sec. on 3 2. Wendy Chestnut......................... 48.49 3. Jaime Fowler.............................. 48.57 BULL RIDING 1. Austin Beaty................ 162.5 pts. on 2 2. Grayson Cole.................... 84 pts. on 1 3. Aidan Caruso................................ 76.5 Kilgus

IN BRIEF CRANE FULL OF CASH

Clovis Crane may not have won the all-around at the RAM First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo, but he picked up eight checks in bareback riding and saddle bronc riding that totaled $8,017 for his weekend of work.

Complete results/Page 59

Crane

ProRodeo Sports News 10/30/2020

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