ProRodeo Sports News - Sept.15, 2023

ELLENSBURG, WASH.

ELLENSBURG RODEO

Hayes continues season of dominance Going Strong

BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News T iming is everything. And for Keenan Hayes, being a little lackadaisical ended up leading to perfect timing. Last year, the Hayden, Colo., bareback rider kept pushing off a decision to purchase his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association competitor’s card. Ultimately, he waited too long, and it led to him competing on his permit for another year. “I ain’t the best at getting things done in a timely manner sometimes and I forgot to buy my card,” Hayes said with a laugh. “I ended up going to the circuit finals last year and a few other (rodeos). I was sure to buy my stuff right away this year.” After missing out of a lot of PRCA action last year, Hayes has certainly made up for lost time. The Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo was among the latest events, where Hayes posted yet another dominating performance. He placed third in the first go, followed by a runner-up showing in the short-round to win the average with 174 points on two rides. For Hayes, it was another showcase in why he remains atop the PRCA | RAM World Standings by a sizable margin. And his dominance doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Following his win in Ellensburg, Hayes placed second at both the Evanston (Wyo.) Cowboy Days and Lewiston (Idaho) Roundup. He also placed in the first two rounds at the Washington State Fair and Rodeo to reach the finals, where he took third. His four rides in Puyallup earned him $9,062. For the year, Hayes now has more than $235,000 in earnings – more than $80,000 better than the next closest competitor. That total is record-breaking as Hayes now holds the PRCA mark for most money won in bareback riding prior to NFR. The previous record was set in 2009 by Clint Cannon at $233,504. “It’s awesome. I’ve been dreaming of this my whole life. I couldn’t have turned 18 soon enough,” Hayes, who is only 20, said. “When I was a kid, that’s all I wanted to do was just go rodeo all the time. Finally, being able to do it, having it go as well as I would have been able to ever hope for is just kind of awesome.” Hayes might have accidentally delayed his pursuit of PRCA glory, but his first full year in the big leagues will certainly end with a spot among the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo field. Until December, he isn’t stepping aside or slowing down. His goal is to keep piling up the wins and paychecks – with a focus on finishing the season on top. Until then, Hayes is headed to the next rodeo. “I’ve never been to the Finals, so I wouldn’t really know too much about that, but every association I’ve ever been in, it really helped to finish out the year right before the finals strong to help keep the confidence up and momentum going. I think it’s a big help for sure,” Hayes said. “Right now, I’m just having fun. I like all these big rodeos at the end of the year. They’re a blast just to hang out at and I wouldn’t want to miss it anyway.”

TOP MONEY EARNER TOP SCORES

John Douch ($10,122, tie down roping) BAREBACK RIDING

Douch

1. Keenan Hayes .............. 174 pts. on 2 2. Tim O’Connell .......................... 172.5 3. Clint Laye .................................... 171 STEER WRESTLING 1. J.D. Struxness ............ 13.3 sec. on 3 2. Tyler Waguespack ...................... 13.7 3. Stan Branco ............................... 14.1 TEAM ROPING 1. Driggers/Nogueira ...... 17.0 sec. on 3 2. B. Buckaloo/J. Gonzalez ............. 18.1 3. M. Theriot/C. Curry .................... 19.0 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Stetson Wright ......... 177.5 pts. on 2 2. Tanner Butner .......................... 171.5 (Tie) Ryder Sanford ................. 171.5 (Tie) Damian Brennan .............. 171.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. John Douch ................ 26.3 sec. on 3 2. Monty Lewis .............................. 27.1 3. Michael Otero ............................ 28.0 (Tie) Kincade Henry ................... 28.0 STEER ROPING 1. Taylor Santos .............. 23.4 sec. on 2 2. Garrett Hale ............................... 26.1 3. Cody Lee .................................... 27.0 (Tie) Trent Sorey ........................ 27.0 BULL RIDING 1. T Parker ....................... 176 pts. on 2 2. Stetson Wright ........................... 174 3. Cody Teel ................................. 172.5

Kent Soule photo

Resistol Rookie bareback rider Keenan Hayes continued his dominant season at the Ellensburg Rodeo. His 88-point ride on Calgary Stampede’s Yippee Kibitz in the finals helped secure the win.

Complete results/Page 64

ProRodeo Sports News 9/15/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 9/15/2023

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