ProRodeo Sports News - Sept. 7, 2018

Sean Santucci won in Kennewick, Wash., in 13.8 seconds on three head. The Oregon cowboy took a step back from competing full time to enjoy rodeo for fun – and it’s working. He also won the RAM Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo and the all-around at La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in Tucson, Ariz. Bill Lawless photo

CoolVibes

Santucci’s calming approach leads to Kennewick win

BY MATT NABER S teer wrestler Sean Santucci is making rodeo fun again by taking a relaxed approach. The result came as one of the biggest wins of his 10-year career – the Horse Heaven/Kennewick (Wash.) Round-Up. “I attribute a lot of it to being relaxed and that it’s fun again,” Santucci said. “I put so much pressure on it that it became like a job and lost the fun in it. But going back and doing it on occasion just made it fun again. It’s a lot like when I first started, it’s a lot more relaxed and I’m not thinking about it or dwelling on it. You spend so much time traveling that you have time to think. I do better when I don’t think and just go by habit.”

Santucci stopped rodeoing full time a couple years ago. Now he treats it as some would treat golfing or fishing – going for fun when he has the time. That laid-back approach resulted in winning Kennewick in 13.8 seconds on three head. “I didn’t have time to think about it, it was just in and out and have fun with it,” Santucci said. “I showed up 15 minutes before I ran my steer and was gone before the next event was finished.” The 31-year-old joined the PRCA in 2008 and ranked as high as 19th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings in 2012 and 2013. “I rodeoed 10 years full time and had good luck but didn’t make the Finals,” Santucci said. “Now I’m home and the circuits are my hometown

TOPS AT KENNEWICK — Aug. 21-25

ALL-AROUND COWBOY Rhen Richard $5,268

BAREBACK RIDING 1. Tim O’Connell .......... 167.5 pts. on two 2. Seth Hardwick ............................... 167 3. Clint Laye .................................... 166.5 4. Jake Brown .................................... 165

STEER WRESTLING 1. Sean Santucci ......... 13.8 sec. on three 2. Tanner Milan ................................. 14.5 3. Tyler Waguespack ......................... 14.7 4. Bridger Chambers ........................ 14.9

TEAM ROPING 1. Egusquiza/Koontz ... 14.0 sec. on three 2. C. Smith/P. Eaves .......................... 14.7 3. M. Sherwood/B. Vick .................... 15.4 4. R. Richard/Q. Kesler ..................... 15.7

Tie-down roping and team roping

ProRodeo Sports News 9/7/2018

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