The ProRodeo Sports News - March 6, 2020

Dan Hubbell photo Rhen Richard and Jeremy Buhler posted a 7.5-second run during slack at La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in Tucson, Ariz., Feb. 17. That helped them win the three-head average with a time of 20.5 seconds.

wouldn’t say it’s all me.” Winning $5,708 in Tucson helped push Richard to 31st and Buhler to 22nd in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings for heading and heeling, respectively. “This time of the year the rodeos are so good and you can win so much that we won $5,700 there, and there are a lot of rodeos in the summer you can’t win $5,700 at,” said Buhler, 32. Richard is a three-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, twice for tie-down roping (2018-19) and once as a team roping header with Quinn Kessler in 2018. Buhler is a two- time qualifier (2016-17). Both are gunning for the 2020Wrangler NFR. “This win was super important for me because I wasn’t qualified for any (big) winter rodeos,” Richard said, adding that he switched to focusing on tie-down roping during the 2019 summer run. Their first rodeo of the 2020 season was the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, where they placed second in the progressive first round with a 6.0-second run. “He’s just a good guy in general, and for me, it’s got to be fun,” Richard said. “We’re really good friends and have the same goals. We’ve known each other for probably 10 years, and I roped with Jeremy the first year I headed, five years ago, and we became good friends.” Chemistry as partners and having the horsepower to match was just as important to Buhler. “The biggest thing with Rhen that I like is we have been buddies for a long time,” Buhler said. “It was an easy choice to rope with him.”

$333,948 La Fiesta de los Vaqueros set a record for total payout this year with $333,948. The previous re- cord was $331,218, set in 2017. $8,424 By placing second in Round 1 and winning the final round with 90 points on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s Eyebrows, bull rider Ky Hamilton earned $8,424 in Tucson.

SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Jesse Wright .............. 172 pts. on 2 2. Kolby Wanchuk ......................... 167 3. Wyatt Casper ......................... 165.5

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Westyn Hughes ........ 19.2 sec. on 2 2. Clint Robinson ......................... 19.7 3. Shad Mayfield .......................... 21.3

BULL RIDING 1. Ky Hamilton ............ 175.5 pts. on 2 2. Paul Carrales ......................... 166.5 3. JC Mortensen .................. 88.5 on 1

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RESULTS

ProRodeo Sports News 3/6/2020

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