ProRodeo Sports News - August 6, 2021

Mohawk-sporting team roper Flake pairs with header Egurrola to win Spanish Fork crown Stylish Win FIESTA DAYS RODEO SPANISH FORK, UTAH

POPE RIDES FRONTIER RODEO’S GUN FIRE TO PAY WINDOW Bareback rider Jess Pope had to be excited to draw Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire in Spanish Fork: the horse has carried riders to wins at the Cody Stampede, Riggin Rally and The American, all with rides above 90 points. Pope split the with an 89.5-point score.

STEER WRESTLER ELI LORD EYES WRANGLER NFR BID After finishing a career-best 20th in the 2020 world standings, steer wrestler Eli Lord continued his march toward a first trip to the Wrangler NFR with a big win in Spanish Fork. Lord earned $6,513 to move from 15th to 12th in the world standings.

TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY WINNER Shad Mayfield ($11,419, tie-down roping) BAREBACK RIDING

Mayfield

1. Jess Pope ........................... 89.5 pts. (Tie) Garrett Shadbolt ................ 89.5 3. Two tied at .................................... 88 STEER WRESTLING 1. Eli Lord ......................... 8.1 sec. on 2 2. Zack Jongbloed ............................ 8.2 3. Jason Thomas ............................. 8.4 TEAM ROPING 1. P. Egurrola/J. Flake ....... 9.3 sec. on 2 2. Q. Kesler/C. Hendrix ..................... 9.9 3. A. Tsinigine/K. Lockett ............... 10.2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Lefty Holman ....................... 90.5 pts. 2. Four tied at ................................. 87.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Shane Hanchey ........... 14.8 sec. on 2 (Tie) Shad Mayfield .................... 14.8 3. Beau Cooper .............................. 17.7 BARREL RACING 1. Marcie Wilson ................... 16.97 sec. 2. Toria Madsen ........................... 17.11 3. Two tied at ............................... 17.12 BULL RIDING 1. Dustin Boquet ........................ 92 pts. 2. Brady Portenier .......................... 88.5 3. Riley Barg ..................................... 87

Phillip Kitts photo Pedro Egurrola and J.C. Flake earned $6,588 each after roping two steers in 9.3 seconds at Spanish Fork (Utah) Fiesta Days Rodeo.

BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to ProRodeo Sports News I f things keep going the way they are this summer, more ProRodeo team ropers are going to be cutting their hair into mohawks. John Gaona and Trevor Nowlin claimed the championship in Casper, Wyo., with Gaona sporting the style. A week later, Gaona’s golfing partner who was in on the losing bet that led to the haircut, JC Flake, earned a huge win at another ProRodeo Tour stop, the Spanish Fork (Utah) Fiesta Days Rodeo July 24 with Pedro Egurrola. “Yeah, I’ve got a mohawk,” Flake laughed. Nowlin is Flake’s cousin and dished up the golfing loss to his roping partner and Flake. “But since we lost and got the haircuts, John and Trevor went and won Casper, and then we won Spanish Fork and won a round at Ogden,” said Flake, 22. “So, I guess it’s been working for us.” Egurrola and Flake earned $6,588 each after roping two steers in

9.3 seconds in Spanish Fork. “We were the very first team out in the whole rodeo,” Flake said. Timed-event competitors ran their first round during morning slack each day with the fastest times from slack competing again that night in the performances. “We didn’t really know anything about the steers, but my guy did a good job, he knocked the barrier out and I wanted to just be sure and catch him,” Flake said. The team stopped the clock in 4.5 seconds in the first round which tied for fourth. Coming back for the second steer, they knew their draw was a bit more challenging. “That evening, we knew that steer tried to the right a bit and JC did a good job jumping out there and had him coming to me,” said Egurrola, 26. They were 4.8 seconds on the second steer, which earned another round

check for a split of eighth. “We were really happy with our two runs and left there excited to be winning it,” Egurrola said. “But we didn’t think it would hold for first.” “It’s our first big ProRodeo win,” Flake said. Egurrola, who manned the clippers for the mohawks, moved to 23rd in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings for headers while Flake is now 25th on the heeling side. They’re also solid in the ProRodeo Tour standings. Both ropers grew up around the sport with family members who roped and ranched. Egurrola got serious about it after an injury curtailed a promising baseball career as a pre-teen. Flake played football before the roping bug hit him in high school. Though they knew each other for years, both growing up in Arizona, 2021 is their first year to partner up in ProRodeo. “We’re best friends,” Flake said. “He’s the best header out here.”

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J.C. Flake sports what’s left of his bet-losing mohawk.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/6/2021

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ProRodeo Sports News 8/6/2021