BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Like the most weeks from January-April, Texas took center stage on the ProRodeo calendar this past week with opening assertions being made in Austin and Super Series 3 and 4 coming and going in Houston.
Young cowboys Cole Franks and Ty Bauerle proved they could be the ones to shake things up in the Texas Capital, while Sage Newman began his quest for three in a row in Houston strong on Sunday.
There were also two rodeos in sunny locales that paid $170,000 and $78,000 - Parada De Sol (Arizona) and the Arcadia All-Florida Championship. Those two rodeos saw an Aussie and Canuck win the top prizes in the bronc riding as well as the brother of a two-time PBR World Champion make his own move toward rodeo glory.
- Breakaway roper Macy Young became the only contestant sweep a Super Series in Houston over the weekend. No one has been impressive as Young was in Super Series 4. She not only won every round, but got progressively better as she did it by turning in times of 2.9, 2.8 and then 2.2 seconds, the latter being the fastest of the rodeo. Young entered the weekend No. 65 with less than $4,000 earned on the year, but has already banked $9,000 in Houston.
- Bareback rider Cole Franks started off strong in Austin with an 89-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Amped Up. The No. 9 cowboy in the PRCA World Standings made a statement in the Texas Capital by riding for 89 points in the First Performance. That all but locks him into the Semifinals and should also pay him north of $2,500.
- Barrel racer Ilyssa Riley won the final two rounds of Super Series 3 in Houston. Riley won the last two rounds of the Super Series with runs of 14.63 and 14.56 seconds, both of which rank in the Top 5 for the entire rodeo through 13 performances. Riley won $6,500 which should drastically improve her No. 35 world ranking.
- Steer wrestler Ty Bauerle took command early in Austin. The top permitholder from 2023 is still finding his way as a rookie, but Austin should give him loads of confidence. He took the lead in the Average after the first group of bulldoggers completed their first two runs over the weekend. Bauerle’s 3.7 in the Second Round is the fastest of the rodeo by more than a second. In Austin, timed event athletes are guaranteed two gos, while roughstock cowboys are only guaranteed one.
- Stran Smith and Tyler Bingham became the second and third bull rider to start RodeoHouston 3-for-3. In Super Series 3, Smith totaled $7,938 for a first place finish, third place finish and second place finish. All three of his rides were marked between 82.5 and 85.5 points. In Super Series 4, Bingham banked a little more due to ground money, $8,250, for the same string of finishes but in a different order. He finished third in Round 1, second in Round 2 and first in Round 3.
- Saddle bronc rider Damian Breannan picked up his third win of the 2024 season with 85.5 points in Arcadia, Florida. The Aussie is No. 2 in the World and within $2,000 of Statler Wright after riding for 85.5 points to add almost $5,000 in Arcadia. Brennan has won three of the five rodeos he has competed in so far and could improve that this coming weekend as he advanced to the Semifinals in Houston with $6,000 in Super Series 3.
- Bareback rider Rocker Steiner looks to keep his Texas Swing streak alive in Houston. After winning Fort Worth and San Antonio, the only two PRCA rodeos he has been to this season, Steiner made it clear Houston was next on his hit list. He took a good first step in Super Series 5, Round 1 by splitting second.
- Saddle bronc rider Kolby Wanchuk moved up to No. 11 in the World after winning Parada De Sol in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Canadian continued to look right at home in the Arizona sun by riding for 87.5 points to win the rodeo. Two weeks prior, he won the Finals at La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros in Tucson.
- Bull rider Jake Lockwood made the highest-marked ride of his PRCA career to win in Arcadia. Lockwood has never gotten on more than 25 bulls in a PRCA season before due to also riding in the PBR, but he appears fully committed to making the NFR this season. His 89.5-point ride won him nearly $5,000 and he is 5-of-6 since Feb. 16, which included a payday north of $10,000 at the Brighton Field Days Xtreme Bulls (Florida). He currently sits No. 19 in the PRCA World Standings.
- Two-time defending saddle bronc riding champion Sage Newman won the First Round of his Super Series on Sunday. No saddle bronc rider has ever three-peated at RodeoHouston, but Newman took a crucial first step to changing that by riding for 89 points in Round 1 of Super Series 5. It was the highest marked saddle bronc ride of the rodeo and one point off of his winning score from 2023.
