BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The third annual Resistol Rookie Roundup brought the top young talent in ProRodeo to Fort Worth’s Cowtown Coliseum with the winners taking home at least $2,500 toward the Resistol Rookie Standings.
In bareback riding, the No. 1 rookie entering the weekend left the champion as Weston Timberman rode Pickett Pro Rodeo Company’s Night Star for 85 points in the Finals. That was the highest marked ride of the rodeo and it came on a horse that Timberman would have had a shot at the San Angelo Cinch Chute Out had he not had to turn out for a college rodeo.
In steer wrestling, Parker Sandstrom got just a little bit better on each run stopping the clock at 5.0 seconds in the Long Round, 4.9 in the Shootout and 4.8 in the Finals. He was the only bulldogger with three straight runs of five flat or faster.
Team roping was won by Ben Jordan/Scott Lauaki, who had the only qualified time in the Finals. However, it was well earned as their 4.5-second run was the fastest of the rodeo by four tenths of a second.
In saddle bronc riding, Carter Sandberg became the Rookie Roundup’s first ever Canadian champion (Oceane Veileux would later join him) with 79 points on Pete Carr’s Dirty Jacket. It was a true David v. Goliath in the bronc riding as the rookie conquered a two-time PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year.
In breakaway roping, the only qualified time in the Finals belonged to Alabama’s Nikayla Brill, an experienced cowgirl who entered the weekend with more professional rodeos under her belt than any other breakaway roper.
Tie-down roping saw Chance Rodriguez win both rounds on Saturday times of 9.5 and 7.7 seconds, the latter being the second fastest in Rookie Roundup history.
In barrel racing, Quebec’s Oceane Veileux got it done in Cowtown by making the fastest run of the Finals (and the rodeo) by two tenths of a second.
And lastly in bull riding, Brandon Ballard was named the champion for his 80.5-point Shootout ride because no one made the whistle in the Finals.
BAREBACK RIDING
First Round: 1. Mason Stuller, 83 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pink Smoke, $1,329; 2. Kade Berry, 82.5, $1,156; 3. Colt Eck, 82, $982; 4. Ty Owens, 78, $809; 5. Weston Timberman, 77, $636; 6. Drake Amundson, 74, $462; 7. Ethan Mazurenko, 70, $289; 8. Brayze Schill, 69, $116.
Finals: 1. Weston Timberman, 85 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo Co’s Night Star, $2,500; 2. Colt Eck, 83.5, $1,500; 3. Mason Stuller, 79, $1,000; 4. Kade Berry, 0, $500.
STEER WRESTLING
First Round: 1. Joshua Ellison, 4.7 seconds, $1,329; 2. Ty Cochrane, 4.8, $1,156; 3. Parker Sandstrom, 5.0, $982; 4. (tie) Taylor Pavlovsky and Cole Walker, 5.7, $722 each; 6. Ty Bauerle, 5.8, $462; 7. Boyd Sawyer, 5.9, $289; 8. Tucker Ravenscroft, 6.2, $116.
Finals: 1. Parker Sandstrom, 4.8 seconds, $2,500; 2. Boyd Sawyer, 5.3, $1,500; 3. Taylor Pavlovsky, 5.7, $1,000; 4. Cole Walker, 0.0, $500.
TEAM ROPING
First Round: 1. Zane Kilgus/Levi Pettigrew, 6.1 seconds, $1,329 each; 2. Koby Sanchez/Chase Graves, 6.3, $1,156; 3. (tie) Erik Becenti/Shawn Murphy and McCray Profili/Colton Johnson, 6.5, $896 each; 5. Ben Jordan/Scott Lauaki, 7.0, $636; 6. Cash Fretwell/Cole Walker, 8.0, $462; 7. Wyatt Allen/Colton Allen, 10.8, $289; 8. Doyle Yazzie/Hiyo Yazzie, 11.6, $116.
Finals: 1. Ben Jordan/Scott Lauaki, 4.5 seconds, $2,500 each; 2. Cash Fretwell/Cole Walker, 0.0, $1,500; 3. Koby Sanchez/Chase Graves, 0.0, $1,000; 4. Zane Kilgus/Levi Pettigrew, 0.0, $500.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
First Round: 1. Zachary Dallas, 78.5 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Brushy Creek Aussie’s Major Moves, $1,329; 2. (tie) Tyler Pruitt, Walker Rezzonico and Carter Sandberg, 77, $982 each; 5. Cauy Masters, 76, $636; 6. Mick Knight, 75.5, $462; 7. Caleb Newell, 74, $289; 8. (tie) Nick Joyce and Darcy Radel, 73, $58 each.
Finals: 1. Carter Sandberg, 79 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket, $2,500; 2. Tyler Pruitt, 78, $1,500; 3. Zachary Dallas, 77, $1,000; 4. Cauy Masters, 0, $500.
BREAKAWAY ROPING
First Round: 1. Ariana Varischetti, 2.4 seconds, $1,329; 2. Shiloh Napp, 2.6, $1,156; 3. Jayden Gould, 2.8, $982; 4. Nikayla Brill, 3.3, $809; 5. (tie) Taylor Raupe and Sierra Spratt, 3.7, $549 each; 7. Kassidy Albright, 4.3, $289; 8. KC-Gail Churchill, 12.6, $116.
Finals: 1. Nikayla Brill, 2.9 seconds, $2,500; no other qualified runs.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
First Round: 1. Gio Piloto, 7.2 seconds, $1,329; 2. Chance Rodriguez, 8.7, $1,156; 3. Savion Elias, 10.0, $982; 4. Nick Achille, 10.9, $809; 5. Rio Nutter, 11.7, $636; 6. Ty Moser, 12.2, $462; 7. Matt Gutierrez, 12.8, $289; 8. Chisum Allen, 13.0, $116.
Finals: 1. Chance Rodriguez, 7.7 seconds, $2,500; 2. Nick Achille, 8.6, $1,500; 3. Savion Elias, 0.0, $1,000; 4. Rio Nutter, 0.0, $500.
BARREL RACING
First Round: 1. (tie) Alyssa MacDonald and Julie Plourde, 13.55 seconds, $1,242 each; 3. Kalgary Johns, 13.82, $982; 4. Sadie Miller, 14.04, $809; 5. Natalie Hammond, 14.66, $636; 6. Sherri Reagan, 18.42, $462; 7. Oceane Veilleux, 18.59, $289; 8. Tiffany Lujan, 18.64, $116.
Finals: 1. Oceane Veilleux, 13.19 seconds, $2,500; 2. Julie Plourde, 13.39, $1,500; 3. Sadie Miller, 18.23, $1,000; 4. Tiffany Lujan, 18.29, $500.
BULL RIDING
*First round: 1. Rawley Johnson, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Piggly Wiggly, $5,778; no other qualified rides.
*Finals: 1. Brandon Ballard, 0 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Smokey, $3,250; 2. Vinell Mariano, 0, $2,250; no other qualified rides.
*(all totals include ground money).
