Top riders in the world compete at Wrangler Champions Challenge

The top riders in professional rodeo were riding rank and making bank at the Wrangler Champions Challenge in Cody on Sunday night.

The Champions Challenge is an 11-rodeo series featuring the top ranked members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Throughout the series, prize money totals increase from $80,000 on up to $128,000 — the rodeo in Cody totaled $92,800 in prize money.

“These Champions Challenges are big events for us and big money to get up in the standings,” said Sage Kimzey, the circuit's current top bull rider. “Cody is where all the legends rose and few have as much prestige as Cody does.”

Eleven contestants in each event qualify in one of three ways to get into the Champions Challenge events:

• Top seven contestants in the previous year’s PRCA World Standings.

•  Top two contestants in the current year’s world standings 30 days before the rodeo.

•  Top two contestants in the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour standings 30 days before the rodeo.

The series draws in competition from across the U.S. and Canada, meaning riders typically need to place in the top three if they want to make a profit from their trip, depending on how far they have to travel. All prize money won counts toward their world standings in the PRCA.

The bulls won more often than not on Sunday, bringing enough buck that only three qualified rides were made. The top two rides of the night came from bulls that were almost equally rank — Kimzey scored an 89.5 on Smash Mouth and Joe Frost had a solid 89 on Long Haired Outlaw for second. Jeff Askey came in third with an 86 on Red Powder.

Kimzey’s dismount is best compared to an Olympic gymnast performing a spinning flip. As the bull fish-tailed and Kimzey went flying off, his foot caught and sent his body spinning while flipping up and over the bull.

“I’ve been watching way too much of the summer Olympics — a nice side twist and a good landing,” Kimzey joked after winning the bull riding event. “I didn’t know if I made it or not, but the crowd was going so loud and as I went through the air I was thinking ‘did I make it, did I make it?’”

Following Sunday’s rodeo, Kimzey is the top bull rider on the PRCA’s world circuit with $11,790 won in the Champions Challenge series. Frost is ranked second with $9,164.

“I want to go into the finals with as big of a lead as possible,” Kimzey said. “This part of the year is fun because so many rodeos are in the Northwest and the drives are shorter.”

The Rocky Mountain region was well represented in steer wrestling as Colorado’s Josh Peek took the steer by the horns in 3.8 seconds and Helena, Montana, cowboy Ty Erickson was close behind with a solid 4.0 for second place.

Competition was tight in the bareback event with the top three riders coming out within just two points of each other — the difference between a $3,944 prize and $2,204.

Coming out on top was Caleb Bennett of Tremonton, Utah, with an 87 followed closed behind by Californian cowboy Clayton Biglow with 86 and then Minnesota’s Tanner Aus with an 85.

“Just had a really good horse. He was electric and kept near the bucking chutes the way a guy wants it too — we call it an electric hopper — gives you everything you need for an 88 or 90 if you do your part,” Bennett said.

Bennett was one of the first few riders to go and there was no way of knowing if his 87-point ride was going to be topped.

“You never know how they will go out, but I ended up winning and I’ll take it,” Bennett said.

Unlike the other roughstock events of the evening, there was no questioning the outcome of the saddle bronc event when Canadian cowboy Jake Watson scored an 87.5 — a solid 3.5 points ahead of the tying rides made by CoBurn Bradshaw and Tyrel Larsen.

Tying for second on Sunday actually upped Bradshaw’s world standings for saddle bronc, taking him from third to first for the event. Bradshaw started riding his freshman year of high school, got his PRCA permit when he turned 18 and earned his rookie card in 2015.

“It’s a lot tougher, but it makes you good too — you ride has hard as your competition,” Bradshaw said prior to Sunday’s rodeo. “It’s a dream come true, it beats working for a living — I’m getting paid to play.”

But it’s not all fun and games in the world of pro rodeo, a lot of money is on the line.

One-third of a second meant the difference between having the fastest barrel racing time and a fifth-place position as Jackie Ganter of Abilene, Texas, crossed the line in a 16.84-second dash for first place and $3,944 in prize money. Close behind in second was Kimmie Wall of Roosevelt, Utah, with a 16.91 for $3,016. And just 0.06 seconds behind her was Texas’ Carley Richardson with a 16.97 for $2,204.

The top three spots for team roping were tight on times with the Texan duo of Colby Lovell and Kory Koontz in first with a 4.8 followed by Jake Cooper and Dugan Kelly with a 5.1. Just a tenth of a second behind was Dustin Bird and Jeremy Buhler in third with a 5.2.

Unlike the other timed events, the tie down roping’s competition wasn’t as tight. Oklahoman Hunter Herin tied it together in 8.0 seconds for first place followed by Cade Swor with 8.3 and Rhen Richard came in with an 8.8 for third.

Herrin proved he wasn’t just fast in the arena, tackling flight delays and missed connections throughout the day yet still arriving in Cody that evening with time to spare.

“I knew if I got to Billings by 5 p.m. I would be alright,” Herrin said of his 12-hour $1,200 commute that raked in $3,944 in prize money.

“I knew faster than 8.8 would be a good check and I was fortunate enough for 8 (seconds) flat,” Herrin said. “If I make a good run, I’ll win something and it ain’t always about winning first — you want third or better, that’s two grand — fourth and fifth pays money, but I spent $1,200 and that makes you want to win something.”

Herrin said he had ridden the horse he used for Sunday’s rodeo two other times before and had won on him before too.

“You need a good start and can’t be late or break the barrier — and oh, you need a good calf — doesn’t matter how good you start if the calf doesn’t cooperate,” Herrin said.

Herrin’s calf went slightly to the left but wasn’t running too fast and didn’t put up much of a fight as Herrin tied the winning knot.