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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 2015)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015 A11 Hermiston WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015 Yes, that WAS my ¿ Ust URGeR S PORTS HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A11 HERMISTONHERALD.COM Garrett Smith takes all-around Stanfi eld cowboy Travis Taruscio gets hot run in steer wrestling By SAM BARBEE Staff writer SAM BARBEE FROM THE SIDELINES L ast week I was excited and QHUYRXVIRUP\¿UVWURGHR 7KHFOLFKpZDVUHDO But now, days after Farm-City Pro Rodeo, I think it would be IXQWRUHPHPEHUWKRVHIRXUGD\V A logical place to start would EHP\FORWKHV%HFDXVH,ZDVJR ing to be standing around by the bucking chutes, I was required to wear at least a western shirt and KDWERRWVRSWLRQDO1RZ,ZHDU a hat just about every day, but it’s a baseball cap, not a wide- EULPPHGJDOORQQXPEHU So after working the Herm- iston Herald/East Oregonian booth at the fair on Wednes- day, circulation manager Marcy Rosenberg walked me down to a booth selling cowboy hats and helped me picked one out, and gave me tips on how to wear it DQGVWRUHLW The next step, then, was to JHW D VKLUW DQG VRPH MHDQV 1RZ I have jeans, but none that would be acceptable at a rodeo, so I blundered around Wal-Mart until ,IRXQGHQRXJKVKLUWVWKDW¿WDQG ZDV RQ P\ ZD\ , PDGH D ELW RI a mistake, though, waiting until :HGQHVGD\WRSLFNXSURGHRJHDU It was a bit like going to a depart- ment store on Halloween night to get a costume (something I did of- ten) and having to settle on what ZDVOHIW1RWPXFKLWWXUQHGRXW EXW,PDGHLWZRUN Right before I went to the fairgrounds, I had to swing by WKHRI¿FHWRJUDEDSHQDQGP\ SUHVVFUHGHQWLDO)HOORZUHSRUWHU Sean Hart was there and laughed ZKHQ , ZDONHG LQ WKH URRP +H said I (somewhat) looked the part, which was good enough for me as I left constantly adjusting WKHVWUDZWKLQJRQP\KHDG At the rodeo, it was a chore WRNHHSXS,ZDVGRLQJP\EHVW to keep my head above water, WKRXJK,MXVWPDQDJHGWRGRLW, HQMR\HG LW WKRXJK , OLNH OHDUQ LQJDQG,OLNHGRLQJQHZWKLQJV , OHDUQHG D ORW WKDW ¿UVW QLJKW about terminology, about struc- ture, about how to avoid horse H[FUHPHQWRQWKHJURXQG7KHUH ZDVDORWRILW As the week wore on, I grad- XDOO\EHFDPHPRUHFRPIRUWDEOH Friday night was windy and threatened to take my hat from me, and it almost did on the ZDON LQ 1R RQH HYHU WROG PH aloud I looked out of place, but I’m sure some people could’ve ¿JXUHGLWRXW But the thing I was most wor- ried about was talking to the FRZER\V,NQRZLWFDQJHWDUGX ous explaining simple concepts that anyone who follows rodeo would know, but everything was IUHVKWRPH And you know what? The FRZER\V ZHUH DOZD\V JUHDW They were patient, friendly and always willing to help me understand their passion bet- WHU,ZDVDQRXWVLGHUEXW,ZDV QHYHU WUHDWHG OLNH DQ RXWVLGHU , was never scoffed at if I asked a question they deemed to be be- QHDWKWKHP7KH\ZRXOGMXVWQRG RUVPLOHDQGH[SODLQ Plus, you’ve never seen bull riding until you watch it from EHKLQGWKHFKXWH — Sam Barbee is a sports reporter for the Hermiston Herald and East Oregonian based in Hermiston. He can be reached by phone at 541-564- 4542 or by email at sbarbee@ hermistonherald.com. Follow him on Twitter @SamBarbee1 and follow Herald Sports @ HHeraldSports. STAFF PHOTO BY KATHY ANEY Garrett Smith, of Rexburg, Idaho, won all-around cowboy honors Saturday at the Farm-City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston. In the bull riding event, he stayed aboard for eight seconds for a score of 79. )aUm&Lty a SRSXOaU, LmSRUtaQt stRS Oate LQ the URGeR seasRQ Prize money, livestock, fans and hospitality keep contestants coming back See RODEO, A12 SCOREBOARD Farm-City Pro Rodeo Hermiston, Ore., Aug. 12-15 All-around cowboy Garrett Smith, $1,049, bull riding and steer wrestling. Bareback riding 1. Bobby Mote, 88 points on Calgary Stampede’s Special Delivery, $6,077; 2. (tie) Richmond Champion and Will Lowe, 86, $4,051 each; 4. (tie) Evan Jayne and Winn Ratliff, 84, $1,823 each; 6. (tie) Seth Hardwick and Tim O’Connell, 83, $912 each; 8. (tie) Jake Vold, Teddy Athan and Orin Larsen, 82, $203 each. Steer wrestling First round: 1. Kyle Irwin, 4.1 seconds, $1,853; 2. Ty Erickson, 4.5, $1,611; 3. Shawn Downing, 4.7, $1,370; 4. Dru Melvin, 4.8, $1,128; 5. Sean Santucci, 5.0, $886; 6. Blake Knowles, 5.1, $645; 7. Tyler Waguespack, 5.3, $403; 8. Sean Mulligan, 5.4, $161. Second round: 1. Travis Taruscio, 4.3 seconds, $1,853; 2. Luke Branquinho, 4.4, $1,611; 3. Tyler Pearson, 4.6, $1,370; 4. (tie) Nik Hamm and Ty Erickson, 5.0, $1,007 each; 6. K.C. Jones, 5.1, $645; 7. Brad Johnson, 5.2, $403; 8. Jule Hazen, 5.3, $161. Average: 1. Ty Erickson, 9.5 seconds on two head, $2,780; 2. Shawn Downing, 10.3, $2,417; 3. K.C. Jones, 10.6, $2,055; 4. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Kyle Irwin, 11.0, $1,511 each; 6. Sean Santucci, 11.6, $967; 7. Tyler Pearson, 12.1, $604; 8. (tie) Blaine Jones and Brad Johnson, 13.2, $121 each. By SAM BARBEE Staff Writer Thee 28th running of the Farm-City Pro Rodeo was big- ger and better than ever, with award-winning stock and world champion cowboys putting on DVKRZIRUORFDOURGHRIDQV But what do the cowboys think of Farm-City? Obvious- ly they like it, or they wouldn’t FRQWLQXHWRVTXHH]HLWLQWRWKHLU schedules when most were ei- ther going to Omak, Washing- ton, or Cody, Wyoming, imme- GLDWHO\IROORZLQJWKHLUHYHQWV Many cowboys said the en- HUJ\IURPWKHIDQVLVDELJKHOS At this point in the rodeo sea- son, things are starting to wind down, and cowboys who are on WKH1DWLRQDO Ro- SEASON Finals deo bubble have to put in more events to make more money to move up the stand- LQJV ,W FDQ PDNH WKH PLGGOH RI$XJXVW D JULQG 6R WR KDYH a crowd like Farm-City’s that can bring some energy for a tired cowboy, it can make all WKHGLIIHUHQFH “They usually pack the stands, like last time I was here (in 2013),” bull rider from Al- EXTXHUTXH1HZ0H[LFR6FRW WLH .QDSS VDLG ³:HGQHVGD\ QLJKW LW ZDV SDFNHG ,W KDVQ¶W started yet, and (the fans) are DOUHDG\ IHHOLQJ LW DJDLQ -XVW the energy, the vibe — it hypes up the cowboys and keeps the energy and momentum going WKH ZKROH URGHR ,W¶V JUHDW 7KHIDQVDUHJUHDW7KHVWRFN¶V JRRG <RX FDQ¶W DVN IRU PXFK PRUH´ Others said it’s a well-run URGHR $IWHU ZLQQLQJ 6DWXU day’s go-round in saddle bronc, -DFREV&UDZOH\IURP6WHSKHQ ville, Texas, said Farm-City is D URGHR IRU RWKHUV WR HPXODWH That’s high praise from the Garrett Smith didn’t know how WRGHVFULEHLW0LQXWHVDIWHUZLQ ning the all-around title at Farm- City Pro Rodeo, Smith was just DERXWVSHHFKOHVV ,Q MXVW KLV ¿UVW )&35 GRLQJ multiple events, Smith managed DLQ6DWXUGD\¶VVWHHUZUHVWOLQJ SHUIRUPDQFH DQG D RQ &UD]\ Bull to join a prestigious group of DOODURXQGFKDPSVDW)DUP&LW\ “This is awesome,” Smith VDLG³7RZLQWKHDOODURXQGKHUH there’s not really any words that FDQGHVFULEHLW hasn’t RODEO It hit really me yet, be- cause every- WKLQJMXVWJRWRYHU,¶PSUHWW\VXUH seeing the saddle on the wall — LW¶VJRLQJWREHSUHWW\DZHVRPH´ Currently 14th in the PRCA all-around standings at DQGWKLQEXOOULGLQJ DWWKRVHUDQNLQJVDUH sure to go up after his Farm-City DOODURXQGWLWOH “(My summer’s) been great,” 6PLWKVDLG³2QHRIWKHEHVW,¶YH KDGVRIDU+RSHIXOO\ZHMXVWNHHS RXUKDQGVVKXWDQGNHHSJRLQJ´ STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Ty Erickson of Helena, Montana, marks a 5-second time in steer wrestling Friday at the Farm-City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston. 2014 collegiate All-American and 2011 collegiate national FKDPSLRQ Steer wrestler Luke Bran- quinho from Los Alamos, Cali- fornia, who has been coming to )DUP&LW\IRU\HDUVDJUHHG “(The committee) makes it real cowboy-friendly,” he said DIWHUKLVKRWUXQRIVHFRQGV RQ :HGQHVGD\ ³)RU D FRQWHV WDQWWKDWPHDQVDORW´ Zeke Thurston, a 21-year- old saddle bronc rider from Big Valley, Alberta, Canada, VFRUHG SRLQWV RQ KLV ¿UVW ride at Farm-City on Wednes- day, and loved all eight sec- RQGV “It’s a good rodeo, really good production,” Thurston VDLG³+RWWKRXJK+RO\PDQ´ Wednesday and Thursday were hot, with temperatures WRXFKLQJ WULSOH GLJLWV %XW things cooled down Friday and Saturday with wind whipping through the arena on Friday and temperatures dropping low enough that the conces- sion counter ran out of sweat- VKLUWVWRVHOO 6WHHU ZUHVWOHU 1LN +DPP from Battle Ground, Washing- ton, who recorded the hot run Thursday night, used Farm- City as a springboard for the second half of the rodeo sea- son in addition to liking the TXDOLW\VWRFNDQGIDQV “The steers are always good KHUH´KHVDLG³7KHFURZGLW kinda taps off the later summer UXQ,WZDVKDOIWLPHWKHUHDQG now it’s the second half of the JDPH,W¶VDOZD\VJRRGWRJHWD JRRGVWDUWLQ+HUPLVWRQ´ All-around champ and Rex- burg, Idaho, native Garrett Smith, in his second Farm- City, remembers the treatment FRQWHVWDQWVUHFHLYH%HKLQGWKH bucking chutes, trays of ribs, sandwiches, fruit and beverag- HVDUHDYDLODEOHIRUFRZER\V “We get great hospitality KHUH´ 6PLWK VDLG ³7KH\ KDYH food behind the buckin’ chutes IRUXV7KHUH¶VQRWPDQ\SODFHV WKDW \RX FDQ JHW WKDW$QG WKH IDQV DUH JUHDW KHUH 7KLV LV DQ DZHVRPHURGHRWRFRPHWR´ Second-ranked steer wres- tler and average champ Ty Erickson of Helena, Montana, called Farm-City a “big” ro- GHR “It’s such a big and presti- gious rodeo,” he said, “It’s one of the best rodeos we go to all IDOO *X\V FDQ¶W PLVV WKLV UR GHR,W¶VMXVWWKDWJRRG,ÀHZ in from Billings, Montana, (Friday) just so I could be here DQGFRPSHWH´ What makes it a can’t-miss event? “The added money,” Erick- VRQ UHSOLHG ³,W¶V DOZD\V QLFH to come to a rodeo like this where people love to watch URGHR DQG FRPH WR VXSSRUW LW Us contestants love it when the stands are full and we get WRFRPSHWHLQIURQWRISHRSOH 7KDWDOZD\VKHOSV´ Team roping First round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Martin Lucero, 4.3 seconds, $1,958 each; 2. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.6, $1,703; 3. Bubba Buckaloo/Russell Cardoza, 4.8, $1,447; 4. JoJo LeMond/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 5.0, $1,192; 5. Chad Masters/Travis Graves, 5.1, $937; 6. Garrett Rogers/Jake Minor, 5.2, $681; 7. (tie) Guy Gregg/ Shane Crossley, Aaron Tsinigine/Ryan Motes and Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 5.3, $199 each. Second round: 1. Tyler Wade/Kinney Harrell, 4.3 seconds, $1,958 each; 2. (tie) Cody Snow/Dugan Kelly and Tom Richards/Cesar de la Cruz, 4.6, $1,575 each; 4. Derrick Begay/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 4.7, $1,192; 5. Ryan Opie/ Cully Stafford, 5.3, $937; 6. (tie) Bryce Palmer/Monty Joe Petska and Luke Brown/Kollin VonAhn, 5.6, $553 each; 8. Kaleb Driggers/Martin Lucero, 5.8, $170. Average: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Martin Lucero, 10.1 seconds on two head, $2,937 each; 2. Luke Brown/Kollin VonAhn, 11.0, $2,554; 3. Bryce Palmer/Monty Joe Petska, 11.1, $2,171; 4. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 11.5, $1,788; 5. Blaine Vick/ Twister Cain, 12.8, $1,405; 6. Bryan Reay/Andy Carlson, 13.5, $1,022; 7. Cody Snow /Dugan Kelly, 14.5, $639; 8. Derrick Begay/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 15.1, $255. Saddle bronc riding 1. (tie) Doug Aldridge on Calgary Stampede’s Lynx Mountain and Zeke Thurston on Kesler Rodeo’s Navajo Sun, 85 points, $4,683 each; 3. Jesse Wright, 84, $3,004; 4. (tie) Jacobs Crawley and Jake Wright, 83, $1,590 each; 6. Sam Spreadborough, 82, $884; 7. Cody Wright, 81, $707; 8. (tie) Isaac Diaz and Ben Londo, 80, $265 each. Tie-down roping First round: 1. Tuf Cooper, 8.1 seconds, $1,998; 2. (tie) Matt Shiozawa and Timber Moore, 8.5, $1,607 each; 4. Blane Cox, 9.1, $1,216; 5. K.C. Miller, 9.2, $956; 6. Adam Gray, 9.3, $695; 7. Robert Mathis, 9.4, $434; 8. Jason Minor, 9.7, $174. Second round: 1. Cade Swor, 8.3 seconds, $1,998; 2. Shane Hanchey, 8.4, $1,738; 3. (tie) Caleb Smidt, Timber Moore, Justin Brinkerhoff and Cimarron Boardman, 8.5, $1,086 each; 7. (tie) Shane Erickson and Ryle Smith, 8.7, $304 each. Average: 1. Timber Moore, 17.0 seconds on two head, $2,997; 2. Shane Hanchey, 18.5, $2,606; 3. Robert Mathis, 19.1, $2,216; 4. (tie) Justin Brinkerhoff and Matt Shiozawa, 19.5, $1,629 each; 6. Clint Robinson, 20.2, $1,043; 7. Jake Pratt, 20.9, $652; 8. (tie) Dillon Holder and Caleb Smidt, 21.5, $130 each. Barrel racing First round: 1. Michele McLeod, 17.32 seconds, $1,814; 2. Kali Parker, 17.33, $1,555; 3. Sherry Cervi, 17.38, $1,296; 4. Vickie Carter, 17.44, $1,123; 5. Meghan Johnson, 17.47, $864; 6. Nancy Hunter, 17.48, $691; 7. (tie) Sydni Blanchard and Callie DuPerier, 17.52, $432 each; 9. Alexa Lake, 17.54, $259; 10. Linzie Lindsey, 17.62, $173. Second round: 1. Kimmie Wall, 17.05 seconds, $1,814; 2. Callie DuPerier, 17.09, $1,555; 3. Jackie Ganter, 17.15, $1,296; 4. Kali Parker, 17.27, $1,123; 5. Pamela Capper, 17.33, $864; 6. Katelyn McLeod, 17.35, $691; 7. Brenda Mays, 17.38, $518; 8. Mary Walker, 17.45, $346; 9. (tie) Meghan Johnson and Callahan Crossley, 17.46, $216 each. Average: 1. Kali Parker, 34.60 seconds on two head, $1,814; 2. Callie DuPerier, 34.61, $1,555; 3. Kimmie Wall, 34.73, $1,296; 4. Jackie Ganter, 34.79, $1,123; 5. Meghan Johnson, 34.93, $864; 6. Sherry Cervi, 34.94, $691; 7. Sydni Blanchard, 34.99, $518; 8. Vickie Carter, 35.00, $346; 9. Nancy Hunter, 35.01, $259; 10. Callahan Crossley, 35.14, $173. Bull riding 1. Clayton Foltyn, 86 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Mr Buddy, $5,245; 2. Dustin Bowen, 83, $4,021; 3. (tie) Scottie Knapp and Ty Wallace, 82, $2,448 each; 5. (tie) Garrett Smith and Brett Stall, 79, $1,049 each; 7. (tie) Markus Mariluch and McKennon Wimberly, 78, $612 each. Total payoff: $204,634. Stock contractor: Calgary Stampede. Sub-contractors: Kesler Rodeo, Korkow Rodeos, Corey & Lange Rodeo, Kesler Championship Rodeo and Flying Diamond Rodeo. Rodeo secretary: Debi Davis. Of¿ cials: George Gibbs, Mike Jones, Butch Kirby and Bobby Davis. Timers: Margo Kesler and Myrna Weber. Announcer: Randy Corley. Specialty act: John Harrison. Bull¿ ghters: Tim O’Connor and Don Griggs. Clown/barrelman: John Harrison. Flankmen: Mike Corey, Greg Kesler, Ken Rehill and T.J. Korkow. Chute bosses: Butch Knowles and Dan Ackley. Pickup men: Gary Rempel, David McMichael and Duane Kesler. Photographers: Bob Click, Kent Soule and Kirt Steinke. Mutton bustin’ winner Ethan Dyer, 91 points.