After J.W. Harris and his family were recognized before the rodeo began, the reigning world champion bullrider lived up to his billing by riding “Red Onion” for a 90-point score Saturday night to take home the top prize at Bell County Expo Center.
Harris’ performance originally was reported by announcer Boyd Polhamus as an 89 that would have tied the Friday mark set by Douglas Duncan of Alvin.
Instead, Harris, who is ranked second on the PRCA bullriding money list behind Clayton Savage of Casper, Wyo., and had earned $31,162 coming into this week, took home nearly $2,300 for his stellar effort.
It was the fourth time the May native had ridden “Red Onion” and the third time he completed an 8-second ride.
Souli Shanklin of Rocksprings started off the bullriding event by scoring an 83 on “Bootlegger”, which would have been good enough for a third-place tie until Harris’ ride.
Travis Campbell of Burleson delivered the most interesting moment, albeit a painful one. After he was bucked off “Bamm Bamm,” Campbell’s ankle got hung up and the bull dragged him and two clowns into the chute before the rope came undone.
Only four of the 18 bullriding competitors recorded a score against the stock provided by Sammy Andrews Rodeo Company. That was the same luck competitors had in the team roping and steer wrestling events.
Only two of the eight teams recorded scores in team roping. The duo of Reese Kerr and Josh Fillmore completed a 6.0-second effort but didn’t come close to touching Coleman Proctor and Jake Long’s winning time of 4.6 seconds from Friday. A.J. and Kyle Horton of Stilger, Okla., finished second in 4.7 seconds.
In steer wrestling, eight of the 10 contestants failed to record a score, and the two who did broke the barrier early for a 10-second penalty. Mickey Gee of Wichita Falls and Jake Rinehart of Highmore, S.D., shared first place with a 3.6 effort from Thursday.
Ranked the No. 1 bareback rider while earning $19,199 coming into this week, Kaycee Feild of Elk Ridge, Utah, rode “Shady Lady” for an 84. Third-leading money winner Clint Cannon of Waller took home first with his Friday score of 88, while Logan Hodson of Telkwa was second with an 87 on Thursday.
Decatur’s Trevor Brazile, the reigning Wrangler National Finals Rodeo all-around champion and winner in six of the past seven years, posted a 7.7 on Thursday and held on to win tie-down roping. Seymour native and sixth-ranked Adam Gray had an 8.3 for Saturday’s top showing.
Stephenville’s Andrew Counts scored an 83 in saddle bronc riding to finish in second, while Justin Arnold of Santa Margarita, Calif., had a 79 to tie for third. Gladewater’s Todd Rangel won the event with an 87 from Thursday.
Jordan Peterson’s Thursday time of 15.56 seconds in women’s barrel racing stood up as only two of the nine riders were able to break the 16-second mark.
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
