The Belton Fourth of July PRCA Rodeo always held a special place in the Rogers native’s heart. It was a chance for her family and friends to watch Richter sprint down the alley after completing her barrel racing ride.
But this year had more sentiment than any of her previous eight attempts.
In the past two years, Richter’s mother died from cancer, she’s injured several ribs and a lung and learned that her 2-year-old grandson has cancer.
“This year is more important to me than any other year,” said Richter, whose father rode bareback and saddle bronc in PRCA rodeos and whose mother ran barrels and roped. “Now my mother watches me come down the alley.”
Richter didn’t get the dream finish she hoped for Friday, failing to record a time in barrel racing while Jamon Turner took the overall lead in the bull riding on the second night of the 85th annual Belton Fourth of July PRCA Rodeo at Bell County Expo Center.
Tonight’s finale begins at 7.
Riding “12’s Gunner,” a horse she just started riding on Sunday, Richter struggled around the first barrel before pulling up and heading back down the alley.
Despite the disappointment, it still has been a successful return to the ring for Richter.
After losing her mother, she broke four ribs and had another go through a lung to set her back briefly. Just 30 days later, Richter hopped back on a horse and made her pro return at last year’s Belton rodeo. Even with the broken bones and hospital stays, she still made the World Barrel Racing Finals while borrowing different horses.
Then came the news that her 2-year-old grandson had cancer, and she’s been riding with a heavy heart ever since.
“Coming down and doing good is that much more important to me,” said Richter, who will compete in Wimberley tonight, “but I’ve had a really good year.”
Turner’s performance came in just his fourth pro event. The senior-to-be kinesiology major at Sul Ross State rode “Thunderstruck” for a score of 81 points to take the lead heading into tonight’s finale.
“It’s just been a good day. I woke up this morning and told myself it was a good day to ride,” said Turner, who finished 16th at college regionals. “I said some prayers and everything went well.”
His ride came moments after Weatherford’s Cody Wood recorded a 68 to become the first bullrider to score at this year’s rodeo. Wood became the first cowboy to handle “Hat Dancer.”
“It was a young bull. He was supposed to really buck,” said Wood, who was competing in just his eighth rodeo this year after injuring his shoulder in Fort Worth. “I think he wasn’t used to someone staying on him past the first few jumps.”
Turner and Wood are the only two bull riders to score among the 18 contestants.
Richter’s friend Pam Deaver of Hearne took over the lead in barrel racing with a 16.47-second ride.
In steer wrestling, 2007 Belton winner Todd Anderson took over first with a 4.2-second performance.
Gibbs Keaton of Ivanhoe and Daniel Reed of Sumner recorded a 6.2 to grab the lead in team roping.
George Rowland of Paradise leads in tie-down roping with a time of 7.8 seconds.
No rider challenged Ryan Stutes’ bareback riding mark of 85 posted on Thursday. Dean Wadsworth still leads saddle bronc after posting a 73 on Thursday.
Highlighting tonight’s show will be the $1,000 “Match Ride of Champions” duel between Troy Nail of Kemp and Jake Brown of Hillsboro.
Also competing tonight will be Salado’s Karilee Eddleman in barrel racing and Gatesville’s Jimmy Edens in team roping.
