Edler Wrestles San Angelo Rodeo Lead

SAN ANGELO, TX – Jacob Edler doesn’t have to look too far to find a trusted adviser.

After having a relatively successful 2018 rodeo season, Edler found his way to Holliday, Texas, and the home of Hunter Cure, a steer wrestler who won world championships in 2013 and 2015. Now the States Center, Iowa-raised cowboy is hoping to parlay that into more success on the rodeo trail this year.

“Hunter has just helped me mentally,” said Edler, who was the runner-up to the champion at the 2016 College National Finals Rodeo. “I moved down to his house about two months ago, and I’ve been working for him. It’s been great being around a two-time world champion. Everything he does is about getting better, and now I’ll be able to incorporate that into my bulldogging.”

It showed Saturday during the second day of competition at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. Edler wrestled his first steer to the ground in 5.0 seconds during the matinee performance, then posted a 4.2-second run in the evening. He’s placing in both rounds and leads the two-run aggregate by three-tenths of a second.

“I believe I bulldogged solid,” he said, noting that he rode Rattle, a mare owned by Matt Reeves, who served as Edler’s hazer. “That mare did outstanding, and Matt did a great job. I drew two pretty honest steers and got good starts on both of them.”

While steer wrestling seems to be all about the big men who do it, none would be very successful without having a solid mount. The Iowa cowboy likes what he seeks in the talented bay.

“She’s kind of a little, compact thing, but she scorers so good,” he said. “She just drives you right up over the steer’s back every time and puts you in the right place. She’s really easy to win on.”

Edler has done his share of winning so far in the 2019 season. He’s placed along at several rodeos heading into this weekend and now sits 10th in the world standings. The main thing, though, is he wants to be among the leaders when the season ends Sept. 30.

“Last year I finished 35th, and I’ve got so many more opportunities to get into great rodeos,” said Edler, who graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, commonly referred to the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo. “I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a little easier to fulfill my goal to get into these rodeos that limit people who are outside the top 40.”

His goal, of course, is to earn his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s premier championship that boasts of $10 million purse and features only the top 15 on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season. Edler will return to San Angelo in two weeks to compete in the championship round, set for Friday, Feb. 15.

“This is my fourth time to San Angelo, and the crowd was great; it was a packed house,” said Edler, who will compete in Fort Worth, Texas; Jackson, Mississippi; and San Antonio before he returns for the final weekend of rodeo. “It was good energy, and it dang sure gets a guy fired up.”

San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo — Feb. 1-3, Feb. 8-10, Feb. 13-15 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Bill Tutor, 88 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Highway Man; 2. (tie) Taylor Broussard and Jake Vold, 84; 4. Hunter Brasfield, 83; 5. Jesse Pope, 81; 6. Waylon Guy Burgeois, 78; 7. Paden Hurst, 77.5; 8. Wyatt Maines, 77.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Jacob Talley, 4.0 seconds; 2. Kyle Irwin, 4.7; 3. Blake Knowles, 4.9; 4. (tie) Jacob Edler and Tyler Pearson, 5.0; 6. Steven Culling, 5.5; 7. Dalton Massey, 70; 8. Shane Frey, 7.2. Second round: 1. Tanner Brunner, 4.0 seconds; 2. Jacob Edler, 4.2; 3. Tyler Waguespack, 4.3; 4. Tyler Pearson, 4.5; 5. Tristan Martin, 6.2; 6. Hunter Cure, 12.8; no other qualified runs. Average: 1. Jacob Edler, 9.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Pearson, 9.5; 3. Tanner Brunner, 17.8; 4. Hunter Cure, 27.5; 5. Jacob Talley, 4.0 seconds on one run; 6. Tyler Waguespack, 4.3; 7. Kyle Irwin, 4.7; 8. Blake Knowles, 4.9.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Justin Yost/Jake Edwards and Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 4.3; 4. Eli Lord/J.W. Beck, 4.6; 5. Billy Bob Brown/Shay Carroll, 4.7; 6. Bart Brunson/Trace Poter, 7.5; 7. Derrick Begay/Cory Petska, 9.3; 8. Jacob Dagenhart/Zack Mabry, 9.6. Second round leaders: 1. Erich Rogers/Clint Summers, 4.3 seconds; 2. Rhen Richard/Quinn Kesler, 9.0; 3. Jacob Dagenhart/Zack Mabry, 9.8; 4. Eli Lord/J.W. Beck, 20.1; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Jacob Deganhart/Zack Mabry, 19.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Rhen Richard/Quinn Kesler, 23.2; 3. Eli Lord/J.W. Beck, 24.7; 4. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.6 seconds on one run; 5. (tie) Justin Yost/Jake Edwards, Erich Rogers/Clint Summers and Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 4.3; 7. Billy Bob Brown/Shay Carrol, 4.7; 8. Bart Brunson/Trace Porter, 7.5.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Cody DeMoss, 87 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Total Equine Angel Fire 2. Preston Burr, 83; 3. Aaron Lide, 82; 4. (tie) Tate Owens and Hawkins Boyce, 81; 6. Josh Davison, 79.5; 7. Dawson Dahm, 79; 8. (tie) Dean Wadsworth and Logan Cook, 74.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Jake Pratt, 7.0 seconds; 2. Tuf Cooper, 7.6; 3. Blane Cox, 7.7; 4. Haven Meged, 7.9; 5. (tie) Ike Fontenot and Westyn Hughes, 8.0; 7. Blake Ash, 8.4; 8. Cade Swor, 8.6. Second round leaders: 1. Justin Smith, 7.2 seconds; 2. Rhen Richard, 8.1; 3. Ryle Smih, 8.4; 4. Haven Meged, 8.6; 5. Jake Pratt, 8.9; 6. Cooper Mathews, 9.9; 7. Shad Mayfield, 10.2; 8. Ike Fontenot, 20.7. Average leaders: 1. Jake Pratt, 15.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Haven Meged, 16.5; 3. Ryle Smith, 18.8; 4. Shad Mayfield, 18.9; 5. Cooper Mathews, 21.3; 6. Ike Fontenot, 28.7; 7. Justin Smith, 7.2 seconds on one run; 8. Tuf Cooper, 7.6.

Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Teri Bangart and Sherry Cervi, 14.29 seconds; 3. Stevi Hillman, 14.32; 4. Halyn Lide, 14.34; 5. Lois Ferguson, 14.40; 6. Christy Larsen, 14.44; 7. Cheyenne Hattesen, 14.51; 8. Carman Pozzobon, 14.56; 9. Jill Wilson, 14.60; 10. Kynzie McNeill, 14.61. Average leaders: 1. Teri Bangart, 30.59 seconds on two runs; 2. Stevi Hillman, 30.62; 3. Halyn Lyde, 30.79; 4. Kynzie McNeill, 30.80; 5. Carman Pozzobon, 30.81; 6. Sherry Cervi, 30.89; 7. Jill Wilson, 30.93; 8. Lois Ferguson, 31.03; 9. Christy Larsen, 31.05; 10. Cheyenne Hattesen, 31.11.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Aaron Williams, 89 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Tequila Worm; 2. Brady Portenier, 87; 3. Rorey Maier, 85; 4. Cole Meloncon, 84; 5. Dave Mason, 83; 6. Parker Breding, 82; Sage Kimzey, 79; 8. Nathan Hatchel, 78.