San Angelo's Joel Harris grabs early San Angelo lead

SAN ANGELO, TX – San Angelo's Joel Harris is a little biased toward his hometown event, the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo.

“It’s the best rodeo in the world in my opinion,” said Harris, 23, a two-time National Finals Rodeo tie-down roping qualifier from this city of 100,000 folks. “It definitely has the best rodeo fan. I’ve witnessed it firsthand, rodeo after rodeo. I know what the fans are about.

“It’s not just me that says that San Angelo has the best fans in the world; a lot of cowboys think that. For it to be my hometown is pretty special.

He brought the audience to its feet during Friday’s opening performance at the CRC Roofers Coliseum, taking the third-round lead with a 9.4-second run. He knows the chances of placing in the round are slim but has roped and tied three calves in 27.3 seconds. The cowboys with the top 12 three-run cumulative scores will advance to Championship Friday, where winners will be crowned April 17.

He stopped the clock in 8.3 seconds the opening round, which took place this past Monday at Spur Arena. All tie-down ropers, team ropers and steer wrestlers competed in two go-rounds at the first of the week, and the top two-run cumulative times advanced to the progressive rounds, which take place over the 10 preliminary performances at the coliseum.

“I think the new format is great,” said Harris, who placed in the opening round, pocketing $2,939 in San Angelo cash already. “It makes it a lot easier for the cowboys to be able to get around to other rodeo and gives everyone an opportunity to rope in a (performance) at San Angelo.

“You have to earn it (by advancing), but it’s up to the ropers to get here. Hopefully once you get here, you perform well.”

He has done that throughout his young career, especially the last two seasons. Harris, who is 18th in the world standings, finished 2025 at the No. 4 tie-down roper in the world standings with nearly $335,000 in earnings.

Of that, $193,931 came during the NFR. He won $149,095 at the 2024 finale; his two combined trips to rodeo’s Super Bowl were worth more than $340,000. He averaged $17,151 per round he has roped inside the storied Thomas & Mack Center.

Maybe his years of being inside the tiny confines of San Angelo’s coliseum have helped. What has spurred him on this week has been Django, a powerful bay he owns with his brother, Ty, a seven-time NFR qualifier.

“We bought him a year and a half ago, and he’s just such a good horse,” Joel Harris said. “He gives me so many good opportunities to win. Anytime I’m having questions about what horse to ride, I know I can get on him, and he’s going to give me a really good chance every time.”

He was certainly glad to have Django in a building he knows so well.

“It was great,” he said. “I would have liked to have performed better, but there’s a good chance I’ll get to rope again the short round. That’s just another run I get to make in front of the home crowd.”

San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo First Performance Results

April 3-18

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Taylor Broussard, 84.5 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Lonestar; 2. Ethan Mazurenko, 82; 3. Carson Hildre, 80; 4. Jade Taton, 79; 5. Clay Stone, 74; no other qualified rides.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Cimarron Thompson, 3.8 seconds, $4,794; 2. Colin Fox, 4.0, $4,169; 3. (tie) Cody Devers and Jude Leonards, 4.1, $3,231 each; 5. (tie) Riley Duvall, Don Payne and Seth Peterson, 4.2, $1,667 each; 8. Cade Goodman, 4.3, $417. Second round: 1. Chase Crane, 3.6 seconds, $4,794; 2. Colt Honey, 3.8, $4,169; 3. (tie) Jacob Daniell and Ty Erickson, 3.9, $3,231 each; 5. (tie) Quentin Branden and Peter Haas, 4.0, $1,980 each; 7. (tie) Jesse Brown and Kall Mayfield, 4.1, $730 each. Third round leaders: 1. Tristan Martin, 4.7 seconds; 2. Gavin Soileau, 5.2; 3. Tyke Kipp, 6.3; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Tyke Kipp, 21.0 seconds on three runs; 2. Colin Fox, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 3. Cody Devers, 8.4; 4. Cash Robb, 8.7; 5. Ty Allred, 9.0; 6. Tristan Martin, 9.1; 7. (tie) Grant Peterson and Rowdy Parrott, 9.2; 9. Jesse Brown, 9.3; 10. Nick Guy, 9.4; 11. Paul Melvin, 9.5; 12. Gavin Soileau, 9.6.

Team roping: First round: 1. Stefan Ramone/Kelby Frizzell, 3.9 seconds, $3,842 each; 2. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 4.3, $3,341; 3. Jayse Tettenhorst/Belden Cox, 4.5, $2,840; 4. (tie) Bridger Ketcham/Kaden Prince and Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 4.6, $2,088 each; 6. (tie) Lyvan Gonzalez/Daryan Gonzalez and Ketch Kelton/Paden Bray, 4.8, $1,086 each; 8. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 4.9, $334. Second round: 1. Stefan Ramone/Kelby Frizzell, 3.9 seconds, $3,842 each; 2. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 4.3, $3,341; 3. Jayse Tettenhorst/Belden Cox, 4.5, $2,840; 4. (tie) Bridger Ketcham/Kaden Prince and Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 4.6, $2,088 each; 6. (tie) Lyvan Gonzalez/Daryan Gonzalez and Ketch Kelton/Paden Bray, 4.8, $1,086 each; 8. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 4.9, $334. Second round: 1. Conley Kleinhans/Kyler Kanady, 3.9 seconds, $3,842 each; 2. (tie) Kavis Drake/Denim Ross, Dustin Egusquiza/JC Flake, Tee McLeod/Trey Yates and Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 4.1, $2,589 each; 6. (tie) Jaxon Hill/Jessen James and Kolton Schmidt/Chase Tryan, 4.2, $1,086 each; 8. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 4.3, $167 each. Third round leaders: 1. Tanner Tomlinson/Coleby Payne, 3.7 seconds; 2. Riley Kittle/Cole Curry, 5.4; 3. Seth Hall/Nicky Northcott, 9.4; 4. Billy Bob Brown/Blaine Vick, 9.9; 5. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 18.4; no other qualified times. Average leaders: 1. Riley Kittle/Cole Curry, 20.8 seconds on three runs; 2. Seth Hall/Nicky Northcott, 24.7; 3. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 8.7 seconds on two runs; 4. Ketch Kelton/Paden Bray, 9.2; 5. Stefan Ramone/Kelby Frizzell, 9.3; 6. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 9.5; 7. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 9.7; 8. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 10.2; 9. Aaron Tsinigine, 10.5; 10. (tie) Curry Kirchner/Tanner Braden, Jayse Tettenhorst/Belden Cos and Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 10.6.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) Wyatt Casper, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Indian Summer, and Darcy Radel, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Rock Island Express, 83.5 points; 3. Cooper Lane, 81; 4. Statler Wright, 76; 5. Darcy Wockner, 74; 6. Spencer Wright, 66; no other qualified rides.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Ryan Thibodeaux, 8.2 seconds, $4,828; 2. Bodie Mattson, 8.3, $4,199; 3. (tie) Cole Clemons, Joel Harris and Bo Pickett, 8.4, $2,939 each; 6. (tie) Britt Bedke and Hunter Herrin, 8.5, $1,365 each; 8. Brodey Clemons, 8.6, $420. Second round: 1. (tie) Sam Lewis and Riley Mason Webb, 7.2 seconds, $4,513 each; 3. James Mann, 7.5, $3,569; 4. Tuf Cooper, 7.9, $2,939; 5. Ty Harris, 8.0, $2,309; 6. (tie) Beau Cooper, Blane Cox and Sterling Smith, 8.1, $1,050 each. Third round leaders: 1. Joel Harris, 9.4 seconds; 2. Zaine Mikita, 10.1; 3. Tom Simpson, 10.3; 4. Ty Harris, 12.0; 5. Zack Jongbloed, 14.9; no other qualified rides. Average leaders: 1. Joel Harris, 27.3 seconds on three runs; 2. Zack Jongbloed, 34.5; 3. Ty Harris, 41.9; 4. 4. Bodie Mattson, 16.7 seconds on two runs; 5. Beau Cooper, 17.0; 6. Cole Clemons, 17.4; 7. (tie) Sam Lewis and Shane Hanchey, 18.3; 9. Colton Suther, 18.4; 10. Travis Staley, 18.5; 11. (tie) Hudson Wallace and Sterling Smith, 18.6.

Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Danielle Lowman, 1.9 seconds, $4,300; 2. (tie) Delani Kay Beatty and Cadee Williams, 2.0, $3,117 each; 4. (tie) Alissa Erickson and Haiden Thompson, 2.1, $1,935 each; 6. (tie) Cheyenne Britain, Jaycie Davison, Adisyn Henderson, Cheyanne McCartney and Jill Tanner, 2.2, $989 each; 11. (tie) Kamie Jo Crouse, Kassidy Dennison, Addie Beth Denton and Jessi Everett, 2.3, $484 each; 15. Quincy Sullivan, 2.4, $215. Second round leaders: 1. Millie Greenwood, 2.1 seconds; 2. Amy Ohrt, 2.3; 3. Rylee George, 3.2; 4. Haiden Thompson, 3.3; 5. Jimmie Smith, 3.9; no other qualified times. Average leaders: 1. Amy Ohrt, 5.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Haiden Thompson, 5.4; 3. Rylee George, 5.7; 4. Millie Greenwood, 14.4; 5. Jimmie Smith, 16.1; 6. Danielle Lowman, 1.9 seconds on one run; 7. (tie) Delani Beatty and Cadee Williams, 2.0; 9. Alissa Erickson, 2.1; 10. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney, Jill Tanner, Adisyn Henderson, Jaycie Davison and Cheyenne Britain, 2.2.

Barrel racing: First round: 1. LaTricia Duke, 15.69 seconds, $5,923; 2. Michelle Alley, 15.71, $5,077; 3. Kassie Mowry, 15.76, $4,231; 4. (tie) Emily Beisel and Jimmie Smith, 15.79, $3,244 each; 6. Steely Steiner, 15.82, $2,256; 7. London Gorham, 15.85, $1,692; 8. Keyla Costa, 15.87, $1,128; 9. Tiany Schuster, 15.91, $846; 10. McKinlee Paschal, 15.93, $564. Second round leaders: 1. Morgan Brown, 14.51 seconds; 2. Maylee McCrary, 14.78; 3. Nicole Deason, 14.90; 4. Josie Griffin, 14.93; 5. Julie Plourde, 15.57; 6. Jordyn Koonsman, 19.87; 7. Laynee Massey, 19.97; 8. Aniko Nelson, 20.10; 9. Mallory Witherspoon, 21.70; 10. Tricia Aldridge, 24.99. Average leaders: 1. Morgan Brown, 31.12 seconds on two runs; 2. Maylee McCrary, 31.39; 3. Nicole Deason, 31.46; 4. Julie Plourde, 31.53; 5. Josie Griffin, 31.57; 6. Jordyn Koonsman, 36.52; 7. Laynee Massey, 36.58; 8. Aniko Nelson, 36.64; 9. Mallory Witherspoon, 38.32; 10. Tricia Aldridge, 41.14; 11. Lauren Green, 46.89.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Tristen Hutchings, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Ringo; 2. Brad Moreno, 78.5; no other qualified rides.