Rodeo World Champion Tuf Cooper Hopeful Heading Into Second Run

SAN ANGELO, Texas – As for a guy who needs a solid run in performance 10, it was the four-time world champion Tuf Cooper. The Childress native finished with a 9.3-second tie-down time on Wednesday during the 10th performance. The fastest we've seen so far is a 7.2. If he wants a spot in Friday's short go finals, he'll need to make Thursday's run one to remember with a 7.1-second run to make it.

After the ride, Zoey Hanrahan went one-on-one with the tie-down roper about picking up the pieces and, of course, Tuf's home away from home presented by Concho Valley Trailers.

In other rodeo news. the San Angelo rodeo committee paid out the first round today.

It took nine performances countless other runs, but the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo has already paid out nearly $90,000.

There are still nights – and more paychecks – to be made before this year’s event comes to a close. That’s what it’s like to compete in ProRodeo in this west Texas community, which has a passion for the sport like few others in the country.

The biggest winner after Wednesday’s performance was tie-down roper Lane Livingston of Seymour, Texas, who won the opening round of tie-down roping. He roped and tied his calf in 7.2 seconds on the opening night of the rodeo, and his score held up to lead the way in the first round. For that, he collected $4,899.

Livingston did not have as good of a run in the second round, and therefore will not finish the preliminary rounds among the top 12; he will not compete in Friday’s championship round, so at least he made a nice payday in San Angelo this year.

Spencer Mitchell and Cesar de la Cruz won the first round of team roping, stopping the clock in 3.7 seconds. That was worth $3,742. They were solid in their second-round run and will compete Friday night. The second round of timed events – steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping and barrel racing – will conclude Thursday.

Reigning world champion steer wrestler Ty Erickson won the first round with a 3.8-second bulldogging run. He competed the opening weekend of the stock show and rodeo. His 5.8-second run in the second round was off the pace, but he’s holding in the two-run aggregate to run for the title Friday.

The first round of barrel racing came to a close several weeks ago, and the ladies from the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association have been making their second runs over the past three weeks. Wenda Johnson won the first round with a 15.78-second run. She is expected to compete again in Thursday’s 10th performance.

Once that is complete, the field for Friday’s championship round will be set. It’s a fast-and-furious run to the championships at this year’s San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo.

Standings After the 10th Performance of the 2020 San Angelo Rodeo:

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Kody Lamb, 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Hometown Girl; 2. Leighton Berry, 87.5; 3. Austin Foss, 87; 4. Tim O’Connell, 86; 5. (tie) Richmond Champion and Taylor Broussard, 85; 7. Tyler Berghuis, 84.5; 8. (tie) Tilden Hooper and Chad Rutherford, 84; 10. (tie) Bill Tutor and Cauy Pool, 83.5; 12. Spur Lacasse, 82.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Ty Erickson, 3.8 seconds, $3,284; 2. Taz Olson, 3.9, $2,855; 3. (tie) Stockton Graves and Sterling Humphry, 4.1, $2,213 each; 5. (tie) Tait Kvistad and Dalton Massey, 4.3, $1,356 each; 7. (tie) Ryan McKay Nettle and Jacob Talley, 4.4, $500 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Cameron Morman and Matt Reeves, 3.9 seconds; 3. (tie) Chance Howard and Cade Staton, 4.0; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Tanner Brunner, 4.1; 7. Jesse Brown, 4.2; 8. (tie) Sterling Lambert, Luke Branquinho and Cade Goodman, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. Matt Reeves, 8.7 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Tait Kvistad, Dalton Massey and Jacob Talley, 8.9; 5. Tanner Brunner, 9.2; 6. Cade Staton, 9.3; 7. (tie) Josh Clark and Cody Harmon, 9.4; 9. Ty Erickson, 9.6; 10. (tie) Taz Olson, Bridger Anderson and Jule Hazen, 9.7.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Spencer Mitchell/Cesar de la Cruz, 3.7 seconds, $3,742; 2. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 3.8, $3,010 each; 4. (tie) Laramie Allen/Whit Kitchens and Colton Campbell/Jordan Ketscher, 3.9, $2,034 each; 6. Reno Cash Stoebner/Colton Brittain, 4.1, $1,302; 7. Tanner Tomlinson/Coleby Payne, 4.2, $813; 8. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett and Manny Equsquiza Jr./York Gill, 4.3, $163. Second round leaders: 1. Jaxon Tucker/Jake Clay, 3.5 seconds; 2. Dustin Eguesquiza/Travis Graves, 3.7; 3. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 3.8; 4. (tie) Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham and Clint Summers/Douglas Rich, 3.9; 6. Trey Blackmore/Kory Bramwell, 4.0; 7. Jake Orman/Daniel Braman, 4.3; 8. (tie) Gavin Foster/Daniel Reed, Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, Steven Duby/Jason Duby and Laramie Allen/Whit Kitchens, 4.4. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill and Laramie Allen/Whit Kitchens, 8.3; 3. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 8.9; 4. Manny Equsquiza Jr./York Gill, 9.1; 5. Colton Campbell/Jordan Ketscher, 9.3; 6. Spencer Mitchell/Cesar de la Cruz, 9.9; 7. Cory Smothers/Brandon Gonzales, 10.0; 8. (tie) Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan and Kolton Schmidt/Hunter Koch, 10.4; 10. Jaguar Terrill/Travis Woodard, 11.8; 11. J.B. James Jr./Brock Hanson, 12.5; 12. Billy Bob Brown/Chad Williams, 12.9.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Zeke Thurston, 90 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Rising Tide; 2. Jacobs Crawley, 88; 3. Carter Elshere, 85.5; 4. Cody DeMoss, 85; 5. Jesse Wright, 84.5; 6. (tie) Kolby Wanchuk, Rusty Wright and Allen Boore, 84; 9. (tie) Tegan Smith and Spencer Wright, 83.5; 11. Leon Fountain, 83.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Lane Livingston, 7.2 seconds $4,899; 2. Shad Mayfield, 7.4, $4,260; 3. (tie) Caleb Smidt and Bryson Sechrist, 7.5, $3,301 each; 5. L.D. Meier, 7.7, $2,343; 6. (tie) Blane Cox and Marcos Costa, 7.8, $1,384 each; 8. Bo Pickett, 7.9, $426. Second round leaders: 1. Justin Smith, 7.0 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, 7.1.; 3. (tie) Ike Fontenot and Riley Pruitt, 7.4; 5. Cooper Martin, 7.5; 6. (tie) Cory Solomon and Kincade Cullen Henry, 7.6; 8. (tie) Blane Cox and Luke Potter, 7.8. Average leaders: 1. Blane Cox, 15.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Caleb Smidt, 16.0; 3. (tie) Dakota Felton and Kincade Cullen Henry, 15.4; 5. (tie) Cooper Martin and Sterling Smith, 16.6; 7. Reid H. Zapalac, 16.7; 8. Jake Pratt, 16.8; 9. (tie) Bryson Sechrist and Stetson Vest,16,9; 11. Ty Harris, 17.0; 12. (tie) Reese Riemer and Monty Lewis, 17.1.

Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Tiany Schuster, 14.05 seconds; 2.Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.10; 3. Shannon McReynolds, 14.20; 4. Kim Schulze, 14.24; 5. (tie) Haley Wolfe and Ivy Conrado-Saebens, 14.26; 7. (tie) Kathy Grimes and Lindsay Sears, 14.27; 9. (tie) Lexie Goss and Randee Prindle, 14.30. Average leaders: 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 30.22 seconds; 2. Shannon McReynolds, 30.32; 3. Tiany Schuster, 30.35; 4. Kim Schulze, 30.36; 5. Emily Efurd, 30.42; 6. Randee Prindle, 30.46; 7. Lexie Goss, 30.48; 8. (tie) Ivy Conrado-Saebens, Cheyenne Kelly Reynolds and Jordan Briggs, 30.49; 11. Lindsay Sears, 30.56; 12. Kathy Grimes, 30.57.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Stetson Wright, 89 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Candy Man; 2. Bayle Worden, 88.5; 3. Elliot Jacoby, 86.5; 4. (tie) Ty Wallace, Boudreaux Campbell and Parker Cole McCown, 84; 7. Jeston Mead, 83.5; 8. Trey Benton, 82.5; 9. (tie) Brody Yeary and Jeff Askey, 82; 11. (tie) Shane Proctor and Tyler Bingham, 81.