The first performance of the 2017 San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo was underway at Foster Communications Coliseum Friday night to an appreciative crowd.
The show began on time with a laser and pyrotechnics display with rodeo announcer Boyd Polhamus emphasizing the importance of the San Angelo rodeo in the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) circles. This is the rodeo’s 85th consecutive year and Polhamus said the show is considered among the top five in the nation.
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Above: On display 15 minutes before the show began, a Ram 2500. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)
The San Angelo rodeo has a distinction of being a contest where performers of any level can gain footing in the PRCA circuit, culminating at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December. Because most are welcome to enter any of the contests, in the age of instant communications of the Internet and social media, all the bareback riders except one originally scheduled didn’t show for opening night.
Tom Thompson, spokesman for the rodeo, said when the bareback riders learned the news that bareback contestant Taylor Broussard drew Hy Lo Hills as the bucking horse, they stayed home instead of risking a $1,000 plane ticket just to lose. The rider and bucking horse together had potential to have a high score.
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Above: The San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Ambassadors. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)
Their tactics were to no avail, however. Broussard didn’t score, getting bucked off a couple seconds into the ride. One has to remian on the horse for eight seconds to be scored.
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Above: Rodeo announcer Boyd Polhamus. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)
Steer wrestling was the highlight of the evening. Tyler Waguespack from Gonzales, Louisiana, earned a time of 3.3 seconds (it was 3.5 before the judges gave him 0.2 more for a timing error). “That will be hard to beat,” said Polhamus.
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Above: Bullfighter and barrelman Justin "Rumpshaker" Rumford. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)
In bull riding, Brennon Eldred scored 87.5 on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Shellac. This was a very good showing for the rodeo’s first evening.
Watch the ride:
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The rest of the scores in the first performance are vulnerable over the next several performances of the two-week rodeo, Polhamus said.
Traffic was light and parking convenient for the first night of the rodeo. Tickets for all performances are still available at Blair's Western Wear, Pinkie's Liquor Store on S. Bryant, Barbed Wire & Roses in the Sunset Mall, the San Angelo Convention Center, Goodfellow Air Force Base and the Coliseum Box Office.
The Coliseum Box Office will operate Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The next performance is Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
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Above: Top performers were interviewed live on the KLST-TV 10 p.m. newscast. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)
| Bareback Riding | ||
|---|---|---|
| No qualified rides | ||
| Steer wrestling - First round leaders | ||
| 1. | Tyler Waguespack | 3.3 seconds |
| 2. | Ty Erickson | 3.5 seconds |
| 3. (tie) | Kyle Whitaker and Jacob Talley | 3.8 seconds |
| 5. | Wade Sumpter | 4.2 seconds |
| 6. | Nick Guy | 4.4 seconds |
| 7. | Timmy Sparing | 4.7 seconds |
| 8. | Clayton Hass | 5.5 seconds |
| Team roping - First round leaders | ||
| 1. (tie) | Cory Clark/Clint Summers | 5.5 seconds |
| 1. (tie) | Jake Cooper/Brady Norman | 5.5 seconds |
| 3. | Aaron Macy/Evan Arnold | 6.1 seconds |
| 4. | Billy Bob Brown/Logan Medlin | 9.2 seconds |
| 5. | Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger | 9.3 seconds |
| Saddle bronc riding leaders | ||
| 1. | Audy Reed on Lancaster & Jones’ Badlands | 74 points |
| 2. | Clay Elliott | 73 points |
| 3. | Hardy Braden | 72 points |
| 4. (tie> | Will Smith | 70 points |
| 4. (tie> | Clay Stremler | 70 points |
| 6. (tie> | Justin Lawrence | 68 points |
| Tie-down roping - First round leaders | ||
| 1. | Ryle Smith | 7.9 seconds |
| 2. | Cory Solomon | 8.6 seconds |
| 3. | Sterling Smith | 9.5 seconds |
| 4. (tie) | Randall Carlisle | 10.9 seconds |
| 4. (tie) | Matt Shiozawa | 10.9 seconds |
| 6. | Blane Cox | 11.1 seconds |
| 7. | Caleb Smidt | 14.2 seconds |
| Barrel racing - Second round leaders | ||
| 1. | Laura Kennedy | 14.24 seconds |
| 2. | Brooke Jeter | 14.42 seconds |
| 3. | Margo Crowther | 14.6 seconds |
| 4. | J.J. Baldwin | 14.70 seconds |
| 5. | Kirstin Carlson | 14.73 seconds |
| 6. | Molly Childers | 14.86 seconds |
| 7. | Sarah Rose McDonald | 16.26 seconds |
| 8. | Julie Burnett | 19.95 seconds |
| 9. | Cambra Smith | 20.10 seconds |
| 10. | Michelle Lummus | 25.19 seconds |
| Bull riding leaders | ||
| 1. | Brennon Eldred on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Shellac | 87.5 points |
| 2. | Luke Gee | 82 points |
* Barrel racing: Average leaders: 1. Laura Kennedy, 30.80 seconds on two runs; 2. Brooke Jeter, 31.00; 3. Margo Crowther, 31.15; 4. J.J. Baldwin, 31.29; 5. Kirstin Carlson, 31.33; 6. Molly Childers, 31.40; 7. Sarah Rose McDonald, 32.82; 8. Julie Burnett, 36.52; 9. Cambra Smith, 36.68; 10. Michelle Lummus, 41.76; 11. Tiany Schuster, 15.79 seconds on one run; 12. Carmel Wright, 15.84.
Reporting, photos and videos were produced using an iPhone 7. Ted Harbin contributed the scores to this report.
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