North Platte, Neb. (June 20, 2014) – As lightning bolts flickered across the sky, lightning hit a pair of team ropers at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.
Ty Blasingame and J.W. Borrego turned in the fastest time of the night and took the lead with a 5.0 second run in the second go-round.
The Colorado duo placed second in the first go round (5.4 seconds) and are in the lead in the average, the fastest time in two runs.
They saw their steer run last night, and knew he wasn’t the best in the herd. “We had a steer that stopped last night, and he was kind of an eliminator, so we made a game plan,” Blasingame said. He waited a bit before roping him, letting the steer get a little farther out. “I just let him out there a little bit extra, and roped him, and J.W. did a great job of heeling him after he set up, so it was a good game plan.”
For Blasingame, his game plans in North Platte have served him well. The Sugar City, Colo. man won the team roping in 2010 with heeler Josh Fillmore and again last year with Matt Zancanella. It’s a good reason to love North Platte, he laughed. “I love this rodeo. The good set-up, the good hospitality, people are awesome here, and theyhave good fans.”
The two have roped together, off and on, since they were youngsters in Little Britches Rodeo and high school rodeo. They won the Ram National Circuit Finals earlier this year in Edmond, Okla. and, this year, are competing in the Mountain States Circuit (Colorado and Wyoming) and at bigger regional rodeos. “We go hard,” Blasingame said. “We’re going to go quite a bit over the Fourth (of July.)”
As youngsters, J.W. was the header and Ty was the heeler, but lately they’ve switched ends. “We thought that was a good way to go,” Blasingame said. “I couldn’t catch very many,” he laughed, “and he (J.W.) can’t handle one,” at the heeling end, he laughed.
Other leaders from the Friday night performance are bareback rider Seth Coursen, Casper, Wyo. (75), steer wrestler Brent Sutton, Onida, S.D. (5.0 seconds), tie-down roper Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla. (12.3), saddle bronc rider Chase Miller, Edmond, Okla. (78), and barrel racer Hope Delaware, Atwood, Colo. (17.78). No bull riders made the eight second buzzer.
A North Platte couple was awarded the 2014 Dale Studley Award. Todd and Anne Bissell have volunteered their time with NebraskalandDays for many years, withTodd serving as a Director and the couple cooking for countless NLD and rodeo functions.
The final night of rodeo in North Platte wraps up on Saturday, June 21 when champions will be crowned and custom engraved buckles awarded to winners. The big rodeo parade takes place on Saturday at 1 pm. For more information, visit www.NEBRASKAlandDays.com.
Results, 3rd Performance June 20, 2014
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo
Bareback Riding
1 Seth Coursen, Casper, Wyo. 75 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.’s Molly Brown; 2 Wesley Cole, Goodwell, Okla. 70; no other qualified rides
Steer Wrestling 2nd go round
1 Brent Sutton, Onida, S.D. 5.0 seconds; 2. Jacob Edler, Marlow, Okla. 5.4; 3. Brett Gumb, Burwell, Neb. 6.5; 4. Weston Taylor, Perryton, Texas 7.8
Tie Down Roping 2nd go round
1. Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla. 12.3 seconds; 2. Perry Dietz, Alva, Okla. 19.3; no other qualified runs
Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Chase Miller, Ogallala, Neb. 78 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s 239 Red Man; 2. Wade Sundell, Coleman, Okla. 76; 3. David Martin, Zwingle, Iowa 74; 4. Ty Atchison, Colony, Okla. 71
Team Roping 2nd go-round
1. Ty Blasingame, Sugar City, Colo./JW Borrego, Weston, Colo. 5.0 seconds; 2. Brady Wakefield, O’Neill, Neb./Ty Talsma, Verdigre, Neb. 5.6; 3. Brandon Wyckoff, Bayard, Neb./Dustin Wyckoff, Broken Bow, Neb., 7.2; 4. Cole Dorenkamp, Lamar, Colo./Jesse Jolly, Agate, Colo. 7.6
Barrel Racing
1. Hope Delaware, Atwood, Colo., 17.78 seconds; 2. Jorry Lammers, Carpenter, Wyo. 17.96; 3. Kristi Steffes, Vale, S.D. 18.04; 4. Carrie Sutton, Laramie, Wyo. 18.32
Bull Riding
No qualified rides.
** All results are unofficial.