North Platte, Neb. (June 16, 2016) – Chet Johnson is working on his second Buffalo Bill Rodeo gold buckle.

The Lusk, Wyo. cowboy is the high score in the saddle bronc riding after two nights of the rodeo in North Platte, with an 84 point ride aboard Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.’s horse Painted Desert.

He was happy when he learned that he had drawn the horse, an eighteen year old mare. “I’ve been wanting to get on that horse for quite a while,” he said. “He’s one of the older ones of Bennie’s, and he’s been good for years. I drew him here, and have been excited all week when I found out what I had.”

Painted Desert stalled a bit before leaving the chute, but it all worked out. “He didn’t want to leave the chutes real bad,” Johnson said. “It took him a few seconds to get going. Once he realized what was going on, he did his thing, and was as good as he could be.”

Johnson won last year’s Buffalo Bill Rodeo with an 86 point ride, and he’s hoping to repeat the feat. “This is a very tough rodeo, so to win it back to back, it would be quite an achievement.” But there are two more nights of rodeo, and Johnson knows his first place might not hold. “You get all the tough guys (saddle bronc riders) here, and the horses are really good, so you get a combination of high scores. That’s what everybody needs, and everybody wants to be here, trying to get that buckle.”

Johnson, who is 35 years old, has spent a month at his family’s ranch north of Lusk but is about to rodeo harder. A veteran of the rodeo world, he knows when to take it easy. “I’ve been just taking it real easy, trying not to burn myself out. From here on out, I’m going to rodeo real hard and try to get back” to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He has competed at the WNFR four times (2005, 2007-08 and 2013). During the winters, he stays at his home in Stephenville, Texas, but in the summers heads to  the family ranch. “It’s about time to migrate north. It’s getting a little toasty.”

Other leaders from Thursday’s slack and performance are bareback rider Justin Miller, Billings, Mont. (83 points); steer wrestler Timmy Sparing, Helena, Mont. (3.5 seconds) and tie-down roper Michael Otero, Lowndesboro, Ala. (8.2 seconds). Two teams tied for the lead in the rodeo. Nick Sartain, Dover, Okla./Gage Williams, Foster, Okla., and Adam Rose, Willard, Mo./Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, each had 6.1 second runs. Barrel racer Sabra Quinn, Ocala, Fla., was the fast time for the day (17.86 seconds) and bull rider. 

Tough Enough to Wear Pink night at the rodeo, and three cancer survivors: Jan Rickertson, Gothenburg, Lisa Mullen, Paxton, and Diane Adkins, Ogallala, were honored. All three got treatment at the Callahan Cancer Center at Great Plains Health in North Platte. 

Night number three of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo takes place on Friday, June 17 at the Wild West Arena in North Platte. Tickets are available online at www.NebraskaLandDays.com, at the NLD office or at the gate.

Leaders after the second performance and slack, June 16, 2016

 

North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Bareback riding

1. Justin Miller, Billings, Mont. 83 points on 070 Rustler; 2. (tie) Justin Pollmiller, Weatherford, Okla. and Jake Choate, Lakeside, Neb. 77 each; 4. Craig Wisehart, Kersey, Colo. 75.

Steer wrestling

1^st go-round (completed after slack today)

1. Jule Hazen, Ashland, KS 3.7 seconds; 2. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, NE 3.8; 3. Josh Peek, Pueblo, CO 4.2; 4. (tie) Jacob Talley, Keatchie, LA, Weston Taylor, Perryton, TX and Tee Burress, Piedmont, SD 4.5 each.

2^nd go-round

1. Timmy Sparing, Helena, Mont. 3.5 seconds; 2. Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan. 3.7;  3. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo. 3.8; 4. (tie) Kyle Whitaker, Chambers, Neb. and Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Ida. 4.0 each.

Tie-down roping

1^st go-round (completed after slack today)

1. Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas 9.0 seconds; 2. Tyson Durfey, Weatherford, Texas 9.1; 3. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas 9.7; 4. Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, Ida. 9.8; 5. Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas 9.9; 6. Tylen Layton, Copan, Okla. 11.4.

2^nd go-round

1. Michael Otero, Lowndesboro, Ala. 8.2 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas 8.3; 3. Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas 8.6; 4. (tie) Dennis Luetge, Hempstead, Texas and Jess Woodward, Dupree, S.D. 9.2. each.

Saddle bronc riding

1. Chet Johnson, Douglas, Wyo. 84 points on Painted Desert; 2. Andy Clarys, Riverton, Wyo. 81; 3. Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D. 77; no other qualified rides.

Team Roping

1^st go round (completed after performance)

1. JB Lord, Sturgis, S.D./Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D. 5.7 seconds; 2. Adam Rose, Willard, Mo./Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas 6.1; 3. Levi O’Keeffe, Mohall, N.D./Cotey Hanson, Berthold, N.D. 6.2; 4. (tie) Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D./Jace Davis, Stephenville, Texas and Zac Small, Welch, Okla./Wesley Thorp, Stephenville, Texas 6.4 each; 6. Ty Blasingame, Ramah, Colo./Shad Chadwick, Cave Creek, Ariz. 6.7.

2^nd go-round

1. Nick Sartain, Dover, Okla./Gage Williams, Foster, Okla. and Adam Rose, Willard, Mo./Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas 6.1 seconds each; 3. Jesse Stipes, Salina, Okla./Buddy Hawkins, II, Columbus, Kan. 6.2; 4. Casey Adams, Ault, Colo./Riley Pedro, Honolulu, Hawaii 6.6.

Barrel racing

1. Sabra O’Quinn, Ocala, Fla. 17.86 seconds; 2. Hope Delaware, Atwood, Colo. 18.14; 3. Carla Jensen, St Paul, Neb. 18.24; 4. Carley Richardson, Pampa, Texas 18.28.

Bull riding

1. Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D. 79 points on 259 Venomous; 2. Taylor Miller, Faith, S.D. 73.5; no other qualified rides.

** All results are unofficial.