North Platte, Neb. (June 16, 2018) – It was déjà vu all over again for bareback rider Austin Foss.
For the second year, the Terrebonne, Oregon man claimed the bareback riding title at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte with a score of 87 points on the Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. horse Nutrena’s Anything Goes.
Nutrena’s Anything Goes, a seven-year-old mare, was a horse that Foss knew he could win money on. “That horse really bucked. She was really strong right out of the chute, the kind you want to win on.” Last year, he made an 87.5 point ride on the Beutler horse Pendleton Whisky’s Red Bandana to win the rodeo. “I remember coming here last year, and I remember getting on one that bucked, and what do you know? It happened again this year.”
The last two weeks have been good to the 26-year-old cowboy. He’s won about $8,000 in two weeks with a first place finish at the Union, Ore. rodeo, and placings at rodeos in Eagle, Colo., Sisters, Ore., and Clovis, N.M. It’s jumped him from twenty-sixth in the PRCA’s world standings to sixteenth, giving him a shot at being in the top fifteen in the world. A top fifteen ranking at the end of the rodeo season allows a cowboy to compete at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) in Las Vegas in December, where world champions are determined. Foss has been at the WNFR three times (2013-2015) and wants to go again. “I’m knocking at the door.”
Foss was coming from home when he traveled to Nebraska, making the 1000 mile trip and leaving on Thursday afternoon, but it was worth it. “I drove here from Oregon, and I’d do it again,” the jubilant cowboy said.
The Saturday night performance saw the high score in the bull riding for the rodeo.
Jeston Mead, Holcomb, Kansas, scored 85 points on the Beutler and Son bull Roll Tide.
The 29-year-old called his friend Ty Clearwater, who rode the bull on Thursday night, to see what bucking pattern the bull might have. Clearwater got bucked off, but Mead didn’t. The bull “really fired. He performed for me really well,” Mead said.
Mead, who has been riding bulls since he was twelve years old, considered the significance of winning the North Platte rodeo, named after the west’s biggest showman, Buffalo Bill, with the rodeo grounds within sight of Buffalo Bill’s famed Scouts Rest Ranch. “I always thought it would be a great memory to win (North Platte), just because of all the history behind the rodeo. It’s a great event.”
He and his wife and two children, a daughter, age six, and a son, age two, will camp out in the campground next to Scouts Rest Ranch tonight then head home to southwestern Kansas tomorrow. Mead runs a cattle processing crew and has 1,000 head of cattle to work on Monday before flying to Reno, Nevada for another rodeo on Tuesday.
The 2018 Trail Boss Award was awarded to Tricia Schaffer. The North Platte woman has served on the Nebraska High School Rodeo Queen committee, as an event director for the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association, and as a national director for the Neb. High School Rodeo Association since 1996. Five years ago, the National High School Rodeo Association recognized her as the NHSRA Woman of the Year. She was instrumental in securing the National High School Finals Rodeo to be held in Lincoln in 2020 and 2021.
Other 2018 champions include steer wrestler Tee Burress, Piedmont, S.D. (8.1 seconds on 2 head), tie-down ropers Trent Creager, Stillwater, Okla. and Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa (both with 18.1 seconds on two head) 2015 world champion saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley, (86.5 points), team ropers Curry Kirchner, Ames, Okla. and Chase Boekhaus, Rolla, Kansas (4.4 seconds), and barrel racer Kelly Bruner, Millsap, Texas (17.41 seconds).
NEBRASKAland Days activities continue until June 23. Next weekend’s highlights include a concert on Fri., June 22 with Florida-Georgia Line and special guest Brett Young. The Sat., June 23 concert is Alabama, with special guest the Charlie Daniels Band. For more information, visit www.NebraskaLandDays.com.
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Results, North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo 2017
Bareback riding – 2018 champion: Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Oregon
1. Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore. 87 points on Nutrena’s Anything Goes; 2. Tyler Scales, Buffalo, Wyo. 84; 3. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb. 82; 4. Grant Denny, Minden, Nev. 81; 5. Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D. 80; 6. Blake Smith, Zap, N.D. 79; 7. Justin Pollmiller, Weatherford, Texas 75; 8. (tie) Chance Merrill, Coffeyville, Kan. and Mike Fred, St Marys Kan. 73 each.
Steer wrestling – 2018 champion: Tee Burress, Piedmont, S.D.
1st go-round
1. Tee Burress, Piedmont, S.D. 3.6 seconds; 2. Jon Herl, Goodland, Kan. 3.9; (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La., Cyler Dowling, Newell, S.D. and Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas 4.0 each; 6. Trever Nelson, Calera, Okla. 4.2.
2nd go-round
1. Trell Etbauer, 3.6 seconds; 2. Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas 3.9; 3. (tie) Justice Johnson, Bismarck, N.D. and Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. 4.0 each; 5. Cody Pratt, Pueblo, Colo. 4.1; 6. Jacob D Edler, Dacoma, Okla. 4.3.
Average
1. Tee Burress, Piedmont, S.D. 8.1 seconds on 2 head; 2. Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas 8.7; 3. J.D. Struxness, Milan, Minn. 9.0; 4. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. and Jon Herl, Goodland, Kan. 9.4 each; 6. Kody Woodward, Dupree, S.D. 9.5.
Tie-down roping – 2018 co-champions: Trent Creager, Stillwater, Okla. and Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa
1st go-round
1. Jordan Ketscher, Squaw Valley, Calif. 8.3 seconds; 2. (tie) Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas and Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa, 8.4 each; 4. Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 8.8; 5. Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas 8.9; 6. Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 9.0.
2nd go-round
1. Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas 8.1 seconds; 2. Randall Carlisle, Athens, La. 8.4; 3. (tie) Joey Dickens, Loveland, Colo. and Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La. 8.5 each;
5. (tie) Trent Creager, Stillwater, Okla. and Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. 8.6 each.
Average
1. (tie) Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa and Trent Creager, Stillwater, Okla. 18.1 on 2 head; 3. Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla. 18.6; 4. Jordan Ketscher, Squaw Valley, Calif. 18.8; 5. Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. 18.9; 6. Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas 19.2.
Saddle bronc riding – 2018 champion: Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas
1. Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas 86.5 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.’s Nutrena’s Ole Flame; 2. Jade Blackwell, Rapid City, S.D. 85.5; 3. (tie) Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla. 81 and Leon Fountain, Socorro, N.M. 81 each; 5. (tie) Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Fla., Dalton Davis, Holcomb, Kan. and Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb. 80 each; 8. (tie) Dawson Dahm, Lane Wimberly, Belen, N.M. and Taygen Schuelke, 79 each.
Team roping – 2018 champions: Curry Kirchner, Ames, Okla. and Chase Boekhaus, Rolla, Kansas
1. Curry Kirchner, Ames, Okla./Chase Boekhaus, Rolla, Kan. 4.4 seconds; 2. Mason Boettcher, East Bernard, Texas/Ty Arnold, Midway, Texas 5.0; 3. Corey Whinnery, Powderhorn, Colo./Robert Murphey, Congress, Ariz. 5.2; 4. (tie) Jake Orman, Prairie, Miss./Will Woodfin, Marshall, Texas and Jeff Johnston, Thedford, Neb./Dustin Harris, O’Neill, Neb. 5.3 each; 6. (tie) Jr Dees, Aurora, S.D./Quincy Opela, Stapleton, Neb. and Cooper White, Hershey, Neb./Tucker White, Hershey, Neb., 5.4 each; 8. Jesse Stipes, Salina, Okla./Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla. 5.5.
Barrel racing – 2018 champion: Kelly Bruner, Millsap, Texas
1. Kelly Bruner, Millsap, Texas 17.41 seconds; 2. Emily Miller, Weatherford, Okla. 17.47; 3. Taci Bettis, Round Top, Texas 17.50; 4. Shelby Janssen, Coleman, Okla. 17.58; 5. Jessica Routier, Buffalo, S.D. 17.69; 6. Erin Williams, Moorcraft, Wyo. 17.71; 7. (tie) Jennifer Hiler, Greeley, Colo. and Ali Armstrong, Lexington, Okla. 17.77 each; 9. Christine Laughlin, Pueblo., Colo. 17.78; 10. Jody McKay, Red Oak, Okla. 17.82; 11. Tammy Fischer, Ledbetter, Teas 17.84; 12. Lacinda Rose, Willard, Mo. 17.85.
Bull riding – 2018 champion: Jeston Mead, Holcomb, Kansas
1. Jeston Mead, Holcomb, Kan. 85 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.’s Roll Tide; 2. Kenan Isbell, Gatesville, Texas 84; 3. Elijah Mora, Wiggins, Colo. 83; 4. Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah 82.5; 5.Brennon Eldred, Sulphur, Okla. 82; 6. Bart Miller, Pleasanton, Neb. 79.5; 7. Tyler Bingham, Honeyville, Utah 79; 8. Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah 68.
** All results are unofficial.