North Platte, Neb. (June 19, 2014) – A home-state cowboy did well at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo today.
Two time world champion steer wrestler Dean Gorsuch turned in a time of 3.3 seconds during the morning slack to win the first go-round.
The Gering man drew a good steer, and took advantage of it. “I knew he was supposed to be good. I got a great start, and he was good,” he said.
North Platte was his first rodeo back after suffering a torn elbow ligament. The injury happened during practice, and Gorsuch hasn’t competed since he was at the Challenge of Champions in Spanish Forks, Utah last month. The elbow “feels good to bulldog,” he said, “but it hurts to do normal things.” He plans on having Tommy John surgery after the rodeo season ends, and after he has competed at the National finals Rodeo, he hopes. He knows he has to qualify for the NFR first. “I gotta make it there first, but we keep trying.” He’s currently ranked eighth in the world.
He competed on his second go-round steer during slack but didn’t fare as well. “My second one, I should have done a lot better. I was going to make another fast run, and I should have just slowed down.” His time was 11.1 seconds, too slow to place in the second go-round and in the average.
Gorsuch and his traveling partners, Rhett Kennedy, who is currently leading the second go-round with a time of 3.5 seconds, Gary Gilbert, Josh Peek, and Aaron Vosler, will leave for a rodeo in Pleasant Grove, Utah on Friday, then make their way to Reno, Nev., Greeley, Colo., and then Cowboy Christmas, the Fourth of July run, the busiest part of the pro rodeo season. Sometimes his sons Taydon (nine), Trell (five) and Teagan (14 months) travel with him, but not on this trip. They’ll stay home with mom Bekah, play baseball, and wait for dad to come home.
North Platte is a special rodeo for him, and as close to a hometown rodeo as he can have. “I feel like this is my hometown rodeo. You get to see family and friends, and I love it. My grandpa ranched north of Mullen and neighbored with (fellow NFR qualifier and bareback rider) Steven Dent. I love this rodeo.”
Other leaders from the Thursday night performance are bareback rider Troy Vaira, Richey, Mont., (78 points), steer wrestler Denard Butler, Warner, Okla. (4.5 seconds), Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. (9.2), team ropers Chace Thompson, Munday, Texas and Jett Hillman, Purcell, Okla. (5.1), and barrel racers Cindy Gillespie, Ransom, Kan., and Amy Prather, Goddard, Kan., both with times of 17.66 seconds. In the saddle bronc riding and bull riding, the horses and bulls won; there were no qualified rides in either event.
Tonight was Tough Enough to Wear Pink night at the rodeo, and three cancer survivors: Kandi Franklin, Brule, Amberlee Martin, Stapleton, and Terry Martin, North Platte, were honored. All three women went through the Callahan Cancer Center at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center.
Night number three of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo takes place on Friday, June 20 at the Wild West Arena in North Platte. Tickets are available online atwww.NebraskaLandDays.com, at the NLD office or at the gate.
Results, 2nd Performance and slack, June 19, 2014
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo
Bareback riding
1 tie Troy Vaira, Richey, Mont. 78 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.’s Roger Rabbit and Joe Gunderson, Agar, S.D. 78 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.’s 423; 3. Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D. 76; 4. Craig Wisehart, Kersey, Colo. 74
Steer wrestling
1st go-round (completed after slack)
1 Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb. 3.3; 2. Tyler Haugen, Sturgis, S.D. 3.9; 3. tie Stockton Graves, Alva, Okla. and Chad Van Campen, Granada, Colo. 4.1; 5. Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 4.2; 6. tie Brad Johnson, Reva, S.D. and Dru Melvin, Hebron, Neb. 4.3; 8. Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss. 4.4
2nd go-round
1. Denard Butler, Warner, Okla. 4.5 seconds; 2. Cole McNamee, Pine Bluffs, Wyo. 4.6; 3. Benjamin Robinson, Colby, Kan. 5.2; 4. Dan Cathcart, Carpenter, Wyo. 5.6
Tie-down roping – 2nd go-round
1. Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. 9.2; 2. Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 9.4; 3. Ryan Watkins, Bluff Dale, Texas 9.7; 4. Jess Woodward, Dupree, S.D. 12.7
Saddle bronc riding
No qualified rides.
Team Roping
1st go round (completed after performance)
1. Chace Thompson, Munday, Texas/Jett Hillman, Purcell, Okla. 5.1 seconds; 2. Ty Blasingame, Sugar City, Colo./JW Borrego, Weston, Colo. 5.4; 3. Brian Dunning, McClave, Colo./T.J. Watts, Eads, Colo. 5.5; 4. Joe Beaver, Huntsville, Texas/McCoy Profili, Anderson, Texas 6.3
Barrel racing
1. tie Cindy Gillespie, Ransom, Kan. 17.66 and Amy Prather, Goddard, Kan. 17.66; 3. Emily Holton, Tonganoxie, Kan. 17.80; 4. Bobbi Grann, Sheyenne, N.D. 17.96
Bull riding
No qualified rides.
** All results are unofficial.