North Platte, Neb. (June 19, 2015) – After competition at the third night of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo, several cowboys slipped into the money, coming in second and fourth place in their respective events.
North Platte played host to several top fifteen cowboys, including bareback rider Seth Hardwick and saddle bronc rider Heath DeMoss. Hardwick, Laramie, Wyo., and currently fourth in the world in his event, scored 81 points to hold the fourth place spot in the rodeo so far. He rode Queen Molly, a little bay horse owned by Beutler and Son Rodeo Co., the stock contractors for the rodeo. “I’d heard from a few guys she was a little bucky. But it’s Bennie’s (Beutler) pen, and I guess they’re all like that,” he said.
The 26 year old cowboy is having the best year of his rodeo career, and if he can stay away from injuries and keep in the top fifteen in the world, he’ll be headed to his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December. He credits it to not being injured, working out more, and drawing good bucking horses. He’s had a good start, winning second at San Antonio, Texas earlier this winter and winning the Champions Challenges at Redding, Calif., and Spanish Forks, Utah. But there’s no letting off the pedal now. The North Platte rodeo “pretty much starts our Fourth (of July) run, so I’ll rodeo till the end of September, for the most part. A guy can just about go to a rodeo every day, if he wants,” Hardwick said. “We try not to do that, because you can get too tired, but we go to plenty of them.”
For saddle bronc rider Heath DeMoss, who is currently number twelve in the world standings, his trip to North Platte was extra special: in the four times he’s competed at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo, this was the first time he didn’t get bucked off. And for the six-time Wrangler NFR qualifier, getting bucked off isn’t an everyday experience. “It’s Bennie Beutler’s” rodeo,” he joked. “You’re gonna get bucked off.”
But not on this trip. He scored 85 points to lay claim to second place, so far, on the Beutler horse Full Deck. His ride “was one of those you just have to bear down and do things right and don’t get exotic with it,” DeMoss said. “You just do your job.”
The Beutler horses have a good reputation among the horse riders. “He’s known for big, strong, bad, bucking horses and the ticket is, to sit down and do things right,” DeMoss said.
Other fast times and high scores from the Friday night performance are steer wrestler Chad Johnston, Thedford, Neb. (4.1 seconds), team ropers Brett Christensen and Chase Boekhaus, both of Alva, Okla. (5.8), and tie-down roper Levi Fisher, Hershey, Neb. Fisher is also a member of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo committee. Barrel racer Ari-Anna Flynn, Charleston, Ark., took the lead overall with her 17.53 second run, the fastest of the rodeo so far. No bull riders made a qualified ride tonight.
The final night of rodeo in North Platte wraps up on Saturday, June 20 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.
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Results, 3rd Performance June 19, 2015
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo
Bareback Riding
1 Seth Hardwick, Laramie, Wyo. 81 points on Queen Molly ; 2 Cody Ziober, Huntsville, Texas 77; 3. Logan Patterson, Goodwell, Okla. 75; 4. Codi Myers, Samnorwood, Texas 61.
Steer Wrestling 2nd go round
1 Chad Johnston, Thedford, Neb. 4.1 seconds; 2. Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D. 4.3; 3. Jared Thompson, Alva, Okla. 4.7; 4. Mike Garcia, Kaycee, Wyo. 6.5.
Tie Down Roping 2nd go round
1 Levi Fisher, Hershey, Neb. 11.6 seconds; 2. Cody Nye, Alliance, Neb. 12.7; 3. Jess Woodward, Dupree, S.D. 14.5; 4. Ty Baker, Van Horn, Texas 16.7.
Saddle Bronc Riding
1 Heath DeMoss, Heflin, La. 85 points on Full Deck; 2. Sam Spreadborough, Snyder, Texas 80; 3. Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La. 78; 4. Doug Aldridge, Carthage, Mo. 73.
Team Roping 2nd go-round
1 Brett Christensen, Alva, Okla/Chase Boekhaus, Alva, Okla. 5.8 seconds; 2.Logan Olson, Flandreau, S.D./Jordan Olson, Surprise, Ariz. 10.4; 3. Trent Barrett, North Platte, Neb./Scott Northrup, Stoneham, Colo. 11.2; 4. Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D./Jared Bilby, Bridgeport, Neb. 14.6.
Barrel Racing
1 Ari-Anna Flynn, Charleston, Ark. 17.53 seconds; 2. Shali Lord, Lamar, Colo. 17.65; 3. Tally Roepke, Washta, Iowa 17.88; 4. Jean Winters, Texline, Texas 18.00.
Bull Riding
No qualified rides.
** All results are unofficial.