Winners crowned in Snake River Stampede

NAMPA — Champions were crowned Saturday at the final round of the 109th Snake River Stampede

Bareback rider Orin Larsen started Saturday’s final with a blistering score of 90 to take the event title. Larsen, a Inglis, Manitoba native snuck into Saturday’s final round by scoring a 83.5 in Thursday’s rodeo, good enough to snag the 12th and last spot in the final.

With his score Saturday, Laren was able to finish with a two-head score of 173.5, a score which stood as cowboy after cowboy following him were able to put up qualifying rides, but none good enough to catch Larsen.

Larsen came into the weekend ranked No. 20 in the world standings entering the week, outside of the top 15, which will make the National Finals Rodeo at the end of the season. Larsen is looking to qualify for the NFR for the 10th straight season. Saturday’s Snake River Stampede title was a start.

Mamou, Louisiana native Rowdy Parrot won the steer wrestling title, recorded a 3.3 second time in Saturday’s final to finish with a three-head score of 11.6 seconds.

In team roping, the team that won the 2022 NFR average title, Tanner Tomlinson and Patrick Smith, took the Snake River Stampede scoring a time of 4 seconds for a three-head score of 162.5. For Smith, it was his third title at the Snake River Stampede, winning in 2010 with Trevor Brazile and in 2006 with Clay Tryan.

It was the first Stampede title for Tomlinson, who has partnered with Smith since 2021.

Nineteen-year-old newcomer Thayne Elshere wowed the Ford Idaho Center crowd scoring a 90 to finish with a two-head score of 175.5 to win the saddle bronc riding title.

Elshere, a Sturgis, South Dakota native is the son of 2006 NFR overall title J.J. Elshere.

Jose Conner, of Iowa, Louisiana won the breakaway roping title, achieving a time of 1.7 seconds and Saturday for a two-head score of 3.8 seconds.

Lipan, Texas native Cole Clemans, a 20-year-old having a breakout season, earned his first win of the year in tie-down roping. Clemans, who entered the week ranked No. 19 in tie-down roping, having earned nearly $53,000 got his calf roped in 7.7 seconds on Saturday for a three-head score of 23.3 seconds.

67-year-old Dona Kaye Rule continued to show rodeo is timeless, winning her second Snake River Stampede title in three years in barrel racing. Rule, a retired saddle maker, finished with a time of 15.64 seconds on Saturday to finish with a two-head score of 15.64

Dairy, Oregon native TJ Gray finished the night winning the bull riding title. Gray had a score of 88 Saturday to finish with a two-head score of 174.

Next year’s Snake River Stampede will move to June and be held June 17-21.