ST PAUL – The cowgirls have arrived at the St. Paul Rodeo, and they’re making their mark.
The women’s breakaway roping event was added to the rodeo this year, and the fastest times of the rodeo so far were made on Wednesday, July 3, in the evening performance.
Lari Dee Guy and Hope Thompson, both of Abilene, Texas, each roped their calves in 2.8 seconds to share the lead in their event.
For Guy, it was a much needed run.
“It was really my first good run I’ve had over the Fourth (of July week), “and I said, no better place to do it than the first time to ever have breakaway roping in St. Paul, Oregon.”
For Thompson, her competition run in St. Paul was a reassurance of her abilities.
She’s back from an injury, a shoulder she fractured in three places at a California rodeo in late April.
“My first rodeo back was Prineville (Oregon), two weeks ago. So for me, it’s going back to basics. That’s basically what that run was. Take advantage of a good calf, go through the motions, and get the job done.”
The duo, plus fellow traveling partner and breakaway roper Jackie Crawford had a bit of trouble getting to St. Paul.
On their way from the Oakley, Utah rodeo to Cody, Wyo., last night, their motorbus broke down near Rock Springs, Wyo., with the closest wrecker 70 miles away.
But rodeo friends who were also on the road got the women to Cody by 6 am this morning; they roped in Cody at 8 am, then boarded a plane to Portland, where they met a second truck and trailer, with their horses, to rope in St. Paul on Wednesday night.
The importance of adding breakaway roping to the list of events at St. Paul was not lost on the women.
“It adds another women’s event to pro rodeos,” Guy said, “and it gives little girls another event to have heroes in, and to grow up and become heroes.
“I’m 53 years old, and that’s why I’m still out here, doing it, because I want to see those little girls grow up and be able to do what we’re able to do.”
Sixty breakaway ropers will compete in St. Paul before the week is done. The rodeo has not added an event since 1977, when team roping was added. Barrel racing is the other women’s event in pro rodeo; both the barrel racing and breakaway roping are sanctioned by the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association.
In the tie-down roping, the arena record was matched by a Canada cowboy, who wasn’t on the initial list of entries.
Beau Cooper, Stettler, Alberta, had a time of 7.4 seconds to tie the record, which was set in 2011 by Shane Hanchey.
Cowboys and cowgirls enter the rodeos of their choosing, doing so online or via phone; they have a set window of time to enter each rodeo.
But Cooper forgot to do that.
“We had a little mishap entering,” he joked, “and I forgot to enter this rodeo. Not only is it one of the biggest ones over the Fourth, it’s also in my circuit.”
Cowboys are allowed to replace open spots, for other cowboys who won’t be at that rodeo, and that’s what Cooper did.
“I left my schedule today open,” he said, so he could come to St. Paul and replace a tie-down roper who couldn’t make it. “Some things just work out for the best.”
The 22-year-old was aboard a seven-year-old gelding, a horse he’s ridden for the past year. The horse “is amazing,” he said, “probably one of the best horses I’ve ever ridden. He’s easy. He doesn’t make too many moves and everything he does is methodical. He does everything good. He doesn’t try to get in your way.”
Other high scores and fast times from slack and the second performance of the St. Paul Rodeo are bareback rider Wyatt Wood, San Luis Obispo, Calif. (77 points); steer wrestler Dalton Massey, Hermiston, Ore. (3.6 seconds); bull rider Taylor Toves, Stephenville, Texas (84.5 points); saddle bronc rider Kade Bruno, Challis, Idaho (87 points); team ropers Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla. and Douglas Rich, Herrick, Ill. (4.6 seconds); and barrel racer Lindsay Ham, Cheney, Wash. (17.60 seconds).
St. Paul celebrates Independence Day on July 4 with two rodeo performances: one at 1:30 pm and the second at 7:30 pm. The rodeo continues July 5-6 with evening performances.
The rodeo is broadcast live on The Cowboy Channel.
For more information, visit the website at StPaulRodeo.com .
Results from the slack and the second performance, St. Paul Rodeo, July 3, 2024
Bareback Riding
1. Wyatt Wood, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 77 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Minnie; 2. Dylan Riggins, Kadoka, S.D. 75.5; 3. Garrett Blackwell, Sandy, Ore. 71.5; 4. Moe Heaton, Alton, Utah 69.5.
Steer wrestling
1st round fast times:
1. Dalton Massey, Hermiston, Ore. 3.6 seconds; 2. (tie)Winsten McGraw, Gill, Colo. and Will Lummus, Byhalia, Miss. 4.1 each; 4. Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas 4.4.
2nd round fast times:
1. Dalton Massey, Hermiston, Ore. 3.5 seconds; 2, Will Lummus, Byhalia, Miss. 3.6; 3. Stephen Mullins, Mendenhall, Miss. 3.8; 4. Eric Logan, Marsing, Idaho 3.9.
Bull riding
1. Taylor Toves, Stephenville, Texas 84.5 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Big River; 2. Jordan Spears, Redding, Calif. 78.5; no other qualified rides.
Tie-down roping
1st round fast times
1. Gator Goodrich, Stanfield, Ore. 9.3 seconds; 2. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas 9.7; 3. Brad Goodrich, Hermiston, Ore. 9.8; 4. (tie) John Douch, Huntsville, Texas and Jason Anderson, Salinas, Calif. 10.1 each.
2nd round fast times:
1. Beau Cooper, Stettler, Alb. 7.4 seconds; 2. John Douch, Huntsville, Texas 7.5; 3. Bo Pickett, Caldwell, Idaho 8.2; 4. Brad Goodrich, Hermiston, Ore. 9.1.
Breakaway roping
1. (tie) Hope Thompson, Abilene, Texas and Lari Dee Guy, Abilene, Texas 2.8 seconds each; 3. Jackie Crawford, Abilene, Texas 2.9; 4. Kayde Jo Akins, Goldendale, Wash. 3.1.
Saddle bronc riding
1. Kade Bruno, Challis, Idaho 87 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Broken Camp; 2. Wyatt Casper, Miami, Texas 84; 3. Weston Patterson, Waverly, Kan. 83; Jake Clark, Crane, Ore. 80.5.
Team roping
1st round fast times
1. Cyle Denison, Iowa, La./Tanner Braden, Dewey, Okla. 5.1 seconds; 2. Nelson Wyatt, Clanton, Ala./Jonathan Torres, Ocala, Fla. 5.3; 3. Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla./Kaden Profili, Jacksonville, Texas 5.5; 4. Steven Duby, Hereford, Ore./Taylor Duby, Nampa, Idaho 6.1.
2nd round fast times
1. Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Douglas Rich, Herrick, Ill. 4.6 seconds; 2. Clint Summers, Lake City, Fla./Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan. 4.7; 3. Houston Hull, Warden, Wash./Jason Minor, Ellensburg, Wash. 4.8; 4. Steven Duby, Hereford, Ore./Taylor Duby, Nampa, Idaho 5.3.
Barrel racing
1. Lindsey Ham, Cheney, Wash. 17.60 seconds; 2. Abby Phillips, Marshall, Texas 17.80; 3. Rachelle Riggers, Lewiston, Idaho 17.82; 4. Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas 17.98.
** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com .
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