Deadwood Days of '76 Rodeo Delivers Big Wins as NFR Race Heats Up

All across the country, rodeo athletes are fighting hard to earn enough money to land in the top 15 and take a trip to the National Finals Rodeo. As every penny counts, the Deadwood Days of ‘76 rodeo was an opportunity to take home a check that could make all the difference.

Throughout four days of action, these athletes did not pull any punches as they stepped into the arena. Bareback riders set the bar high as each cowboy is working to earn an NFR qualification. In a turn of events, when it was all said and done it was an underdog that came out on top.

Rough Stock Results

Donny Proffit bested them all by the end, and he pocketed $6,310 with his 87.5 points on Burch Rodeo's Hell's Fire. He beat out two cowboys who currently hold down the No. 3 (Cooper Cooke) and No. 4 spots (Keenan Hayes) for the win, marking him as a true competitor in the event despite sitting at No. 35 in the world standings.

Saddle bronc riders always nod their head trying to win and in Deadwood, South Dakota, the competition was tough. The best of the best showed up, and in the end two cowboys tied for the first-place spot, as the competition quickly narrowed down. Jake Finlay, on Bailey Pro Rodeo's Candy Coated, and Dawson Hay, on Bailey Pro Rodeo's Bordertown both pulled in 85-point rides and took home $5,455.

The cowboy who won bull riding, did it by beating out his competitors by more than three whole points when it was all said and done. The score to beat came from Dustin Boquet, who scored 89.5-points on Burch Rodeo's Cookies And Cream, earning him the biggest check of the weekend at $6,286. Despite sitting at No. 31, this cowboy knows how to win against some big competitors.

Timed Event Round-Up

Kicking things off for the timed events were two rounds of action-packed steer wrestling. The first round was a split for the top spot between Bridger Anderson and Jesse Brown, who nailed down a steer in just 3.9 seconds. Another tie marked the win for round two, but these cowboys were just a hair quicker with a winning run of 3.8 seconds from Gus Franzen and Austin Hurlburt.

When it was all said and done, only one of these cowboys could pull in the overall average title. Logan Kenline was the most consistent throughout the rodeo, taking home the win with 8.7 seconds on two heads.

It was another battle for the top prize during the team roping as well. Although many tried, only one team could remain steady enough to take home the average title as Ketch Kelton and Denton Dunning tied it down in 9.9-seconds on two heads, despite not winning either round.

J7 Bland and Truman Magnus, won round one with a time of 4.6 seconds, while Lightning Aguilera and Kaden Profili, secured round two in just 4.1 seconds. Although they didn’t win the title, the teams did pocket some cash, while the winning duo took home $4,401 each.

Meged steps off his horse to tie a calf — Haven Meged | Fernando Sam-Sin

Two of tie-down ropings best went head to head in Deadwood as Haven Meged and Shad Mayfield were battling it out for the win. Meged won big in round one thanks to a 7.7-second run, while Mayfield showed out in round two for a 7.4-second run. While these two were focused on each other, world champion Shane Hanchey came from behind for the average win with 15.6 seconds on two heads, earning himself $4,939.

Barrel and Breakaway Ladies

Some big names in barrel racing took to the arena in Deadwood last week as any chance to make money for these cowgirls is a good one. Emily Beisel is on quite the roll this season and it’s clear she’s not slowing down any time soon as she took home the win with a run of 17.18 seconds.

This cowgirl is looking to secure her spot in the top 15 and take another trip to the Thomas & Mack arena. She is well on her way as she sits at a career-best No. 2 in the world standings. Her win of $5,543 only puts her closer to Kassie Mowry in the No. 1 spot as less than $20,000 separates them.

Breakaway ropers came in hot last week with Kamie Jo Crouse setting the bar high in round one with a run of 2.0 seconds. The second-round cowgirls to tie for the first-place spot did so just a tenth of a second slower at 2.1 seconds. Hope Thompson and Macy Young were the cowgirls to take the win, earning them each a check worth $2,069.

It was Kamie Jo Crouse, who took the average with an overall time of 4.7 seconds on two heads. This win scored her $3,342, which will likely give her a boost in the world standings.

With the height of the season winding down, rodeo athletes will have to make the most of the time they have to win big. Winners in Deadwood only proved they can come out on top, and hopefully some of them will have the chance to do it again in Las Vegas.

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