Red Lodge and Livingston Produce Double Wins For Top Names In Rodeo Competition

Cowboy Christmas is in full swing and two of the big rodeos just wrapped up.

Shad Ryan Mayfield of Clovis, N.M., competes in tie-down roping at the St. Paul Rodeo on Friday, June 30, 2023, in St. Paul, Ore. | Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Montana hosts a few rodeos during the Cowboy Christmas run that contestants make a priority to attend- Livingston and Red Lodge, which are less than two hours apart from each other. 

Picking up a check at one of these rodeos is extremely tough in itself let alone at both, but a few cowboys and cowgirls were able to get it done.

Bareback rider R.C. Landingham was the big Montana winner. He took the prize with an 87 point ride in Livingston on Big Bucks Rodeo’s What’s Crackin. Then he went over to Red Lodge, spurred one for 90, and was the reserve champion. Two rides later and he added over $9,000 to his bank account. 

Summer Kosel, Emily Beisel, Tricia Aldridge, Jordan Briggs, and Ashley Day all drew checks at both rodeos in the barrel racing. Day picked up a $5,481 check for third place at Livingston and grabbed last hole in Red Lodge which earned her almost $6,000. 

The barrel racing at Livingston was the highest paid event between both rodeos. Megan McLeod-Sprague beat out Sue Smith by .03 for nearly an $8,500 payday. 

World champion tie-down roper Shad Mayfield took home top-five honors at both rodeos. It was wicked fast at Livingston and only one run above seven seconds earned a check.

Mayfield went 7.5 which split second with another former World champion, Shane Hanchey. Down the road he split fifth with Kincade Henry with a 9.0 second run. 

Mayfield wasn’t the only tie-down roper to place in the top-five at both. Ryan Jarrett not only won Red Lodge with an 8.6, he split fourth over in a Livingston with a 7.6 second run bringing him in over $8,100. 

By the end of Cowboy Christmas, both the world standings and the circuit standings will have changed drastically in part to rodeos like these. One or two runs that earn contestants checks over $5,000 make for big jumps.

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