Rodeo Recap: July 15 – 21

Bareback: Orin Larsen – 173.5 points on two head

9x NFR qualifier Orin Larsen calls Manitoba, Canada home, but he’s no stranger to Idaho. The Bareback rider graduated from the College of Southern Idaho with a degree in welding.

Heading into the finals, native Idahoan Coop Cooke led the pack with an 88. On championship Saturday in Nampa, Larsen rode Cervi Championship Rodeo’s, R Watson’s Prairie Fire for an impressive 90 points and his share of the near half-a-million dollar prize payout.

Larsen is currently 20^th in the 2024 PRCA Bareback World Standings!

Steer Wrestling: Rowdy Parrott – 11.6 seconds on three head

The Steer Wrestling at this year’s Snake River Stampede was fast, got faster and ended in lightning speed. South Dakota’s Eli Lord won round won in 3.6 seconds, Idaho’s own and 2x NFR qualifier Olin Hannum took round two in 3.5 seconds, and on finals night, Louisiana’s 3x NFR qualifier took first with a 3.3 second run.

Parrott’s face said it all after his run, his sheer astonished excitement couldn’t believe his own blazing fast time, winning him not just the final round but the average in Nampa.

Parrott is currently 26^th in the 2024 PRCA Steer Wrestling World Standings!

Saddle Bronc: Thayne Elshere – 175.5 points on two head

Rookie Saddle Bronc rider Thayne Elshere has never won a professional rodeo. Paying to play at a rodeo like Nampa where you’re up against the best riders in the world is risky, but well worth the experience at as the Stampede has been dubbed a “mini NFR.”

The risk paid off for Elshere. He was third in the first round with an 85.5-point ride, well positioned going into the finals. As a popular movie character once said, if you’re not first your last. Elshere took that to heart and in fact covered Cervi Championship Rodeo’s, Ricky Bobby for 90 in the final round, finishing first in the average and earning his first major PRCA rodeo win.

Elshere is currently unranked in the 2024 PRCA Saddle Bronc World Standings!

Fun Fact

The Snake River Stampede was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2014!

Barrel Racing: Dona Kay Rule – 31.43 seconds on two head

Of the last three Snake River Stampede rodeos, one barrel racer has won two of them. 4x NFR qualifier and 66 year old Dona Kay Rule and her gelding “Valor” seem to have found their stride in Nampa.

This year, the pair ran a 15.79 in the first round for third and won the final round with a 15.64, the fastest time of the 2024 rodeo, earning themselves their second Snake River Stampede average title in the last three years.

Rule is unofficially 9^th in the 2024 WPRA Barrel Racing Standings!

Bull Riding: TJ Gray – 174 points on two head

Oregon bull rider TJ Gray was up against the favorited Idaho native Brady Portenier going into championship Saturday in Nampa.

Gray and Portenier tied for the win in the first round, Gray on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s, Ice Man and Portenier on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s, Hot Rocks, both riding for 86. In the final round, Portenier drew a bull that has never been ridden and unfortunately, did not change that fact this time out.

Gray was one of only two qualified rides of twelve contestants, covering Legacy Pro Rodeo’s, Scrapper for 88 and the round and average win.

Gray is currently 12^th in the 2024 PRCA Bull Riding World Standings!

Breakaway: Josie Conner – 3.8 seconds on two head

2x NFBR qualifier and Louisiana cowgirl, Josie Conner is in her third professional season and well on her way to qualifying for her third consecutive NFBR.

his week in Nampa, Conner roped for 2.1 seconds in the first round, only enough to tie her for seventh-place; 1.9 seconds won the first round and 2-seconds flat resulted in a five-way tie for second. In the finals, Conner roped the fastest time of the 2024 rodeo with a 1.7-second run, enough to earn her the final’s night win and the 2024 average title.

Conner is unofficially 4^th in the 2024 WPRA Breakaway World Standings!

Bareback: Cole Franks – 171.5 points on two head

2x NFR qualifier and Texas Bareback rider, Cole Franks just missed the 2023 NFR, finishing 17^th in the world. He’s back on track this year to qualify for his third and a win at Rodeo Salinas certainly helped the matter.

Franks won the first round, covering Flying 5 Rodeo’s, Can’t Wait for 87.5. In the finals, Franks was 84, enough to earn him the average and walking away from Salinas with nearly $15,000 in winnings.

Franks is currently 8^th in the 2024 PRCA Bareback World Standing!

Team Roping: Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves – 46.5 seconds on five head

Rodeo Salinas takes place in just four days. In that amount of time, Team Ropers must compete in five rounds for their shot at the rodeo’s average title.

For many teams, that means roping at least twice in one day at the same rodeo. This is demanding even for seasoned pros like World Champion Header and 12x NFR qualifier, Erich Rogers and his partner 2x World Champion Heeler and 10x NFR qualifier, Paul Eaves. Regardless, the World Champions went 46.5 seconds on five head to win the average in Salinas.

Rogers is currently 15^th in the 2024 PRCA Team Roping Header World Standings, Eaves is 16^th in the Heeler World Standings!

Saddle Bronc: Wyatt Casper – 172 points on two head

Texas Saddle Bronc rider Wyatt Casper has qualified for the NFR four years in a row and is well on his way to a fifth this year, especially after leaving Rodeo Salinas with over $11,000 more in his pocket.

Casper rode for 85 and a three-way tie for second place in Salinas’ first round. In the finals, Casper covered Flying 5 Rodeo’s, Spotted Blues for 87 points for the round win and the 2024 Rodeo Salinas Saddle Bronc Title.

Casper is currently 5^th in the 2024 PRCA Saddle Bronc World Standings!

Barrel Racing: Tiany Schuster – 64.01 on four head

2x NFR qualifier and Texas cowgirl Tiany Schuster was five-hundreths of a second away from winning all four rounds of Rodeo Salinas.

Schuster won the first round with a 16.12 second run, won the second round in 15.94 seconds, then was second in the third round with a 15.97 behind first place’s 15.92 seconds. In the finals, Schuster was back on top, running a 15.98 to win the round and the average.

Schuster is unofficially 11^th in the 2024 WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings!

Bull Riding: Jeter Lawrence – 174.5 points on two head

If a cowboy covered his bull at all on finals night in Salinas, he was near guaranteed a nice check. In the three rounds leading up to the finals, only six qualified rides were made.

Oklahoma’s Jeter Lawrence, in his rookie season, was one of those six, riding for 86.5 points in round one. Lawrence was then the only bull rider to make a qualified ride in the finals, covering Flying U Rodeo’s, Naughty Sal for an 88-point ride. In total, Lawrence won nearly $20,000 at Rodeo Salinas. 

Lawrence is currently 9^th in the 2024 PRCA Bull Riding World Standings!