The 72nd-annual Cloverdale Rodeo kicked off on Friday night, to sunny weather and fair crowds.
We're two minutes out from the opening rodeo performance of the 2018 @CloverdaleRodeo. pic.twitter.com/nvtNFGbVFm
— Sam Anderson (@sam_andrsn) May 19, 2018
Riders and audience alike were warming up during the evening performance, which was the first of four qualifying rounds before Monday’s finals. The stands gained more viewers as the rodeo went on, and the audience had broken out of its shell by the last event, due to the help of rodeo clown Ricky Ticky Wanchuk and his generous giveaways.
Only a single cowboy broke the 90-point mark at the opening performance. Bareback bronc rider Caleb Bennett, out of Tremonton, Utah, came in at an even 90.
Each rough stock event is scored out of a possible 100 points — 50 points are awarded for the rider’s performance, and 50 points go to the bronc or the bull.
Bennett hit his stride in 2016, taking in a season total of $374,272 and coming out with a fourth-place finish in the world standings. So far, he’s the bareback bronc rider to beat — he’s sitting first in the Pro Rodeo standings for 2018, and he’s leading the bareback bronc category at this year’s Cloverdale Rodeo.
Country music artist @emilytadams will be singing at rodeo performances throughout the weekend – and at the Boots & Buckles Saloon on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/khRi0nB8uO
— Sam Anderson (@sam_andrsn) May 19, 2018
Saddle bronc riders Tyrel Larsen and Mitch Pollock tied for first place standing at 87 points, and Layton Green and Preston Burr tied for third at 85 points. Last year’s Cloverdale Rodeo champion in saddle bronc, Cort Scheer, came sixth with a total score of 83.
Lisa Anderson, from Bozeman, Montana, pulled far ahead of her fellow competitors in barrel racing with a time of 15.991 seconds. If anyone hopes to overtake her, they’ll have to break that 16-second mark.
Final event of the night is bull riding pic.twitter.com/LIHAkhaBEY
— Sam Anderson (@sam_andrsn) May 19, 2018
Bull riding saw plenty of non-qualifying runs, as the Kessler family’s infamous rough stock kept bucking their riders before they could hit the eight-second whistle. Stetson Wright was one of a handful to stay on his bull, pulling in a score of 89.5.
Friday, May 18 results
Bareback Bronc Riding
1. Caleb Bennett – 90
2. J.R Vezain – 86.5
3. Clayton Biglow – 86
4. Connor Hamilton – 85.5
4. Ky Marshall – 85.5
6. Wyatt Denny – 84.5
6. Cole Goodine – 84.5
Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Tyrel Larsen – 87
1. Mitch Pollock – 87
3. Layton Green – 85
3. Preston Burr – 85
5. Cole Elshere – 83.5
6.Cort Scheer – 83
Ladies Barrel Riding
1. Lisa Anderson – 15.991
2. Angela Ganter – 16.144
3. Sydney Daines – 16.264
4. Callahan Crossley – 16.43
Bull Riding
1. Stetson Wright – 89.5
2. Boudreaux Campbell – 86
3. Nate Perry – 81
4. Brett Custer – 76
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