After a thrilling RODEOHOUSTON® Super Series II, 32 cowboys and cowgirls advance to the Semifinals set for March 22 and 23, 2017.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Fred Whitfield earned the title of 2017 Super Series II Champion in Tie-Down Roping. Whitfield said that in addition to not liking the calf he drew, he also decided to change horses for this series.
“I rode this one [horse] this morning and it felt good,” Whitfield said. “I thought I’d try her out, and it worked for the best.”
ADVANCING TO SEMIFINAL ROUND:
- Fred Whitfield: Hockley, Texas — $4,750
- Tyson Durfey: Weatherford, Texas — $3,750
- Chase Williams: Stephenville, Texas — $3,500
- Ace Slone: Cuero, Texas — $3,000
BAREBACK RIDING
Bill Tutor is the 2017 Super Series II Bareback Riding Champion. Tutor said the horse he was matched with helped contribute to his success in this series.
“I couldn’t have drawn any better,” Tutor said. “When you match the horse that you’re equivalent to or better, that’s the best feeling, and that’s why you ride.”
ADVANCING TO SEMIFINAL ROUND:
- Bill Tutor: Huntsville, Texas — $6,000
- Shane O’Connell: Rapid City, South Dakota — $4,000
- Kyle Brennecke: Stephenville, Texas — $3,500
- Evan Jayne: Glen Rose, Texas — $3,000
TEAM ROPING
Team roping partners Joel Bach and Dalton Pearce, walked away with $10,000 and the Super Series II Team Roping Championship title.
Bach said he is proud to be following in his father’s footsteps.
“I was raised around rodeo,” Bach said. “My dad did team roping, and this is me carrying on the family tradition.”
This rodeo is the first time Bach and Pearce roped together, and this is Pearce’s first ride at RODEOHOUSTON®.
“I’ve never been here before,” Pearce said. “[I like] the way contestants are treated by the committee and people here.”
ADVANCING TO SEMIFINAL ROUND:
- Joel Bach: Mount Vernon, Texas; and Dalton Pearce: San Luis Obispo, California — $10,000
- Pace Freed: Bluff Dale, Texas; and Trey Yates: Pueblo, Colorado — $7,500
- Adam Rose: Willard, Missouri; and Bryon Wilkerson: Deming, New Mexico — $6,000
- Spencer Mitchell: Williams, California; and Wyatt Cos: Arroyo Grande, California — $5,500
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
After coming off an injury, Super Series II Saddle Bronc Riding Champion, Taos Muncy, said advancing to the Semifinals means a lot, especially considering how he started.
“I’ve been rodeoing my whole life, but I started riding saddle broncs as a broke college kid,” Muncy said. “I started winning money so I stuck with it.”
ADVANCING TO SEMIFINAL ROUND:
- Taos Muncy: Corona, New Mexico — $5,000
- Tyrell Larsen: Inglis, Manitoba, Canada — $4,000
- Isaac Diaz: Desdemona, Texas — $3,500
- Rusty Wright: Milford, Utah — $3,000
STEER WRESTLING
Super Series II Steer Wresting Champion, Josh Peek, said he is thankful and blessed to win at RODEOHOUSTON®. However, Peek said winning is not his favorite part of steer wrestling.
“I love the camaraderie of the cowboys more than anything,” Peek said. “Everybody’s pulling for everybody here.”
ADVANCING TO SEMIFINAL ROUND:
- Josh Peek: Pueblo, Colorado — $4,000
- Stockton Graves: Alva, Oklahoma — $3,750
- Baylor Roche: Tremonton, Utah — $3,583
- Seth Brockman: Wheatland, Wyoming — $3,583
BARREL RACING
With three fast runs in Super Series II, Kelly Tovar took home the title of Barrel Racing Champion, and said she is excited beyond words.
“[The love of barrel racing] gets in your blood and it stays there,” Tovar said. “You love it, all of us here do. If we didn’t love it, we wouldn’t be here because it is a lot of hard work.”
ADVANCING TO SEMIFINAL ROUND:
- Kelly Tovar: Rockdale, Texas — $5,000
- Britta Thiel: Belle Fourche, South Dakota — $3,000
- Cassidy Kruse: Gillette, Wyoming — $3,000
- Tiany Schuster: Krum, Texas — $3,000
BULL RIDING
Super Series II Bull Riding Champion and Houston native, Neil Holmes, said there is no rodeo event he would rather compete in other than bull riding.
“If I did anything else, I couldn’t prove how tough I am,” Holmes said. “Riding bulls is like holding on to a one-ton pick-up with one hand while driving 60 miles per hour down the highway.”
ADVANCING TO SEMIFINAL ROUND:
- Neil Holmes: Cleveland, Texas — $6,000
- Ty Wallace: Collbran, Colorado — $3,375
- Dalan Duncan: Ballard, Utah — $2,375
- Scottie Knapp: Albuquerque, New Mexico— $1,500
The top four from each event, from each Super Series will advance to a Semifinal Round. The top four from each event in the Semifinal rounds will advance to the RODEOHOUSTON® Super Series Championship, Saturday, March 25. The remaining six from each event in the two semifinals will compete in the Wild Card Round, Friday, March 24, where the top two from each event will advance to the Championship. Each event champion will walk away with a $50,000 payout, in addition to previous winnings. The RODEOHOUSTON® Super Series continues through March 21, with the RODEOHOUSTON® Super Shootout: North America’s Champions® presented by Crown Royal, on Sunday, March 26.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a Section 501(c)(3) charity that benefits youth, supports education, and facilitates better agricultural practices through exhibitions and presentation. Since its beginning in 1932, the Show has committed more than $430 million to the youth of Texas. For more information, visit rodeohouston.com and connect with #RODEOHOUSTON online via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for all of the latest news. The 2017 Show is scheduled for March 7–26.