Final Results (Puyallup, Wash.)
Bareback Riding | Steer Wrestling | Team Roping
Saddle Bronc Riding | Tie-Down Roping | Barrel Racing | Bull Riding
Wrangler Summer Tour Standings
PUYALLUP, Wash. Bareback rider Tom McFarland entered the Puyallup (Wash.) Rodeo with one goal in mind to make every ride count. McFarland (Forepaugh, Ariz.) did just that on Sunday afternoon capturing the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour round victory and the average.
McFarland, 21, rode Growney Brothers' Moulin Rouge for 89 points outdistancing Royce Ford (Hudson, Colo.), who finished with 87 points atop Growney's Black Friday. McFarland, who was second after the first round, picked up the average title with 172 points on two and a check worth $7,890, moving him closer to the top 15 in the Jack Daniel's World Standings. Ford was second in the average with 168.
"I've wanted to get on that horse for a long time," McFarland said of Moulin Rouge. "She is rank. I was real happy to have her, nervous but happy."
The victory gave McFarland some much needed Tour points and puts him in the hunt for a berth at the Pace Picante ProRodeo Challenge (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) in Omaha, Neb. In 2004, he won the Pace Challenge despite having three separated ribs.
"I am looking forward to hopefully returning to Omaha," said McFarland. "It's always good to go back to a place where you have done well. Maybe it is a mental thing, but it sure helps me."
The Puyallup Rodeo also provided team roper David Key with some much needed Tour points and helped him secure a spot at the Pace Challenge. Key (Caldwell, Texas) won the average with a new partner, Clint Robinson (Spanish Fork, Utah) in a time of 16.1 seconds on three head and a check for $3,274 each. Key's regular partner, Clayton Grant (Shandon, Calif.) was unable to compete this weekend, due to an injured hand, so Key called on Robinson to fill in.
Robinson, who is better known for his steer wrestling and tie-down roping skills, stepped up to the plate and delivered a home run for the team. The team of Colter Todd (Marana, Ariz.) and Cesar De La Cruz (Tucson, Ariz.) finished behind Key and Robinson in the average race with a time of 16.4, but won the Wrangler Tour round stopping the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company clock in 4.3 seconds.
Two Oklahoma tie-down ropers took top honors in Washington with Hunter Herrin capturing the Wrangler Tour round victory and Mike Johnson the average title. Herrin (Apache) entered the Tour round 10th in the average with nothing to loose and everything to gain. He stopped the clock in 7.1 seconds, a time no other roper would match.
However, it wasn't enough for the average win, which went to Johnson in a total time of 24.5 seconds on three head. Johnson (Henryetta) won $4,129, moving him to first in the Jack Daniel's World Standings. Both Herrin and Johnson will make the trip to the Pace Challenge later this month for a chance at $350,000.
Wisconsin steer wrestler Jon Ragatz added another Tour round victory to his resume on Sunday. Ragatz (Cassville) stopped the clock in 4.2 seconds to finish ahead of the No. 2 ranked steer wrestler in the world, Ronnie Fields (Oklahoma City, Okla.), who finished with a 4.7-second run. In July, Ragatz won the Day's of '47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City. Todd Suhn picked up the average win with 14.2 seconds on three head, just ahead of Fields with 14.6. Suhn won checks totaling $4,277.
Josh Reynolds (Corvallis, Mont.) won the Tour round in the saddle bronc riding with an 86-point ride on Korkow Rodeo's Lil Rose. Canadian Rod Hay won the average with 171 points on two head. Hay (Wildwood, Alberta) was the big money winner pocketing $8,728.
Barrel racer Terri Kaye Kirkland finished atop the leaderboard in the Tour round and average race. Kirkland (Billings, Mont.) rounded the cloverleaf pattern Sunday afternoon in 15.20 seconds to capture the Tour round victory and won the average with a total time of 45.71 seconds on three runs. Kirkland earned $2,717.
Bull rider Howdy Cloud had never been on Russell Rodeo's Blue Velvet until the Tour round in Puyallup, but it didn't show. Cloud (Kountez, Texas) rode him jump for jump to the tune of 88 points and a total of 170 on two head. Cloud walked away with a smile on his face and $6,496 in his pockets.
The final stop on the Wrangler ProRodeo Summer Tour will be the Pendleton (Ore). Round-Up on Sept. 17. The top 12 will then advance to the Pace Challenge in Omaha.