Fair PRCA Rodeo: Birthday ride for Hill
<p>Clay Gruel of Great Falls hangs tough during his second ride in the saddle bronc Saturday night at the Northwest Montana Fair PRCA Rodeo at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. Gruel posted a 78 on his first go.</p>
<p>Sean Santucci of Prineville, Ore., turned in a time of 10.2 seconds in the steer wresting competition on Saturday.</p>
In front of a grandstand packed with his friends and family members, West Glacier’s Beau Hill gave his daughter an extra present for her 10th birthday at the Northwest Montana Fair PRCA rodeo Saturday.
Atop a hulking reddish-brown bull named Whiskey Jack, Hill completed his ride to earn a first-place score of 91 and a roar from a crowd anxious to cheer for the hometown rider.
“It feels awesome,” Hill said of taking first place in his hometown rodeo. “Any time you can step up to the plate and deliver for them it feels good.”
Hill’s ride came on the heels of an 88 by Parker Breding of Edgar, the only other cowboy to complete a ride at the three-day rodeo, but Hill said he knew he could beat Breding’s score because of his familiarity with Whiskey Jack, which he previously road in January at the Montana Circuit Finals in Great Falls.
“That bull is the real deal,” Hill said. “He’s not a spinner. He bucks real hard. I knew I had a chance to win if I stayed on.
“There’s no knocking Parker’s ride. He did a great job, but I knew my bull was a touch better. I knew if I could stay on I’d have a chance to win.”
No rider had completed a ride on Whiskey Jack since Hill’s success in January.
The saddle bronc competition was won by Great Falls’ Clay Gruel, who completed his ride on Next 2 U seconds after watching his brother Coulter fly off the saddle of Cover Story.
“I was hoping he was all right, but it was my turn I guess,” said Clay, who received a score of 78.
Clay was more relieved than excited after his ride because he knew Next 2 U had a tough reputation.
“He was supposed to be a real bucky horse,” Clay said. “He almost got me a couple times.”
None of the 14 cowboys entered in the steer wrestling competition were able to post times under the 4.8-second mark set by Mike Gollaher on Thursday. Ross Mosher was the closest, pinning his steer to the dirt in 5.7 seconds. Reigning Montana Circuit champion Ty Erickson had a chance to beat Gollaher’s time after grabbing onto his steer a third of the way down the arena, but the steer wriggled out of his grip.
Header Scot Strauser and heeler Shane Bessette’s time of 8.5 seconds in the team roping competition was the best of the evening, but it was only good for fourth place overall.
None of Saturday’s tie-down ropers or barrel racers placed in the money positions.
Saturday’s Results
Saddle Bronc Riding
Clay Gruel, Great Falls, 78
Coulter Gruel, Great Falls, 0
Steer wrestling
Wyatt Smith, Rexburg, Idaho, no time
Sean Santucci, Prineville, Ore., 10.2
Bryant Mikkelson, Buffalo, no time
Nick Stubblefield, Choteau, 8.0
Ty Erickson, Helena, no time
Reef Mills, Augusta, 6.2
Ross Mosher, Augusta, 5.7
Brad Loesch, Graham, Texas, no time
Jabe Anderson III, Dillon, 7.0
Jim Pat Smith, Melrose, 10.9
Josh Boka, Dillon, no time
Michael Trautman, Lethbridge, Alberta, 11.3
Jess Cowie, Foremost, Alberta, 6.1
Team Roping
David Motes, Tolar, Texas, and Mike Beers, Post, Ore., 11.1
Tyler Shannon, Caldwell, Idaho, and Todd Cleveland, Lewiston, Idaho, no time
Scot Strasuer, Havre, and Shane Bessette, Vaughn, 8.5
Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, and Paul Eaves, Millsap, Texas, 9.4
Shawn Bird, Cut Bank, and Charlie Lenning, Columbia Falls, no time
Tie Down Roping
Bryant Mikkelson, Buffalo, 11.3
Ty Erickson, Helena, no time
Ross Mosher, Augusta, no time
Donnie Benson, Dillon, 10.9
Barrel Racing
Kathy Grimes, Medical Lake, Wash., 23.75
Mariah Rys-Sikora, Missoula, no time
Ty Steele, Ronan, 18.95
Julie Lenoir, Cut Bank, 18.22
Whitney Gollehon, Fairfield, 18.61
Raelene Konzak, Geyser, 20.39
Jill Ferdina Miller, Lewistown, 28.74
Kimberly Stickler, Missoula, 29.63
Bull Riding
Beau Hill, West Glacier, 91
Parker Breding, Edgar, 88
Dakota Beck, Nesa, Wash., 0
Final Results
Bareback Riding
Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., 89, $1,696.03
Jessy Davis, Power, 83, $1,104.99
Jason Havens, Prineville, Ore., 83, $1,104.99
Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash., 81, $616.74
Buck Lunak, Cut Bank, 77. $359.76
Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., 76, $256.97
Saddle Bronc Riding
Clay Gruel, Great Falls, 78, $1,922.04
Colter Heckman, Choteau, 76, $1,494
Shane Moran, Ulm, 75, $1,121.19
Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., 70, $800.85
Steer Wrestling
Mike Gollaher, Cascade, 4.8, $1,748
Dan Mulkey, Dell, 5.6, $1,520
Ross Mosher, Augusta, 5.7, $1,292
Josh Granell, Havre, 5.8, $950
Roddy Cameron, Townsend, 5.8, $950
Straws Milan, Cochrane, Alberta, 5.9, $608
Nolan Conway, Browning, 6.0, $380
Jess Cowie, Foremost, Alberta, 6.1, $152
Team Roping
Levi Simpson, Claresholm, Alberta, and John Robertson, Polson, 6.2, $1,446.38 each
Brant Davis, Sand Coulee, and Sam Levine, Wolf Creek, 6.6, $1,197 each
Ty Larson, Hysham, and Tim Garrison, Divide, 7.5, $947.63 each
Scot Strauser, Havre, and Shane Bessette, Vaughn, 8.5, $698.25 each
Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, and Paul Eaves, Millsap, Texas, 9.4, $448.88 each
David Motes, Tolar, Texas, and Mike Beers, Post, Ore., 11.1, $249.38 each
Tie-Down Roping
Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, 9.1, $1,983.60
Chad Johnson, Cut Bank, 9.2, $1,641.60
Logan Hofer, Magrath, Alberta, 9.6, $1,299.60
Murray Pole, Erskine, Alberta, 9.7, $957.60
Joe Keating, Sour Lake, Texas, 9.8, $615.60
J.C. Crowley, Poplar, 10.6, $114
Sam Levine, Wolf Creek, 10.6, $114
Nate Baldwin, Blackfoot, Idaho, 10.6, $114
Barrel Racing
Bobbi Scott, Las Vegas, 17.35, $1,472.31
Lisa Anderson, Moore, Texas, 17.58, $1,261.98
Shelley Murphy, Helena, 17.77, $1,051.65
Torie Briese, Helena, 17.79, $911.43
Mandy Hamilton, Manhattan, 17.85, $701.10
Lindsay Kruse, Great Falls, 17.99, $560.88
Kassy Brough, Havre, 18.03, $420.66
Nikki Ostrum, Huntley, 18.16, $280.44
Casey Wagner, Park City, 18.18, $210.33
Donna Johnson, Belt, 18.20, $140.22
Bull Riding
Beau Hill, West Glacier, 91, $3,068.82
Parker Breding, Edgar, 88, $2,614.18