CORTEZ – The stars came out and did not disappoint the thousands of fans who packed the grandstand at the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo all weekend.
Defending world champion and Colorado-native Keenan Hayes electrified the crowd from the jump on Powder River Rodeo’s Tug Boat, scorching a new best score of 85 to take home the top payout in bareback riding. Hayes’ mark clipped Evan Betony (82.5), whose Friday ride earned the Tonalea, Arizona cowboy second place.
In the breakaway roping and barrel racing events, the bar was already high. However, Saturday’s competitors found lightning-quick runs to vault ahead of the pack.
Maddy Deerman of Hope, New Mexico won the breakaway roping competition with a time of 2.4 seconds. She narrowly clipped Shiprock’s Kim Jim, who had posted Friday’s best time of 2.5 seconds.
Meanwhile, Arizona’s Doskie Edwards flew around the cloverleaf in barrel racing with a time of 17.35, besting fellow Arizonan Sharon Harrell’s time of 17.45 from a night earlier.
The final curtain call came via bull riding. Rather than one, the riders gave them three – as Scottie Knapp of Albuquerque, along with Jate and Josh Frost of Randlett, Utah, hung on for the eight-second ride. Knapp’s score of 83.5 brought him the top payout, while Josh Frost’s all-around effort in bull riding and tie-down roping earned him the all-around cowboy honor.
In Friday night’s steer wrestling event, Colorado’s Jace Logan (4.9 seconds) held up through Saturday to earn him the weekend’s top billing. Jake Clay and Trey Yates – from Oklahoma and Pueblo, Colorado, respectively – remained atop the leaderboard for their Friday ride in team roping (4.4 seconds).
Saddle bronc went to Allen Boore of Axtell, Utah, with a score of 84.5 on Friday night, topping the Thursday evening effort from Bailey Small of Rock Springs, Wyoming (82). Noel Johnson provided a Saturday show that earned him a tie for second with Small.
In tie-down roping, Utah’s Jake Hannum – son of PRCA legend Jack Hannum – won the event in a time of 8.7 seconds in his run on Thursday night. His time bested Cory Bomhoff of Cheyenne, Wyoming, who took second place in 10.2 seconds.
With over $81,000 in prize money doled out to the top performers, and with the final dust settling on the 94th edition of the UMR Rodeo, fans left the arena with vivid impressions of another fantastic event.
