Buffalo Bill Rodeo crowns 2024 champions | Saturday results

Bronc driver adds to bank account, barrel racer keeps winning – Story of Ruth Nicolas

North Platte, Neb.. (June 15, 2024) – Ean Price’s bank account got a boost after a Saturday night at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte, Neb.

The saddlebag rider from Leedey, Oklahoma, scored 85 points on the Beutler Fight Night horse to win the 2024 title and earn more than $2,800.

The mare, a nine-year-old sorrel, might have been intimidating to any other horse rider in the saddle, but not to Price.

“When you look at her stats online, it might make a guy nervous because of the zero (scores) on there, but I thought that was just because she lashed out.”

And she resisted. The mare was rested, having had some free time; his last rodeo was in Austin, Texas in March.

“Rhett (Beutler) told me she was fresh, and I just told myself to take the fight to her and not wait for that to happen,” he said. “I had a bit of a bumpy ride at first, but she was struggling and I just felt like I finished a good ride on a good horse. I thank God for the opportunity to come and do this.

This is the 25-year-old cowboy’s second year rodeoing and he would like to be able to rodeo full time.

“I’d like to rodeo well enough to stay on the road,” he said. With his victory in North Platte, “I feel like I’m getting closer.”

Winning a big check from the Buffalo Bill Rodeo helps.

“It eases the financial burden a lot.” If you can go out there and know that you’re just having fun and you don’t have to worry about where your next tank of gas is coming from, it makes a big difference. You can go there and have more fun than anything.

In team roping, the world ranking numbers one and two competed to win the 2024 title.

Dustin Egusquiza, the lead, and Levi Lord, the heel, spun in 4.5 seconds to become this year’s champions.

It was also on a good direction. “It really helps,” Lord said, “when you have one on the better side.”

They competed on Friday June 14 in the rain, which was not ideal.

“It’s definitely more difficult,” Lord said. “We obviously prefer beautiful terrain and good weather, but that happens with rodeo. This is something you have to deal with. I think you can either stay away from it or lean into it and we were happy to be there.

Rain and mud followed Egusquiza and Lord all spring.

“Honestly, this spring we had no luck with the mud. Everywhere we went the weather was rainy or muddy. He follows us everywhere, but it went well.

This is the duo’s second year together, and Lord loves it.

Roping with Egusquiza in the lead “is pretty awesome,” he said. “It’s like cheating sometimes. He can get to the bull from just about anywhere in the arena, and that makes it easier for me, knowing that you’ll get a lot of throws in and most of the time it’ll be pretty quick.

Lord, roping with Nelson Wyatt, set the team roping arena record in 2020 (3.8 seconds). Lord is a native of Sturgis, SD; Egusquiza lives in Marianna, Florida.

A new arena record was set in barrel racing by a repeat Buffalo Bill Rodeo champion.

Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi rounded the barrels in 16.55 seconds to set the record, which was broken several times this weekend, due to a smaller barrel design.

The cowgirl from Lampasas, Texas, won the North Platte Rodeo in 2013 and loves coming to North Platte.

“I’ve been coming to this rodeo for 21 years,” she said. “This rodeo kicks off my summer.” She also complimented the conditions of the arena. “I think the field conditions are the best they’ve ever been. The committee did an incredible job.

She was riding an eleven-year-old stallion, SR Industry Titan, whose stable name is Titan, a horse owned by the 70 Ranch.

“He helped me break the record last year for single-season earnings,” she said. His earnings in 2023 were $270,563.

Stallions can often have aggressive personalities, but that is not the case with Titan.

“He’s just the nicest guy. He has so much heart and so much effort. You would never know he’s a stud. My seven year old daughter rode it.

Pozzi Tonozzi is a three-time and reigning world barrel racing champion.

The bull riding concluded with the final night of the rodeo.

Kansas man JR Stratford won his event with an 86.5-point ride on bull Beutler Mayhem.

Injuries during the second half of last year took their toll on the 21-year-old. A bull stepped on his head in Kennewick, Washington, in late August, causing a brain hemorrhage. And two torn shoulders didn’t help either.

He qualified for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but did not ride well and after winning the third round, he broke his leg in the fourth round, which knocked him out of competition.

“My goal is to be world champion,” he said. “God willing, if I can stay healthy, I can do it. »

Stratford is ranked seventh in the world rankings.

Other 2024 Buffalo Bill Rodeo champions include bareback rider Rocker Steiner, Weatherford, Texas (88 points); steer wrestler Travis Munro, Townsville, Queensland, Australia (8.7 seconds on 2 head); tie-down rope access technician Conner Matheson, Stephenville, Texas (19.5 seconds on 2 heads); and breakaway roper Layni Masters, Leon, Iowa.

At the rodeo, the 2024 Trail Boss Award was presented to Jim Gragg. The Tryon man has volunteered at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo for fifty years, untying the calves after each roping race. He has never missed a performance in the last half century and has missed very few rodeo matinees.

NebraskalandDays activities continue next week with a prime rib meal, competitive art show, beer garden and food court, and concerts by Parker McCollum with support from Flatland Cavalry and Meg McRee on June 21 and Jelly Roll with support from Priscilla Block and Austin Snell in June. 22.

For more information, visit the website at NebraskalandDays.com

Results, North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo June 12-15, 2024

All-around champion: Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb. (tie-down rope, steer wrestling)

Bareback Riding – 2024 Champion: Rocker Steiner, Weatherford, Texas

Steer wrestling – 2024 champion: Travis Munro, Queensland, Australia

1^st round results

Saddle Riding – 2024 Champion: Ean Price, Leedey, Okla.

1. Ean Price, Leedey, Oklahoma. 85 points on Fight Night; 2. Joe Priebe, Cody, Wyoming, 84; 3. (tie) Talon Elshere, Hereford, SD and Kasey Rosendahl, Meeker, Colo. 79 each; 5. Jack Skavdahl, Harrison, Neb. 78.5 6. (tie) Roper Kiesner, Ripley, Oklahoma and Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa 78 each; 8. Garrett Long, Valentine, Neb. 77.

Champion Breakaway Roping -2024: Layni Masters