(Susan Kanode/National Western Stock Show Rodeo)
DENVER, Colo. – Barrel racer K.L. Spratt is making the most of her first trip to the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.
While she calls Huntsville, Texas, home, she is originally from Lysite, Wyoming, and part of a legendary rodeo family. Spratt left Wyoming to further her rodeo career and get her education. Last May, she graduated from Sam Houston State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
Then she made the trip back to Wyoming to compete at her third College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) where she had qualified in barrel racing and goat tying. She had success at the CNFR last June in the barrel racing winning the second round.
The horse she started winning on there has helped her keep earning checks and now Spratt is 12th in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association’s world standings and is leading the rookie-of-the-year race. That 11-year-old mare, KK Cash Colours, that she calls O.K., took her around the barrels in 15.40 seconds in the Denver Coliseum on Monday.
That moved her into second place in the first round of competition. Cayla Small, from Burneyville, Okla., leads with 15.39 seconds. Spratt has her second-round competition here on Tuesday and is hoping for another fast run.
And while she and O.K. are competing in the coliseum, Stop It, a companion pony for O.K., will be waiting in the wings.
“Stop It keeps her calm and reassures her,” Spratt said. “This is the biggest rodeo she has ever been to. I was really pleased with how it all went.”
There is one performance of the rodeo at the National Western Stock Show on Tuesday. Action starts in the Denver Coliseum at 7 p.m.
Ninth Performance —
Bareback Riding: 1, Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., 84.5 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Boomer. 2, Trenten Montero, Winnemucca, Nev., 73.5. 3, Gavin DeRose, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, 73. 4, Mike Solberg, Sunnynook, Alberta, Canada, 71.5.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore., 5.5 seconds. 2, (tie) Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore., and Gaven Soileau, Bunkie, La., 14.5. 4, Gabe Soileau, Bunkie, La., 15.3.
Team Roping: 1, Dawson Graham, Wainwright, Alberta, Canada, and Keely Bonnett, Ponoka, Alberta, Canada, 5.3 seconds. 2, Wyatt Imus, Brenham, Texas, and Reno Gonzales, Scott, La., 8.4. 3, J.B. James Jr., Bennett, Colo., and Cesar de la Cruz, Tuscon, Ariz., 15.0. 4, Max Kuttlerand Brandon Bates, Pompeys Pillar, Mont., 15.5.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Joey Sonnier III, New Iberia, La., 82 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Four Bears. 2, Ryder Wright, Milford, Utah, 77. 3, Ross Griffin, Tularosa, NM., 76.5. 4, Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, 76.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Bradley Bynum, Big Lake, Texas, 9.7 seconds. 2, Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 10.0. 3, Tyson Arledge, Milano, Texas, 10.1. 4, Kody Mahaffey, Sweetwater, Texas, 11.8.
Women’s Barrel Racing: 1, K.L. Spratt, Huntsville, Texas, 15.40. 2, Ivy Conrado, Hudson, Colo., 15.57. 3, Lori Diodosio, Fowler, Colo., 15.66. 4, Tiany Schuster, Krum, Texas, 15.69.
Bull Riding: (one ride) 1, Eli Vastbinder, Athens, Texas, 47 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s John Boy.
Current leaders –
Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 89.5 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Jason’s Pride. 2, Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo., 86.5. 3, Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas, 85. 4, Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., 84.5. (second round) 1, (tie) Nate McFadden, Elsmere, Neb., on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Dream Machine and Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Wild Style, 85 points each. 3, Jared Keylon, Uniontown, Kan., 84. 4, Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 83.5. (total on two) 1, Nate McFadden, Elsmere, Neb., 168.5. 2, (tie) Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo., and Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 166.5. 4, Jared Keylon, Uniontown, Kan., 164.5.
Steer Wrestling: (first round) 1, Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif., 3.8 seconds. 2, Chason Floyd, Buffalo, S.D., 3.9. 3, Nick Guy, Sparta, Wis., 4.2. 4, Jace Melvin, Bluff Dale, Texas, 4.3. (second round) 1, Jacob Talley, Keatchi, La., 3.8. 2, Cole Edge, Durant, Okla., 3.9. 3, Will Lummus, West point, Miss., 4.0. 4, Jon Ragatz, Beeville, Wis., 4.1. (total on two) 1, Chason Floyd, 8.3. 2, Jon Ragatz, Beeville, Wis., 8.7. 3, Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., 8.8. 4, Cody Pratt, Pueblo, Colo., 8.9.
Team Roping: (first round) 1, Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah and Quin Kesler, Holden, Utah, 4.7. 2, (tie) Lane Ivy, Adrian, Texas, and Buddy Hawkins II, Columbus, Kan.; and Lightning Aguilera, Athens, Texas, and Brady Norman, Springer, Okla., 5.1 each. 4, (tie) Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Kyle Lockett, Visalia, Calif.; and Dawson Graham, Wainwright, Alberta, and Keely Bonnett, Ponoka, Alberta; 5.3 each. (second round) 1, Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif., and Jason Duby, Klamath Falls, Ore., 4.1. 2, Paul David Tierney, Oklahoma City and Tanner Braden, Dewey, Okla., 4.5. 3, Joshua and Jonathan Torres, Ocala, Fla., 4.6. 4, Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas, and Levi Tyan, Wallace, Neb., 4.7. (total on two) 1, Lightning Aguilera and Brady Norman, 10.1. 2, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Okla., and Kyle Lockett, Visalia, Calif., 10.5. 3, Joshua and Jonathan Torres, Ocala, Fla., 10.6. 4, Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, and Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 11.8.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 85.5 points on Cervi Brother’s Womanizer. 2, Tanner Lockhart, Lewis, Colo., 84.5. 3, Joey Sonnier III, New Iberia, La., 82. 4, Chanse Darling, Hyattville, Wyo., 81.5. (second round) 1, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 86.5 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Sue City Sue. 2, (tie) Tyrel Larsen, Weatherford, Okla., and Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 84.5 each. 4, Audy Reed, Spearman, Texas, 82. (total on two) 1, Zeke Thurston, 170. 2, Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., 162. 3, (tie) Audy Reed, Spearman, Texas, and Chanse Darling, Hyattville, Wyo., 160.5.
Tie-Down Roping: (first round) 1, Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas, 7.5 seconds. 2, (tie) Cody Craig, Wendell, Idaho, and Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 7.5 each. 4, (tie) Jerome Schneeberger, Ponca City, Okla., and Zack Jongbloed, Iowa, La., 8.0. (second round) 1, Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 7.2. 2, Randall Carlisle, Athens, La., 7.3. 3, Matt Shiozawa, Chubbock, Idaho, 7.8. 4, Jerome Schneeberger, Ponca city, Okla., 8.0. (total on two) 1, Jerome Schneeberger, Ponca City, Okla., 16.0 seconds. 2, Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 16.3. 3, Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas, 16.6. 4, Matt Shiozawa, Chubbock, Idaho, 17.1.
Women’s Barrel Racing: (first round) 1, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla., 15.39 seconds. 2, K.L. Spratt, Huntsville, Texas, 15.40. 3, Kathy Grimes, Medical Lake, Wash., 15.46. 4, Lori Todd, Willcox, Ariz., 15.48. (second round) 1, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla., 15.37. 2, Wendy McKee, Craig, Colo., 15.44. 3, (tie) Kelly Brunner, Milsap, Texas, and Nikki Hansen, Dickinson, N.D., 15.49. (total on two) 1, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla., 30.76. 2, Wendy McKee, Craig, Colo., 30.96. 3, (tie) Lori Todd, Willcox, Ariz., and Nikki Hansen, Dickinson, N.D., 31.05.
Bull Riding: (first round) 1, (tie) Tanner Bothwell, Rapid City, S.D., on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s HTTR, and Ty Wallace, Collbran, Colo., on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Living After Midnight, 86 points each. 3, (tie) Elliot Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas, and Joseph McConnell, Bloomfield, N.M., 85. (second round) 1, Ty Wallace, Collbran, Colo., 87.5 points on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Foolish Crimes. 2, Reid Barker, Comfort, Texas, 85.5. 3, (tie) Colby Demo, Red Bluff, Calif., and Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 82. (total on two) 1, Ty Wallace, Collbran, Colo., 173.5 points. 2, Colby Demo, Red Bluff, Calif., 162. 3, Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash., 160.5. 4, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 159.5.
