(Editor's note: By Susan Kanode/CNR)
CALDWELL, Idaho – Sage Kimzey has been entering the bull riding at the Caldwell Night Rodeo every chance he could since he joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2013.
With bulls from Powder River Rodeo and D&H Cattle company, an eight-second ride nearly assures a contestant a paycheck. Kimzey, who has five world championships to his credit had not been among those bull riders until last year. He finished in seventh place and got just under $1,000.
This rodeo has been on his bucket list to win for a long time and 2019 just might be his year. He came one step closer on Wednesday night when he was the only successful bull rider of the night. He rode Powder River Rodeo’s bull named Aint Easy Being Me for 88.5 points.
Kimzey is now in first place and one of three riders to get scores. He will be watching the standings through Saturday night and hoping no one has a higher score. If that happens, he will be Caldwell Night Rodeo champion and can mark this rodeo off his bucket list.
While the Caldwell Night Rodeo isn’t on Stevi Hillman’s bucket list as a two-time barrel racing champion, it is one that she is hoping to win for the third consecutive time. Hillman, from Weatherford, Texas tied for first place in the first round. She had her second run on Wednesday night and is on track for that to happen. Riding her great horse “Truck,” she stopped the clock in 17.05 seconds, the fastest time of any runs at the 85th edition of the rodeo. She has the overall lead with a total time of 34.32 seconds.
The third performance of the Caldwell Night Rodeo will begin at 8 p.m. on Thursday. It is Power of Pink Night and raises money for local breast health screenings.
Unofficial results:
Second Performance --
Bareback Riding: 1, Cole Reiner, Kaycee, Wyo., 85.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Pip Squeek. 2, (tie) Tim O’Connell, Marshall, Mo., and Caleb Bennett, Corvallis, Mont., 82.5. 4, Paden Hurst, Huntsville, Texas, 80.5.
Steer wrestling: 1, Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala., 4.8 seconds. 2, Jacob Edler, State Center, Iowa, 5.7. 3, T.J. Hall, Devine, Texas, 6.0. 4, Blake Mindemann, Blanchard, Okla., 7.9.
Team roping: 1, Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Evan Arnold, Stephenville, Texas, 4.4. 2, Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 4.5. 3, Clay Ullery, Two Hills, alberta and Riley Richard Warren, Stettler, Alberta, 5.3. 4, Clayton Van Aken, Descanso, Calif., and Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo., 6.8.
Saddle bronc riding: 1, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 84.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Misdemeanor. 2, Bradley Harter, Loranger, La., 83.5. 3, Jake Watson, Hudsons Hope, British Columbia, 81.5. 4, Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla., 81.
Tie down roping: 1, Riley Richard Warren, Stettler, Alberta, 8.4 seconds. 2, Trenton Smith, Bigfoot, Texas, 9.0. 3, Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla., 9.7. 4, Reno Gonzales, Scott, La., 12.8.
Barrel racing: 1, Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas, 17.05 seconds. 2, Ivy Conrado, Nowata, Okla., 17.13. 3, Kenna Kaminski, Bellville, Texas, 17.42. 4, Abby Phillips, Marshall, Texas, 17.45.
Bull Riding: (one ride) 1, Sage Steele Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., 88.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Aint Easy Being Me.
Current Leaders –
Bareback Riding: 1, Steven Peebles, Redmond, Ore., 86 points on Outlaw Buckers Rodeo’s American Thumper. 2, Cole Reiner, Kaycee, Wyo., 85.5. 3, Clint Laye, Cadogan, Alberta, 83. 4, (tie) Caleb Bennett, Corvallis, Mont., and Tim O’Connell, Marshall, Mo., 82.5. 6, (tie) Jacob Lees, Pismo Beech, Calif., and Paden Hurst, Huntsville, Texas, 80.5.
Steer wrestling: (second round) 1, Taylor Gregg, Walla Walla, Wash., 4.2 seconds. 2, Dalton Massey, Hermiston, Ore., 4.3. 3, Kodie Jang, Townsville, Australia, 4.4. 4, (tie) Nick Guy, Sparta, Wis., and Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, 4.5. (total on two) 1, Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala., 9.0. 2, Jang, 9.2. 3, (tie) Aaron Vosler, Laramie, Wyo., and Will Lummus, West Point, Miss., 9.4. 5, (tie) Nick Guy and Stephen Culling, Fort St. John, British Columbia, 9.7.
Team roping: (second round) 1, Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas, and Billie Jack Sabens, Nowata, Okla., 3.9 seconds. 2, Garrett Rogers, Baker City, Ore., and Jake Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 4.1. 3, (tie) Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Evan Arnold, Stephenville, Texas, and Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alberta and Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas, 4.4. (total on two) 1, Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 9.8. 2, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 10.0. 3, Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D., and Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz., 10.7. 4, Ryan Reed and Wyatt Hansen, Oakdale, Calif., 10.7. 5, Garrett Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas, and Dustin Davis, Terrell, Texas, 11.1. 6, Jeff Flenniken, Caldwell, Idaho and Tyler Worley, Berryville, Ark., 11.2.
Saddle bronc riding: 1, Mitch Pollock, Winnemucca, Nev., 90 points on Outlaw Bucker’s Lunatic Party. 2, Chet Johnson, Douglas, Wyo., 85. 3, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 84.5. 4, Bradley Harter, Loranger, La., 83.5. 5, (tie) Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., and Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 83.
Tie-down roping: (second round) 1, Clint Robinson, Spanish Fork, Utah, 8.7 seconds. 2, Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas, 8.9. 3, (tie) Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas; Trenton Smith, Bigfoot, Texas; Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas; and Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont.; 9.0. (total on two) 1, Livingston, 17.7. 2, Cooper, 18.0. 3, (tie) Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla., and Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 18.7. 5, Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif., 19.0. 6, Coy Surrett, Buhl, Idaho, 20.5.
Barrel racing: (second round) 1, Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas, 17.05. 2, Dona Kay Rule, Minco, Okla., 17.11. 3, Ivy Conrado, Nowata, Okla., 17.13. 4, Brittney Barnett, Joliet, Mont., 17.25. (total on two) 1, Hillman, 34.32. 2, Rule, 34.38. 3, Amberleigh Moore, Salem, Ore., 34.69. 4, Carly Taylor, Andersonville, Tenn., 34.74. 5, Alishea Broussard, Estherwood, La., 34.78. 6, Barnett, 34.79.
Bull Riding: 1, Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., 88.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Aint Easy Being Me. 2, Derek Kolbaba, Walla Walla, Wash., 87.5. 3, Happy Weight, Goshen, Utah, 80.