Cinch Shoot-Out kicks off Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo

CHEYENNE, Wyo., (July 17, 2015) – The 119^th “Daddy of ‘em All” got off to an exciting start at Frontier Park on Friday afternoon with the Cinch Shoot-Out.

Competition included bareback riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, women’s barrel racing and bull riding. Eight contestants in each of these events represented rodeos in Denver, Colo.; Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin and Houston, Texas; Reno, Nev.; Calgary, Alberta; and Cheyenne.

The field was cut in half to advance to the finals where the best of four in each event earned $10,000. The bareback riding battle was between Matt Bright, from Fort Worth, Texas, and Sankey Rodeo’s horse Thunder Monkey. Bright managed to not only ride, but spur his way to the top with a 91-point effort.

“I’ve been wanting to get on that horse for a long time,” said Bright. “This is an awesome place to have him. My birthday was yesterday and I was hoping I’d get a late birthday present.”

Bright has just recently returned to the rodeo arena. The three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier had surgery on his elbow in 2013 and missed a good part of the season. Then, last March, he tore his groin and had to take more time off.

He used the time away from competition to get married in November of 2013 and a year later he and his wife became parents of a baby boy they named Weston.

“This will buy a lot of diapers,” Bright said of the win. “It couldn’t have come at a better time for me. This is a busy time of year on the rodeo circuit, so the money will help, but the confidence that comes with 88 and 91 point rides is huge.”

Another contestant that got a huge boost of confidence is Jon Ragatz from Beetown, Wisc., who won the steer wrestling title with an 6.6-second run. Ragatz was representing Rodeo Austin here and finished third in the first round to advance to the finals. His time was over two seconds ahead of Jake Rinehart who had an 8.8.

A horse from New West Productions took Cort Scheer to the winner’s circle in saddle bronc riding. Scheer, from Elsmere, Neb., was 89.5 points on Showbiz to win the $10,000. Wade Sundell from Coleman, Okla., was close behind with 87.5.

In the barrel racing, former Cheyenne Frontier Days champion Christi Loflin from Franktown, Colo., left town with $10,000. Loflin finished at the top of the leaderboard in the first round with a 17.073 second run, then was the first one out in the finals representing the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo. Riding the great mare Sheza Blazin Move that Loflin calls Movin, she stopped the clock in 17.086 seconds in the finals. This is the same horse that took her to the rodeo championship in 2013 and the reserve championship here in 2012.

Two of the eight bull riders were successful in the first round, Pistol Robinson and Cody Rostockyj. Robinson, from Coolidge, Texas, rode Summit Pro Rodeo’s James Gang for an 86.5 score for Cheyenne Frontier Days. Rostockyj scored 77 points on another Summit bull named Spotted Ape and advanced to the finals for the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo. Brett Stall and Clayton Savage also advanced based on the time that they rode.

Three of the final four riders were successful. Rostockyj ended up with the cash after an 89-point effort on a Smith Pro Rodeo bull named Sipping Pendleton.

Points were accumulated by each of the teams and at the end of the competition, the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo emerged as the champions.

Rodeo action continues on Saturday with a full slate of events beginning at 12:15 p.m.

Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Josi Young, National Western Stock Show Rodeo, 89.5 points on Smith Pro Rodeo’s Acts Like Mike. 2, Matt Bright Cheyenne Frontier Days, 88. 3, Chase Erickson, Rodeo Austin, 85. 4, Wes Stevenson, Rodeo Houston, 84. 5, Mac Erickson, Calgary Stampede, 83. 6, Chance Madsen, Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, 79. 7, Jared Schlegel, Reno Rodeo, 76. 8, George Gillespie, San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, 74. (final round) 1, Bright, 91 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Thunder Monkey, $10,000. 2, Mac Erickson, 85, $3,000. 3, Chase Erickson, 83.5, $1,500. 4, Josi Young, $500.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Jake Rinehart, Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo, 8.45 seconds. 2, Sean Mulligan, Rodeo Houston, 8.53. 3, Jon Ragatz, Rodeo Austin, 8.74. 4, Dan Cathcart, Reno Rodeo, 8.89. 5, K.C. jones, Cheyenne Frontier Days, 9.53. 6, Jason Lahr, San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, 11.38. 7, Blake Knowles, National Western Stock Show Rodeo, 17.08. 8, Dean Gorsuch, Calgary Stampede, 17.70. (final round) 1, Ragatz, 6.60, $10,000. 2, Rinehart, 8.80, $3,000. 3, Mulligan, 9.72, $1,500. 4, Cathcart, 9.81, $500.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Sam Spreadborough, Reno Rodeo, 87 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Crow Nation. 2, Cort Scheer, National Western Stock Show Rodeo, 85.5. 3, Bradley Harter, Rodeo Austin, 85. 4, Wade Sundell, Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo. 5, Tyler Corrington, San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, 84. 6, Shade Etbauer, Cheyenne Frontier Days, 83. 7, (tie) Ryder Wright, Calgary Stampede and Heith DeMoss, Rodeo Houston, no score. (final round) 1, Scheer, 89.5 points on New West Productions Showbiz, $10,000. 2, Sundell, 87.5 $3,000. 3, Spreadborough, 86, $1,500. 4, Harter, 83, $500.

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Christy Loflin, San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, 17.073. 2, Cassidy Kruse, Calgary Stampede, 17.202. 3, Wendy Chambers, Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo, 17.231. 4, Karisa Brookshire, National Western Stock Show Rodeo, 17.315. 5, Lisa Lockhart, Rodeo Houston, 17.408. 6, Mary Walker, Reno Rodeo 17.730. 7, Randi Timmons, Rodeo Austin, 17.730. 8, Brandee Hawkins, Cheyenne Frontier Days, no time. (final round) 1, Loflin, 17.086, $10,000. 2, Kruse, 17.272, $3,000. 3, Chambers, 17.498, $1,500. 4, Brookshire, 17.557, $500.

Bull Riding: 1, Pistol Robinson, Cheyenne Frontier Days, 86.5 points on Summit Rodeo’s James Gang. 2, Cody Rostockyj, San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, 77. 3, Clayton Savage, Rodeo Houston. 4, Brett Stall, Calgary Stampede. 5, (tie) Gray Essary, Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo; Bart Miller, National Western Stock Show Rodeo; Jake Bocco, Rodeo Austin’ and Lucas Guilbeau, Reno Rodeo. (final round) 1, Rostockyj, 89 points on Smith Pro Rodeo’s Sipping Pendleton, 89, $10,000. 2, Savage, 88.5, $3,000. 3, Stall, 86.5, $1,500. 4, Robinson, no score, $500.