Orin Larsen began his quest for a second Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) bareback riding championship on Monday when the Canadian bareback rider took first place in Monday’s Quarter Finals. The six-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier won his first title at the Daddy of ‘em All in 2016.
Larsen, the reigning Canadian champion and two-time collegiate champ, scored 86.5 points on Andrews Rodeo’s bucking horse Rylee’s Rasin Cane. That was good enough to edge past 2019 world champion Clayton Biglow by half a point. Biglow, from Clements, California also rode here on Monday and his 86-point effort will see him vying for another Cheyenne buckle.
With the pandemic closing the border and canceling all rodeos in Canada, Larsen based his 2020 rodeo travels from his home in Gering, Nebraska, — just 100 miles from Frontier Park — where his wife Alexa is an ICU nurse.
His win on Monday guaranteed Larsen a berth in one of two Semi Finals on this Friday and Saturday. If he finishes among the top six then, he moves on to Championship Sunday and a one-in-12 chance at a second CFD title.
Three-time world champion barrel racer Hailey Kinsel of Cotulla, Texas, took first in the barrel racing. She and her superstar palomino mare DM Sissy Hayday (Sister) rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 17.22 seconds — the fastest time of more than 200 barrel racing runs so far this year at Frontier Park. Kinsel is in contention for her first CFD title by moving on to the Semi Finals.
Bradi Good of Abilene, Texas, finished second. Good, a second-generation rodeo competitor, is the first woman to win money in multiple events at the rodeo here in the modern era. She won Monday’s breakaway roping with a time of 4.1 seconds, giving her $4,651 in combined earnings and a solid chance to be the first woman to win the CFD All-Around title. Her father Shay Good was the 2015 CFD Steer Roping champion and competed here in that event this year.
The number of bulls ridden in a performance here on Monday was higher than the number of cowboys who hit the ground before the eight-second horn sounded, a rarity. Eleven of 20 bull riders tallied a score. Four-time NFR cowboy Jordan Spears of Redding, Calif., scored 86 points to take the lead in section one on United Pro Rodeo’s bull Diamond Cutter. His lead held until the final bull of the second section. Chase Dougherty, a 2018 NFR contestant and reserve world champion, is a native of Oregon who is now living in Texas. He rodeo Dakota Rodeo’s bull Sun Dog to match Spear’s score.
Quarter Finals four will start at 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday with a new set of contestants in all events, except bull riding. The same bull riders who competed Monday, including reigning world champion Stetson Wright and six-time world champion Sage Kimzey, ride again on Tuesday.
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The following are unofficial results from the Quarter Finals three (third performance) at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Payoff subject to change.
Bareback Riding: 1, Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, 86.5 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Rylee’s Rasin Cane, $2,4484. 2, Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., 86, $1,836. 3, Mason Clements, Spanish Fork, Utah, 83, $1,224. 4, R.C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif., 80, $612.
Breakaway Roping: 1, Bradi Good, 4.1 seconds, $2,952. 2, Anna Calloway, Billings, Mont., $2,214. 3, Tana Johnson, Kersey, Colo., 5.1, $1,476. 4, Amanda Coleman, Stephenville, Texas, 18.0, $737.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Bo Pickett, Caldwell, Idaho, 11.3 seconds, $1,899. 2, Trenton Smith, Bigfoot, Texas, 12.9, $1,424. 3, Garrett Busby, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 13.7, $949. 4, (tie) Tanner Green, Cotulla, Texas, and Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas, 14.0, $238 each.
Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding: First round leaders– 1, Colt Cunningham, Rose, Okla., 80 points. 2, Jade Taton, Kersey, Colo., 78. 3, Dylan Schofield, Philip, S.D., 77. 4, (tie) Wyatt Lohman, Weatherford, Okla., and Rowdy Dunklin, Malakoff, Texas, 76. Second round leaders – 1, Bailey Bench, Oakley, Idaho, 71 points. 2, Locky Shepherd, Snyder, Texas, 67. 3, Caleb Meeks, Geraldine, Mont., 64. 4, Lucas Macza, High River, Alberta, 62.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1. Ben Anderson, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, 88 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Bridal Shower, $2,354. 2, Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah, 87.5, $1,766. 3, Cash Wilson, Wall, S.D., 84.5, $1,177. 4, Mitch Pollock, Winnemucca, Nev., 83.5, $589.
Team Roping: 1, Britt and Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., 8.4 seconds, $1,847 each. 2, Jake Clay, Sapulpa, Okla., and Billie Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla., 11.5, $1,386 each. 3, Dustin Egusquiza, Marianna, Fla., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 15.3, $924 each. 4, Nick Sartain, Bandera, Texas, and Reagan Ward, Edmond, Okla., 16.4, $462 each.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 5.9 seconds, $1,951. 2, Reed Kraeger, Elwood, Neb., 6.2, $1,463 . 3, Marc Joiner, Loranger, La., 7.0, $975 . 4, Grady Payne, Stephenville, Texas, 7.6, $488.
Barrel Racing: 1, Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 17.22 seconds, $2,225. 2, Bradi Good, Abilene, Texas, 17.55, $1,669. 3, Tarryn Lee, St. David, Ariz., 17.66, $1,112. 4, Jamie Chaffin, Burwell, Neb., 17.80, $556.
Bull Riding: 1, (tie) Jordan Spears, Redding, Calif., on United Pro Rodeo’s Diamond Cutter, and Chase Dougherty, Decatur, Texas, on Dakota Rodeo’s Sun Dog, 86 points, $2,098 each. 3, J.C. Mortenson, Paulden, Ariz., 85.5, $1,198. 4, (tie) Ky Hamilton, Mackay, Queensland, Australia; Sage Kimzey, Salado, Texas, and Dustin Boquet, Bourg, La., 84 points, $200 each.
Wild Horse Race: 1, New Mexico Playboys, $782. 2, Lazy Hatted J, $587. 3, 3-N, $391. 4, Butin Pump, $196.