The wild west is back in full force at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds with the 81st edition of the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo.
Fans filled Bob Banks Memorial Arena on the first day of the three-day Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association extravaganza to see some of the world’s best, and up-and-coming bareback, saddle bronc and bull riders, ropers, steer wrestlers and barrel racers.
On a sunny, upper 70’s evening with a slight breeze, the Four Corners’ largest and oldest rodeo went off without a hitch.
The first event of the evening was bareback riding, sponsored by 1st Southwest Bank of Cortez. Former PRCA world champion Kelly Timberman was the last man out of the chute but certainly not least, as he won the event, tieing the arena record with 82 points on his horse, Ragged Edge.
“That horse is one that’s been around for a long time and I’ve always wanted to get on him,” Timberman said about Ragged Edge. “If you don’t win on that horse, it’s your fault. You got to show up and do your job. I was pretty tickled to have him.”
Timberman, who’s currently ranked 33rd in the world, competes in the PRCA Mountain States circuit, which is Colorado and Wyoming. The 11-year veteran made it back to Cortez in what was one of the first pro rodeos of his career.
“I started my career coming down here. This week, we decided to come down. It paid off. It was a pretty good rodeo for us,” Timberman, a Mills, Wyo., native, said. “The scenery here is beautiful. It was just a fun trip, (a) fun rodeo all the way around.”
Timberman hopes to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev., in December. He is also an assistant rodeo coach for the Casper (Wyo.) College Thunderbirds.
Casey Colletti (Pueblo) and Tyler Scales (Severence) each tied for second with 78 points, and Jon Luse of Savannah, Tenn., took third, recording 69 points.
After bareback riding, the crowd got to see the young generation of rodeo with the kids mutton bustin’ and stickhorse races.
The steer wrestling event, sponsored by Notah Dineh, saw Russell Armenta (Bloomfield, N.M.) take the top score in a time of 4.8 seconds. Jeff Richardson (Fullerton, Neb.) followed, totaling 16.2 seconds.
Another Bloomfield native won tie-down roping, sponsored by Four States Tire, as Wesley McConnel grabbed the top spot in 10 seconds. Trevor Thiel of Greeley came in second at 12.6 seconds.
Citizens State Bank sponsored saddle bronc riding. Darrell Triplett had a strong outing and holds the high score with 77 points. Overall scores are averaged over all three days. Triplett is from Waterflow, N.M., and competes in the New Mexico and Arizona, Turquoise circuit. He says the Ute Mountain Roundup has been like his home rodeo over the years.
“I’ve been coming up here since I was in high school,” Triplett said. “We used to come up here and practice. When I started getting a chance to enter the pro rodeo here, it was kind of the closest I’ve got to a hometown rodeo. It was actually the first pro rodeo I ever won. It’s been real good to me.”
Triplett hopes to get to the Turquoise circuit finals this year. The Ute Mountain Roundup is a co-sanctioned circuit event. Since it is within 50 miles of the Turquoise circuit borders, pros in each circuit can total their points and earnings toward their respective circuit season standings. Pro riders must participate in at least 40 percent of their circuit rodeos to advance to the circuit finals, Triplett said.
In team roping, sponsored by Dolores State Bank, Utah’s Kelson Robinson and Brian Roundy won in 6.9 seconds. New Mexico’s Larry Cohorn and JoDan Mirabal were second in 8.4 seconds, and Arizona’s Aaron Tsinigine and Rudy Yazzie were third at 21.1 seconds.
Girls barrel racing, sponsored by New Country Auto, saw Tohatchi, N.M., resident Devyn Dennison win in 17.48 seconds, while Sherrlynn Johnson of Henryetta, Okla., was runner-up in 17.56 seconds.
The bull riders, sponsored by 1st National Bank of Cortez, didn’t fare as well as the bareback and saddle bronc riders. Only Salem, Utah’s, Tate Jones lasted eight seconds to lead the rodeo with 80 points.
Ute Mountain Roundup action continued Friday night and will start at 7 tonight at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com