Hanging on for dear life
Stetson Scott, Clarkston 5-year-old, wins wool riding event during busy family night at Roundup
Family night at the 87th Lewiston Roundup was a mutton bustin’ success for 5-year-old Stetson Scott, of Clarkston.
Scott, the son of Casey and Dessa Scott, had the top score of 87.5 points in Thursday evening’s wool riding contest.
“I was not scared,” he said after winning the crowd-pleasing event. “I practiced on my goats at home. I was happy that I winned it.”
Scott “winned” the competition while facing backward and hanging on for dear life as his ride plowed into a whole herd of sheep.
As entertaining as the sheep and small kids were, the horses and big boys put on a pretty good show as well. The first event of the night was bareback bronc riding, and 10 of the 12 contestants had scoring rides. Eight-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Caleb Bennett, currently ranked fourth in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings, had the top score of the night. He put up an 87-point ride on the hard-bucking Shoutin’ Shoes.
“That’s a real good horse,” Bennett said. “I was tickled to death when I got him, and I’m thankful to the good Lord above it worked out this way. I separated a couple of ribs in Ellensburg (last weekend), but I really wanted to give it another go here in Lewiston.”
The bareback riding was followed by the equally fast-paced steer wresting, tie down roping and ladies breakaway roping.
During a break in action, Roundup clown JJ Harrison challenged an oversized friend, Justin Rogers, of Pullman, to a comical brawl that drew cheers and laughs from fans. Harrison, always a crowd favorite, was wearing an inflated Sumo suit, when Rogers easily shoved the clown into the dirt.
“I thought he’d be a little stronger than that, but he wasn’t,” Rogers told the kids standing by the fence.
Attendance for the night topped 3,350. Thunder and lightning lit up the sky midway through the evening, and the smell of rain was in the air. However, only a few light drops reached the ground. Harrison said it was a balmy 76 degrees down in the dirt of the arena.
There were a couple of scary incidents during the night. In the first, saddle bronc rider Dougie Hall of Browning, Mont., was bucked off and hit in the back by the horse. He was on the ground for several minutes, but eventually stood up and walked to the ambulance on his own.
During the bull riding event, Gavin Michel, of Missouri, apparently suffered a broken leg during the first ride of the night.
Near the end of the evening, Alan Gobert, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe from Browning, Mont., scored 82 points in the saddle bronc competition while riding Sweet Sixteen. He received the Jackson Sundown award for having the top score of the night. Nakia Williamson of the Nez Perce Tribe presented Gobert, 25, with a Pendleton blanket in honor of Jackson, the legendary rodeo champion.
“It meant a lot, especially coming from another tribe,” Gobert said. “It’s a cool thing, and it made me pumped up to know I have the support of the Nez Perce Tribe.”
Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168. Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.
If you go
Friday: Tough Enough to Wear Pink night; the Roundup Association will donate $1 to local nonprofit groups for every person who comes through the gates wearing pink.
Saturday: Patriots’ Night; final performance for 2021.
Time: Gates open at 4:59 p.m. every night, rodeo begins at 6:59 p.m. Free Dancin’ in the Grass begins at the She’s Wild Saloon at 9:29 p.m.
Location: Lewiston Roundup Grounds, 2100 Tammany Creek Road.
TV coverage: thecowboychannel.com/rodeo-schedule.
Tickets: Little Red Barn, North 40 parking lot, 2981 Thain Grade, or online at lewistonroundup.com/roundup/red-barn.
Roundup parade: Saturday at 10:29 a.m., downtown Lewiston.
Roundup Standings (through Thursday)
Bareback riding leaders
1. Caleb Bennett, 87 points
2. (tie) Cole Franks and Richmond Champion, 834. Will Lowe, 825. Taylor Broussard, 81.5
Steer wrestling leaders
1. Dylan Schroeder, 3.8 seconds
2. Hunter Cure, 3.9 seconds
3. (tie). Tristan Martin and Dakota Eldridge, 4.1 seconds
4. Bridger Anderson, 4.3 seconds.
Tie down roping leaders
1. (tie) Shane Hanchey and Adam Gray, 8.6 seconds
2. Cody Craig, 9.2 seconds
3. Taylor Santos, 9.3 seconds
4. Treg Schaack, 10.4 seconds
Team roping leaders
1. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, 4.2 seconds
2. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 4.4 seconds
3. Brady Tryan/Andy Carlson, 4.5 seconds
4. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 4.8 seconds
5. Kal Fuller/Cullen Teller, 4.9 seconds
Steer roping leaders
1. Thomas Smith, 21.6 seconds/2 rounds
2. John Bland, 24.5 seconds/2
3. Kim Ziegelgruber, 26.1 seconds/2
4. Tom Fisher, 29.3 seconds/25. Garrett Hale, 32.3 seconds/2
Barrel racing leaders
1. (tie) Sidney Forrest and Katie Pascoe, 17.7 seconds
2. Kylee Scribner, 17.22 seconds
3. Ivy Saebens, 17.23 seconds
4. Stevi Hillman, 17.32 seconds.
Saddle Bronc leaders
1. Alan Gobert, 82 points
2. Stetson Wright, 79.5
3. Cody DeMoss, 79
4. Shorty Garrett, 765. CoBurn Bradshaw, 74.5
Bull riding (Thursday results)
1. Trey Benton III, 88.5 points
2. (tie) Matt Palmer and Brady Portenier, 85.5
