Nevada Cowgirl wins SSIR All-Around

Utah gallops off with 11th straight team championship.

Nevada's Kayla Bland, Utah's Morgun King and Team Utah were the big winners at the 24th Silver State International Rodeo Thursday in Fallon.

Team Utah walked off with its 11th consecutive and 12th overall SSIR team championship. The Beehive State's 8,183.3 total points were well ahead of second place California's 4,830. Nevada finished third at 3,453.3, followed by Idaho, 2,205; Montana, 2,120; Washington, 2,070; Oregon, 1,643.3, Arizona, 1,320; Alberta, 1,195 and Colorado, 180. Wyoming, Nebraska, British Columbia and Saskatchewan scored no points.

Bland, of Winnemucca won All-Around Cowgirl by scoring 420 total points, the most of any contestant, boy or girl. The Lowry High School senior finished first in breakaway roping and third (with Mariah Wilcox) in team roping.

“I'm speechless right now,” Bland said. “My heart just stopped, and I thought they probably messed up or something. It's amazing.”

Bland said she has been rodeoing since she was six years old. She wants to attend college in Texas to rodeo and to become an equine dentist and chiropractor. She said that much practice led to her success.

“As in any sport, practice makes perfect,” Bland said. “It's good.”

Jessie Hodson and Ashley Garrett, both of Utah, finished second and third with 380 and 360 points, respectively.

King's score of 360 earned him the All Around Cowboy title. The cowboy from Farmington, Utah finished second in boys cutting and ninth in tie down roping.

“I feel pretty good,” King said. “I'd like to thank my parents for helping and supporting me and driving me out here, and my dad for all the calves I've gotten to rope.”

King said he's been rodeoing since he was 2 years old and he hopes to be a professional rodeo cowboy or an engineer.

“I was born with a rope in my hand,” King said.

Bland and King were each awarded a brand new horse trailer, donated by the city of Fallon with the SSIR 2009 logo and “All-Around Cowgirl” or “All Around Cowboy” painted on it. They also each received a brand new leather saddle.

The overall winners of each event also received saddles. Jacee Young of Utah won the barrel racing with a total time of 53.38 seconds. JayAnn Demarais of Montana finished second in 53.578, followed by Washington's Lacy Ralston in 54.12 and Kyrbijo Urbach in 54.299. The pole bending champion was Chanel Reese of California in a total time of 61.873, followed by Chelsi Horton (Idaho)in 62.146, Calli Van Tassell (Utah) in 63.221 and Katie Hamann (Idaho) in 63.544.



Tory Logan of Montana took home the champion saddle for goat tying with a combined time of 24.9 seconds. Finishing second was Ashley Garrett of Utah in 25.17. Third place went to Jessie Hodson (Utah) at 25.21 and fourth place to Chyanne Thacker (Utah) in 25.83. In breakaway roping, Bland's winning time was 10.78, followed by Katie Vierstra (Idaho) in 11.08; Coby Auclair (Alberta) in 11.23 and Amanda Koch (Calif.) in 11.25.

Taking the saddle for team roping were Tanner Lutterell and Ryan Tripp of Arizona at 28.82 seconds combined time. Second place went to Colt and Jade Gardner of Utah in 29.36, followed by Bland and Wilcox at 30.96 and Kane Thiele and J. Mason Chambers (Wash.) in 40.44.



Boyce Hawkins of Idaho rode his way to the bareback championship with a total score of 199 points, ahead of Dillon Rydalch (Utah), 186; Blaine Tibbals (Nev.), 134; and Chase Wilson (Utah), 121. The champion bull rider was Jordan Spears of California at 196, followed by Kache Moosman (Utah), 148; Levi Laws (Nev.), 141; and Sam Harper (Nev.), 139. Utah's Kip Denton won the saddle bronc competition with 300 points, Luke White of California was second at 280, third place went to Trevor O'Driscoll (Utah) at 250 and fourth place to Rowdy Hutchinson (Nev.), 220.

Utah took the top three spots in steer wrestling. The winner was Drew Sessions in a combined time of 43.84 seconds and Kade Jacobs took second at 49.47 after three gos. Nobody else scored in all three rounds. Jeff Wilson was finished third at 13.56, and Bo Dee Foster (Mont.) took fourth at 20.49, both over two gos.

A scary moment occurred in the top 15 finals when Wilson lunged off his horse, missed the steer and hit his head on a metal rail. He was down in the arena for several minutes before being taken by ambulance to Banner Churchill Community Hospital, where he was treated and released according to hospital spokesman Steve Fraker.

California Cowboys took the top two tiedown roping spots. Clayton Van Aken finished first in a combined time of 31.73 seconds, followed by Chant DeForset at 32.82. After DeForest came Cain Smith (Ore.) at 34.53 and Daniel Rice (Calif.) in 34.93.

Utah's Tanner Denton edged King for the boys cutting championship with a score of 220.5 points to King's 218.5. Third place went to Clay Roeser (Calif.), 216 and fourth place to Chet Boren (Utah), 214. In girls cutting, Jordan Beery of California was the winner at 219.5, followed by teammate Quincy Freeman, 217; Makayla Russell (Utah), 214; and Lyndsey Bell (Nev.) 213.