Written by: Ruth Nicolaus

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RED BLUFF CROWNS CHAMPIONS

Hometown cowgirl, world champion wins barrel racing title

 Red Bluff, Calif. (April 21, 2019) – A hometown girl won a gold buckle at the Red Bluff Round-Up.

Nellie Miller, the 2017 barrel racing world champ and a native of Cottonwood, Calif. won the title with a time of 34.38 seconds on two runs.

She’s attended the Round-Up since she was a little girl, and to win it was special. “It’s a real honor,” she said. “We have a lot of family and friends here, so it’s neat to win it in front of everybody.”

Miller rode her eleven-year-old mare, Rafter W Minnie Reba (Sister), for the rodeo. The horse, raised by Miller and her parents, Sam and Roxy Williams, carried Miller to her 2017 world title and is part of the family. “We raised her from the time she was a baby. She’s been an outstanding part of our program.”

Sister loves to hear the crowd cheer, and when Miller’s name is announced, the Red Bluff fans get loud. “She was pretty fired up today. The crowd gets her going. (Red Bluff) is one of the few times I can actually hear the crowd. I don’t usually pay attention to it, but they’re so loud here when we run, it’s so much fun.”

Miller is ranked first in the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association barrel racing standings, after having won Rodeo Houston, and the Round-Up adds to her winnings. “Houston definitely set us up nice,” she said. Having a good lead will allow her to be able to not have to rodeo so hard this summer. “This will help things keep going in our direction. Hopefully we can ease up this summer when it gets real busy.”

Her horse Sister, a blue roan, is the 2017 AQHA Barrel Horse of the Year honors.

Two steer wrestlers have won themselves a Red Bluff Round-Up buckle.

Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas, and Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho, tied for the steer wrestling title to each win the average with a time of 21.8 seconds on four head.

Cure, a two-time world champion, came into the final round on Sunday, April 21 in second place behind Jorgensen.

During the final round, Cure turned in a time of 4.9 seconds, while Jorgensen needed to be 5.6 seconds or faster to beat him. Jorgensen had a time of 5.7 seconds to tie with Cure.

For Cure, it’s been eight years since he’s competed in Red Bluff, and he’s having the best spring of his career. Family and ranch obligations have kept him away from the California rodeos, but this year, he came west. “This year, I felt like the timing fit. We didn’t have an exorbitant amount of work at home so I made it work.” His next job at home, on the ranch he and his mom operate, will be to ship yearlings of off wheat the beginning of May.

Cure won second place at the American Rodeo in Arlington, Texas in March, then won the Oakdale, California rodeo last weekend.

Jorgensen is Cure’s junior by ten years, and when Cure was winning his first world title in 2013 (he won his second title in 2015), Jorgensen was in college at Riverton, Wyo., watching Cure steer wrestle at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I started bulldogging seriously in college,” he said, “started doing my homework, watching them, learning here and there, and now I’m hanging out with these guys. It’s pretty cool.”

It was special for Jorgensen to win the Round-Up. “It’s an honor, especially (to win it) with Hunter. “He’s won the world twice. “I looked up to guys like Hunter and Jason Miller (a retired steer wrestler from Wyoming.) They’re my idols.”

Cure’s wife, daughter and son watched their husband and dad win his title on the Wrangler Network, which livestreamed today’s rodeo, as did Jorgensen’s parents and sister. “It’s cool to have them know at home” right away, Jorgensen said.

It’s a repeat in the saddle bronc riding.

Zeke Thurston was last year’s saddle bronc riding champ, and he’s this year’s as well.

The 2016 world champion scored 89.5 points on the Rosser Rodeo Co. horse Flood Tide to win the title.

He gave high compliments to the  horse. “They’ve won a round at the (Wrangler National) Finals on him, a round at Houston, they won Reno (Nev.) on him last year. They’ve won a lot on that horse.”

Thurston was ready for the ride. “Usually he has a big rear-out, takes a lot of rein, leaps, and kicks hard. He didn’t have as big a rear-out today, just kind of hopped out there, and away we went. He’s just everything you could want as far as a bronc rider goes.”

Winning the Red Bluff Round-Up twice consecutively is something he is proud of. “It’s unbelievable,” Thurston said. “This rodeo is a once-in-a-lifetime rodeo, and to win it twice in a row, it’s pretty cool.”

He enjoys competing here. “It’s a great rodeo. They have a great tradition and their own atmosphere. It’s a lot of fun, and on Sunday, everybody kicks loose and has a good time, and the weather is beautiful.”

Thurston’s dad Skeeter was a saddle bronc rider who qualified for the WNFR six times. Thurston is currently ranked second in the world, behind Ryder Wright, who won second place in Red Bluff.

Another cowboy made it a repeat for a Red Bluff buckle.

Bull rider Trey Benton III, of Rock Island, Texas, won his third Round-Up buckle.

He won the title in 2012 and 2017, and then three-peated again this year.

Benton rode the Bridwell Rodeo Co. bull Vegas Outlaw for 88 points to win the buckle.

Benton, who is 27 years old, has made five trips to the WNFR, and is currently ranked fifth in the PRCA world standings.

Injuries have plagued him throughout his career. He’s had ACL and MCL surgery on both knees, a rod placed in his femur, a broken eye socket, and last year at the Redding, Calif. rodeo, he tore his groin muscle, which kept him out of competition most of the year. Even with going to only 42 rodeos last year, he still qualified for the WNFR.

Not only has he won Red Bluff three times, but he’s won the Salinas, Calif. rodeo twice (2013 and 2017). “I love California,” he said.

Other Red Bluff champions include bareback rider Logan Patterson, Kim, Colo. (87 points); tie-down roper Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. (37.5 seconds on four head); and team ropers Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif. and Cody Doescher, Webbers Falls, Okla. (30.4 seconds on four runs).

During the rodeo, which was the annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink event, a Calgary Stampede Package was auctioned off. Bruce Geveden from Green Barn Whiskey Kitchen purchased it for $16,000. The package includes four tickets to the rodeo and the evening show, round trip airfare for four, and lodging for three nights. Extras include a VIP Behind the Scenes tour, the chance to meet the chuck wagon drivers and their horses, and more. Monies raised during the Round-Up’s “pink” campaign go to breast cancer treatment at the St. Elizabeth Imaging Center.

Next year’s Red Bluff Round-Up will be held April 17-19, 2020. For more information on the rodeo, visit RedBluffRoundup.com.

Results, Red Bluff Round-Up, April 19-21, 2019

All-around winner: Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah

Bareback Riding – 2019 Red Bluff Champion:  Logan Patterson, Kim, Colo.

1. Logan Patterson, Kim, Colo. 87 points on C5 Rodeo’s Black Feathers;  2. Connor Hamilton, Calgary, Alb. 85.5; 3. (tie) Garrett Shadbolt, Merriman, Neb. and Mike Solberg, Sunnynook, Alb 85 each; 5. Jessy Davis, Power, Mont. 84.5; 6. (tie) Mason Clements, Draper, Utah and Wyatt Bloom, Bozeman, Mont. 83 each; 8. Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas 82.

Steer Wrestling 2019 Red Bluff Co-Champions: Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas and Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho

First round:

1. Don Payne, Stephenville, Texas 4.3 seconds; 2. Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas 4.4; 3. Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah 4.8; 4. (tie) Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas, Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif., and Heath Thomas, Hemphill, Texas 5.0 each; 7. (tie) Jace Melvin, Ft. Pierre, S.D. and Cody Devers, Balko, Okla. 5.1 each.

Second round:

1.Levi Ruud, Chelsea, Okla. 4.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Josh Clark, Belgrade, Mont., Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alb., Layne Delemont, Chauvin, Alberta, and Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif. 4.7 each; 6. (tie)  Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta and Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev. 4.8 each; 8. Nick Guy, Sparta, Wisc. 4.9.

Third round:

1. (tie) Hank Filippini, Battle Mountain, Nev. and Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev. 5.4 seconds each; 3. Justin Kimsey, Kennewick, Wash. 5.5; 4. Blaine Jones, Templeton, Calif. 5.6; 5. Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho 5.8; 6. Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah 5.9; 7. Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont. 6.5; 8. Juan Alcazar, Jr., Okeechobee, Fla. 6.7.

Finals:

1. Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alb. 4.4 seconds; 2. Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev. 4.5; 3. Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas 4.9; 4. Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont. 5.5; 5. Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho 5.7; 6. Jace Melvin, Ft. Pierre, S.D. 5.9.

Average:

1. (tie) Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas and Stetson Jorgensen, 21.8 seconds on 4 head each; 3. Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alb. 22.9; 4. Jace Melvin, Ft. Pierre, S.D. 23.9; 5. Juan Alcazar, Jr. 25.3; 6. Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont. 26.3; 7. Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev. 26.4; 8. Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif. 33.8.

Saddle bronc riding 2019 Red Bluff Champion – Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alb.

1. Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alb. 89.5 points on Rosser Rodeo’s Flood Tide; 2. Ryder Wright, Milford, Utah 86.5; 3. (tie) Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas and Johnny Espeland, Tygh Valley, Ore. 86 each; 5. Jesse Kruse, Great Falls, Mont. 85; 6. (tie) Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alb. and Preston Burr, Stratford, Texas (83.5 each); 8. Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alb. 83.

Tie Down Roping 2019 Red Bluff Champion – Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D.

First round:

1. Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 9.1 seconds; 2. Joey Dickens, Loveland, Colo. 9.3; 3. Cody Craig, Wendell, Idaho 9.4; 4. Westyn Hughes, Caldwell, Texas 9.7; 5. (tie) J.D. McCuistion, Collinsville, Texas and Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 9.9 each.

Second round:

1. Joey Dickens, Loveland, Colo. 9.3 seconds; 2. Kalai Nobriga, Kealakekua, Hawaii 9.4; 3. (tie) Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, Idaho, and Colton Farquer, Oakdale, Calif. 9.5 each; 6. (tie) Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif. and Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla. 10.0 each.

Third round:

1. Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. 8.3 seconds; 2. Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif. 8.9; 3. Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. 9.0; 4. Westyn Hughes, Caldwell, Texas 9.7; 5. Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 10.2; 6. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah 10.5.

Finals:

1. Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. 8.8 seconds; 2. Cody Craig, Wendell, Idaho 9.3; 3. Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif. 9.6; 4. Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 10.3; 5. Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 10.5; 6. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah 11.9.

Average:

1. Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. 37.5 seconds on 4 head; 2.Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif. 41.3; 3. Cody Craig, Wendell, Idaho 43.1; 4. Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 43.2; 5. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah 44.3; 6. Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. 44.5.

Team Roping 2019 Red Bluff Champions  – Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif. an Cody Doescher, Webbers Falls, Okla.

First round:

1. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Bucky Campbell, Morristown, Ariz. 7.1 seconds; 2. Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D./Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz. 7.2; 3. Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif./CodyDoescher, Webbers Falls, Okla. 7.6; 4. (tie) Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas and Cody Mora, San Miguel, Calif./Jason Johe, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 8.2 each; 6. J.B. James, Jr., Bennett, Colo./Brock Hanson, Bennett, Colo. 8.3; 7. (tie) Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. and Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif./Hunter Koch, Vernon, Texas 8.6 each.

 Second round:

1. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Bucky Campbell, Morristown, Ariz. 7.1 seconds; 2. Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D./Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz. 7.2; 3. Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif./Cody Doescher, Webbers Falls, Okla. 7.6; 4. (tie) Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas and Cody Mora, San Miguel, Calif./Jason Johe, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 8.2 each; 6. J.B. James, Jr., Bennett, Colo./Brock Hanson, Bennett, Colo. 8.3; 7. (tie) Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. and Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif./Hunter Koch, Vernon, Texas 8.6 each.

Third round:

1. Hayes Smith, Central Point, Ore./Evan Arnold, Stephenville, Texas 6.4 seconds; 2. (tie) Preston Burgess, Hilmar, Calif./Joseph Shawnego, Oakdale, Calif. and Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga./Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prudente, Brazil 7.1 each; 4. Dillon Holyfield, Lewiston, Idaho/Robert Murphy, Congress, Ariz. 7.4; 5. (tie) Brooks Dahozy, Window Rock, Ariz./Nano Garza, Las Cruces, N.M., Blake Hirdes, Turlock, Calif./Daniel Holland, Bonanza, Ore. and Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 8.0 seconds each; 8. (tie) Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M. and Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif./Cody Doescher, Webbers Falls, Okla. 8.1 each.

Finals:

1. Blake Hirdes, Turlock, Calif./Daniel Holland, Bonanza, Ore. 6.7 seconds; 2. Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M. 7.3; 3. Brooks Dahozy, Window Rock, Ariz./Nano Garza, Las Cruces, N.M. 7.8; 4. Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif./Cody Doescher, Webbers Falls, Okla. 8.0.; 5.  Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 8.1; 6. Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga./Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prudente, Brazil 12.4.

Average:

1. Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif./Cody Doescher, Webbers Falls, Okla. 30.4 seconds on 4 head; 2. Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M. 32.1; 3. (tie) Blake Hirdes, Turlock, Calif./Daniel Holland, Bonanza, Ore. and Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.D./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 32.3 each; 5. Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga./Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prudente, Brazil 34.5; 6. Brooks Dahozy, Window Rock, Ariz./Nano Garza, Las Cruces, N.M 41.1; 7. Lane Ivy, Dublin, Texas/Buddy Hawkins II, Columbus, Kan. 41.3; 8. Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D./Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz. 25.1

Breakaway Roping- 2019 Red Bluff Champion – Jane Wood

First round:

1. Noel Lambert, 2.5 seconds; 2. Jordan Gutsch, 2.7; 3. Morgan Busby, 3.0; 4. Kelsey Nonella, 4.1; 5. Jane Wood, 4.6; 6. (tie) Stevie Rae Willis and Zandi Eguires, 5.0 each.

Short round:

1. Katie Rice, 3.8 seconds; 2. Nellie Miller, 4.5; 3. Jolee Lauteret-Jordan, 4.9; 4. Cierra Erickson, 5.2.

Average:

1. Jane Wood, 10.1 seconds; 2. Noel Lambert, 10.5; 3. Nellie Miller, 11.7; 4. Katie Rice, 12.0; 5. Stevie Rae Willis, 12.3; 6. Cierra Erickson 12.8.

Barrel racing – 2019 Red Bluff Champion – Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, Calif.

First round:

1. (tie) Jennifer Barrett, Buhl, Idaho and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Victoria, Texas 17.04 seconds each; 3. (tie) Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, Calif. and Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas 17.09 each; 5. (tie) Jessie Telford, Caldwell, Idaho and Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas 17.28 each; 7. Cheyenne Wimberely, Stephenville, Texas 17.34; 8. Danyelle Williams, Vale, Ore. 17.36; 9. Angelina Carrion, Esparta, Calif. 17.38; 10. Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas 17.41.

Second round:

1. Ivy Hurst, Springer, Okla. 17.09; 2. Tanya Jones, Prineville, Ore. 17.21; 3. Jessie Telford, Caldwell, Idaho 17.27; 4. Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, Calif. 17.29; 5. Jolee Lautaret-Jordan, Kingman, Ariz. 17.30; 6. Cheyenne Wimberley, Stephenville, Texas 17.31; 7. Danyelle Williams, Vale, Ore. 17.32; 8. (tie) Tyra Kane, Weatherford, Texas and Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas 17.33 each; 10. Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas 17.41.

Average:

1. Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, Calif. 34.38 seconds on 2 runs; 2. Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas 34.42; 3. Jessie Telford, Caldwell, Idaho 34.55; 4. Cheyenne Wimberley, Stephenville, Texas 34.65; 5. Danyelle Williams, Vale, Ore. 34.68; 6. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Victoria, Texas 34.70; 7. Tanya Jones, Prineville, Ore. 34.71; 8. Jolee Lautaret-Jordan, Kingman, Ariz. 34.78; 9. Jennifer Barrett, Buhl, Idaho 34.81; 10. Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas 34.82.

Bull Riding 2019 Red Bluff Champion – Trey Benton III, Rock Island, Texas

1. Trey Benton, III, Rock Island, Texas 88 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Vegas Outlaw; 2. (tie) Boudreaux Campbell, Crockett, Texas and Maverick Potter, Waxahachie, Texas, 87.5 each; 4. Tyler Bingham, Honeyville, Utah 87; 5. (tie) Parker Breding, Edgar, Mont. and Stetson Wright, Beaver, Utah 86 each; 7. John Pitts, Panama City, Fla. 85.5; 8. Foster McCraw, Navasota, Texas 85.

** All results are unofficial.  For more information, visit RedBluffRoundup.com.  For complete rodeo results, visit ProRodeo.com.

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