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Cowboy makes winner’s circle even with life’s detours; Tennessee cowboy wins first in the bull riding

 

Franklin, Tenn. (May 19, 2018) – For the second year in a row, the saddle bronc riding title at the Franklin (Tenn.) Rodeo went to a Louisiana man.

Joey Sonnier III, New Iberia, La., made an 86 point ride on the J Bar J Rodeo horse Sweatin’ Bullets.

It was a horse he was looking forward to getting on. As he worked in his saddle shop last Monday, and found out what horse he’d drawn, he gave out a shout, causing the people in the western store next door to come running.

Sonnier is in his second career as a saddle bronc rider, after having faced down a drug addiction.

He started his pro rodeo career in 1998, but after becoming addicted to pain pills after a shoulder surgery, he quit riding in 2002.

In 2014, he faced down his demons, lost fifty pounds, and came back to rodeo.

He’s done well with his second chance at life.

“Everybody calls it my second career,” Sonnier said. “It’s awesome.” He won nearly $14,000 at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Florida last month, and is ranked tenth in the PRCA world standings.

The difference between the second Joey and the first Joey? In one word, he said, “God. Everything goes better with God’s plan than with my plan. His plan is always better than mine. That’s what my life’s been, detours. A lot of them were my own choices, and even when I make a bad choice, God gives me another opportunity.”

In addition to rodeo, Sonnier has another business, making bronc saddles, saddles specifically designed for saddle bronc riding. He started his business a year ago, with four saddles being ridden by cowboys. Now there are 31 cowboys using his saddles.

But his saddle business will have to be sidelined for a while, as he pursues a chance at a qualification for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The top fifteen in the standings vie for a chance at a world championship at the WNFR each December in Las Vegas, and Sonnier hopes to be among them.

His goal: “to keep preparing myself for the opportunities God gives me, and at the end of the year, if  I get to go to the (Wrangler) National Finals, then that’s what it’s meant to be.”

Sonnier is married to Michelle; they have three children, Kade (18), Kenley, eight, and Kylie, two.

The bull riding title went to a Tennessee cowboy.

Gray Essary III, Somerville, Tenn., scored 87 points on the J Bar J bull Cold Dice.

 

He has been riding since he was ten years old, having won the Tennessee High School Finals Rodeo bull riding title in 2012 and the National Inter-Collegiate Rodeo Association title three years later, while a student at Ranger (Texas) College.

Essary was looking forward to his ride. “I drew a really good bull,” he said. “I knew I had the bull to win it on. I just had to do my part.” Cold Dice carried Chase Dougherty to a round win at the Ft. Worth, Texas rodeo earlier this year.

Other winners from the 69th annual Franklin Rodeo are bareback riders Daylon Swearingen, Rochelle, Ga., Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, and Blade Elliott, Centreville, Ala. (all three with 81 points each); steer wrestler Denell Henderson, Dmascus, Ark. (3.7 seconds); team ropers Cyle Denison, Stephenville, Texas and Lane Siggins, Coolidge Ariz. (4.1 seconds); tie-down roper John Douch, Huntsville, Texas (7.9); and barrel racer Ericka Nelson, Century, Fla. (17.59 seconds).

Next year’s rodeo will be held May 16-18, 2019. The rodeo is the annual fundraiser for the Franklin Noon Rotary Club.

Cutline: Gray Essary III, Somerville, Tenn., won the bull riding title at the 2018 Franklin Rodeo. The 23 year old competed in high school and college rodeo. Photo by Ruth Nicolaus.

 

 

Results, Franklin Rodeo, May 17-19, 2018

Bareback riding

1. (tie) Daylon Swearingen, Rochelle, Ga., 81 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Dairy Day, Blade Elliot, Centreville, Ala., 81 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Dairy Day, and Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 81 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s on Two Lounges; 4. Taylor Broussard, Estherwood, La. 79; 5. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb. 78.5; 6. Scotty NeSmith, Morristown, Tenn. 77.5

Steer wrestling

1. Denell Henderson, Damascus, Ark. 3.7 seconds; 2. (tie) Juan Alcazar, Jr. Okeechobee, Fla. and Drew Slade, Brooklyn, Miss. 4.1 each; 4. (tie) Quinn Campbell, Robertsdale, Ala. and Lane Bateman, Sorrento, Fla. 4.2 each; 6. Mike Cliver II, Westfield, Penn. 4.3; 7. Tooter Silver, Quitman, Ark. 4.4; 8. Olin Ellsworth, Warrensburg, 4.5.

Team roping

1. Cyle Denison, Stephenville, Texas/Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz. 4.1 seconds; 2. Cory Clark, Stephenville, Texas/Colton Herrera, Ranger, Texas 4.2; 3. Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Caleb Anderson, Mocksville, N.C. 4.4; 4. (tie) John Alley, Adams, Tenn./Clark Adcock, Smithville, Tenn. and Keven Daniel, Franklin, Tenn./Brad Culpepper, Sylvester, Ga. 4.7 each; 6. Justin Yost, Mount Morris, Penn. /Chris Soto, Pilesgrove, N.J. 4.9; 7. Will Clark, Erin, Tenn./Tanner Ward, Wister, Okla. 5.0; 8. (tie) Colby Fletcher, Hannibal, Mo. /Patrick Houchins, Frankford, Mo., Ryan Von Ahn, Palmyra, Mo./Chad Mathes, Lawson, Mo.; Kelsey Parchman, Cumberland City, Tenn./Dustin Davis, Terrell, Texas and Jacob Dagenhart, Statesville, N.C./Zack Mabry, Piedmont, Ala. 5.1 each.

Saddle bronc riding

1. Joey Sonnier III, New Iberia, La. 86 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Sweatin’ Bullets; 2. Dalton Kingery, Monroe, Iowa 79; 3. Ray Hostetler, Rochelle, Ga. 78; 4. Bradley Harter, Loranger, Texas 77; 5. Cody Martin, St. Joseph, Mo. 76; 6. Tegan Smith, Winterset, Iowa 74.

Tie-down roping

1. John Douch, Huntsville, Texas 7.9 seconds; 2. Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La. 8.1; 3. (tie) Scot Meeks, Airdrie, Alb. and Zeb Chapman, Auburn, Ga. 8.2 each; 5. (tie) Blake Chauvin, Raceland, La. and T.J. Hobson, Henryville, Ind. 8.4 each; 7. (tie) Cheyenne Harper, Iowa, La. and Fenton Nelson, Marshall, Mo. 8.5 each.

Barrel racing

1. Ericka Nelson, Century, Fla. 17.59 seconds; 2. Sable Miller, Malvern, Ark. 17.78; 3. Lindsey Hayes-Banks, Opelika, Ala. 17.79; 4. Lacinda Rose, Willard, Mo. 17.80; 5. Kassidy Lantis, Morriston, Fla. 17.82; 6. Melora Potter, Marion, Kent. 17.85; 7. Chaney Speight, Cooper, Texas 17.87; 8. Wendy Culberson, Okeechobee, Fla. 17.89; 9. Lacey Scott, Madison, Ala. 17.91; 10. Sarah Rose McDonald, Brunswick, Ga. 17.93.

Bull riding

1. Gray Essary III, Somerville, Tenn. 87 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Cold Dice; 2. Mario Lehman, Waterloo, Ind. 84.5; 3. Ty Harris, Arcadia, Fla. 83; 4. Daylon Swearingen, Rochelle, Ga. 70; no other qualified rides.