Gordon wins saddle bronc title; Schalla sweeps bareback, bull crowns

Colt Gordon proved in 2019 that he was as good a young saddle bronc rider there is in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, earning a spot in the National Finals Rodeo.

During that time, he hung out with all the great riders, including Rod Hay, the Canadian legend, and Hay’s son Dawson.

Since then, though, he’s battled through injuries, the COVID pandemic and he’s slowly getting back into the swing of things.

Saturday night at the LO Ranch Arena, Gordon rode the great Beutler and Son Rodeo Company’s Wicked Witch for an 85 to take the title and make a big boost in his earnings total.

“She is so strong; just hard to ride,” Gordon said before packing his gear and going to visit with friends and family.

Gordon is out of the NFR picture this year but he’s still pushing hard to finish strong to set the stage for a big run next season.

“Right now, I’m going to enter up at several (Great Plains) circuit rodeos and try to get into the finals again,” he said. “I am about four rodeos short in the circuit and will enter some of those. I go to Caldwell (Idaho) next and then Gooding. I want to pad my total so I can get into those big rodeos at the start of the season. You need to be ranked high to get into many of them and that’s my goal.”

He not only will get the first-place check, but $500 in bonus money from Liberty National Bank.

Another cowboy leaving town with big money is 18-year-old rookie Wacey Schalla, who won both the bareback riding and bull riding at the final performance.

In the bareback riding Wacey Schalla drew the right bronc, Happy Hour, a good sorrel mare who circled around right and kicked hard throughout the 8-second ride.

But fans weren’t done yet with the bareback riding as Kade Sonnier of Carancro, La., came close to beating Schalla, posting an 88.5 on Beutler and Son’s South Suds. And even the third one out, Gauge McBride, had a good ride, an 84 on Black Kat.

Schalla later came back to compete in the bull riding, a rare two-event hand which is rare indeed in the rough-stock circles. In that tough event he rode the great bull Hysteria for an 89 to win that event as well and he and Fulton Rutland will share all the ground money. And he pocketed $1,000 from the Liberty National Bank bonus fund.

There was no movement in the barrel racing as Summer Kosel claimed the title with a 17.19, Weatherford’s Emily Beisel was second at 17.27 and Ivy Hurst third at 17.28.