Mid-South Horse Review

Article & photos by Nancy Brannon

Pro Rodeo Productions presented the Memphis PRCA Rodeo at the Show Place Arena in Cordova, Tenn. on Saturday September 25, 2021. Universal Pro Rodeos, owned by Mark Johnson of Mississippi, was stock contractor for the event. Special guests at the rodeo were Miss Rodeo America Jordan Tierney, Miss Rodeo Tennessee Sydney Caen, and Miss Rodeo Missouri Victoria Wilson. The Coyote Run Drill Team offered special opening and half time performances. Rodeo funnyman Tim Lepard, of Pontotoc, Miss., brought his Team Ghost Riders for additional entertainment. Team Ghost Riders stars two Border Collies with Capuchin monkey riders as the dogs herd a group of four sheep into a pen and, later, onto the top of Lepard’s pickup truck.

The evening’s events got started with Bareback riding, with UT Martin Rodeo rider Stetson Bierman winning the event on the bucking horse Magic Carpet Ride, with a 72-point score.

Steer Wrestling was next, and it was beginning to look like the steers were going to win the event. That is, until Jacob Talley, “the top man in rodeo,” said the announcer, got his steer in 4.2 seconds. Andalusia, Alabama steer wrestler and calf roper Gus Maraman was a close second, wrestling his steer in 4.7 seconds.

Next, attention turned to Calf Roping. After seven ropers, next-to -last roper Randall Carlisle put in the fastest time so far, tying his calf in 9.9 seconds. But he was outdone by the last roper, Polo Bacque, who was a second faster, tying his calf in 8.9 seconds.

Team Roping followed, and saw Clint Wallace and Jace McDaniel ace the event, roping their calf in 5.9 seconds. Kevin Daniel and Adam Plyler were a close second with a time of 6.1 seconds.

Now it was time for the lovely ladies of rodeo, the rodeo queens, to make their gallop around the arena and for the Coyote Run Drill Team to ride their precision patterns.

The bucking horses were back in the arena with the Saddle Bronc competition. It looked like second rider out, Kody Rinehart, who competed in college rodeo for Northeast Mississippi Community College, might just have won this event, posting a 74-point ride on Little Big Heart. He kept the lead until 2020 NHSFR World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Cable Wareham posted a 76-point score on Smoke Shack to win the event.

Barrel Racing was next on the agenda with four cowgirls rounding the barrels in record time. Jenna Beaver had the fastest time in the evening’s performance of 15.90, but in the slack, Sissy Warren was faster at 15.79 seconds to win this event.

Rodeos save the most exciting event ‘til last: Bull Riding. Last to go, Gray Essary of Somerville, Tenn. looked like he had a good ride on Handy Andy, one of the highest scoring bulls of the evening. But a technicality left him with no score. Bull Milkman gave Lucas Mooninghan a short ride, but neither rider nor bull scored this night. Bull Spotted Demon, another high scoring bull of the night, gave Heath Simpson a ride for his money, but in the end Simpson’s no score left him without a payoff. That left Evan Golliday with the top – and only – score of the night, 77, riding Willard, who scored 19/18.

Find full results of the rodeo posted at: https://www.prorodeo.com/result/2021/mid-south-prca-championship-rodeo/10901

Read more about Memphis Pro Rodeo at: https://memphisprorodeo.com/

Read more about Team Ghost Riders on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Tim-Wild-Thang-Lepard-Teamghostriders-1445012919091636/

Results:

Bareback Riding: winner Stetson Bierman on Magic Carpet Ride; score 72

Saddle Bronc Riding: winner Cable Wareham on Smoke Shack; score 76

Kody Rinehart was a close second on Little Big Heart; score 74

Bull Riding: winner Evan Golliday on Willare; score 77

Gray Essary on Handy Andy had a good ride, but didn’t score

Steer Wrestling: winner Jacob Talley in 4.2 seconds

Gus Maraman was a close second with 4.7 seconds

Tie Down Roping: winner Polo Bacque; 8.9 seconds