First round complete

First round winners in the International Finals Youth Rodeo were determined here Wednesday with the conclusion of the morning performance.
Three of last year’s defending champions earned a paycheck during the initial round.
Wednesday morning’s performance brought an end to the first round, and the second round got under way with Wednesday night’s action, marking the halfway point of this year’s IFYR. Those contestants who competed Wednesday morning were back in the arena again Wednesday night.
Today’s action resumes at 9 a.m. at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center with the seventh performance of the week-long rodeo.
Of the three defending champions competing here this week who won money in the first round, New Mexico team roper Rodee Walraven earned the biggest paycheck. He and his team roping partner Logan Medlin each won $1,126.08 for their second place finish with a time of 5.9 seconds.
Walraven is from Datil and Medlin is from Tatum. Walraven was one of the two champion team ropers from a year ago. His partner a year ago, Beau Marshall, Truth or Consequences, N.M., was unable to return because 2007 was his last year of eligibility.
Walraven and Marshall each won $5,240 for their efforts last year, and it was their first trip to the IFYR.
Winning the initial round in team roping were a pair of Arizona cowboys, Tom Richards and Tyler Getzwiller. They recorded a time of 5.5 seconds, and that earned them each $1,501.44. Richards is from Humbolt and Getzwiller is from Scottsdale.
Defending All-Around girl’s champion Jessi Eagleberger placed fifth in the pole bending with a time of 20.268 seconds. The Stringtown cowgirl won $341.55 for her efforts.
She also is competing in the barrel racing, goat tying and breakaway roping this week. Her 16.883 seconds in the barrel racing had her in the early round standings, but it didn’t hold up to win any money in the initial round. She will compete again Friday night in the barrels, pole bending and breakaway roping. She was back up in the goat tying Wednesday night, an event she recorded a no time in Wednesday morning.
She also had a no time in the breakaway during Monday morning’s opening performance.
Winning the first round in the pole bending was Stephenville, Texas cowgirl Kodi Bailey with a run of 19.870 seconds, and she earned a check for $1,214.40. Bailey was the only contestant in the event to break the 20-second mark during the initial round here.
In the breakaway roping, a year ago’s champion, Darcy Clark of Wayne, finished tied for eighth in the round with a time of 2.9 seconds and shared eighth place money if $79.01. Earning a check for finishing first in the breakaway was Ponder, Texas roper Tate Moore. Her time of 2.4 seconds gave her a check for $1,369.42.
Clark also competes in the barrel racing, and recorded a time of 16.845 seconds in Monday morning’s performance, placing her second at that time.
But by the conclusion of Wednesday morning’s action, she was not even in the top 15.
Winning the initial round of barrel racing was Karson Rose Bizzell, Oklahoma City. She ran the pattern in 16.496 seconds, and won $1,453.14.
The only defending champion not to earn a paycheck in the opening round was Jarrett Gaines, Marble Hill, Mo., steer wrestler who recorded a time of 5.3 seconds. The cutoff for a paycheck was 4.3 seconds.
Still, Gaines remains alive in the race to defend his title.
Chance Howard, Cedarville, Ark., with a time of 4.0 seconds won first place in the bulldogging and won $1,052.48.
Other first round winners, their scores or times and their earnings include:
Saddle bronc, Chasey Bass, Okeechobee, Fla., 75, $596.16. Bass was in first from the opening performance.
Bareback bronc riding, Brandon James, Stonewall, 76, $618.24.
Bull riding, Chase Hudson, Jacksonville, Fla., 79, $1,059.84. Hudson led it from the beginning.
Calf roping, Casey Harmon, Walnut, Miss.,  and Kiel Rowan, O’Brien, Texas, each with 9.5, shared first place money and each won $1,206.12.
Goat tying, Jaycie Davison, Fredericksburg, Texas, 7.9 seconds, $1,243.84.