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SHAWNEE, Okla. —
First-round winners in the International Finals Youth Rodeo were determined Wednesday at the conclusion of the morning performance, and second round action started Wednesday evening.
A Meeker contestant, who finished the round in second place in the barrel racing, won more than $1,100 for her efforts.
Lauren Underwood, a 16-year-old from Meeker who will be a junior this fall at Bethel High School, claimed second in the barrel racing in the first round. She won $1,177.60 for her run Tuesday morning in 16.514 seconds. She was just behind the first-place finisher, Kaci Smith, from Purvis, Miss., who recorded a 16.494 and won $1,530.88.
Underwood led the round following Tuesday’s morning performance, but Smith ran the pattern a bit faster Tuesday night and their times held up for first and second. Underwood said Wednesday afternoon, “I could hardly believe it when they announced time and I heard all of my friends in the stands screaming. I was praying before the run that God would keep my horse and me safe and afterwards I just kept thanking Him.”
The daughter of Rene and Kurt Underwood, she said, “I was really proud of my horse, Charisma. She is 11 years old and we just bought her in April. We have just clicked from the beginning.”
Underwood mentioned that she and her parents purchased the horse through Add Waddell from Henryetta and credited Waddell and her parents with helping her with the horse. Underwood will be up again in Thursday night’s performance in the barrel racing, and on Friday night in pole bending. She said she knocked down two poles in that competition during the heavy rain Monday morning, but that her horse performed well.
Underwood noted she’s only been running poles with Charisma for a week and a half.
Underwood is the only contestant from the Tri-County area to finish as high as second in the initial round of this year’s competition.
Chase Outlaw, from Tilly, Ark., claimed the first-round win in bull riding and won $1,096.64 for his eight-second ride Monday morning. Outlaw scored an 81 during the first performance and it held up during the remaining performances.
Winning the first round in the breakaway roping was Nicole Sweazea of Mountainair, N.M., with her time of 2.3 seconds. That won her $1,536.86.
Claiming the first-round win and $559.36 in bareback riding was Christopher Smith, from Loxahatchee, Fla., with a score of 75. Mavin Alderman, Jr., of Idabel, the defending champion, failed to win any money during the first round for his score of 69, which was tied for 12th place.
Lonie Pearce, of Venus, Fla., recorded a time of 7.9 seconds in the goat tying to earn $1,346.88 for her first-round win in that event.
Taking first-place honors in the pole bending competition was Edmond cowgirl Brittney Bailey. She managed a run through the pole pattern in 20.052 seconds, which earned her $1,398.40. Defending champion Emily Miller, of Ingalls, Kan., who posted a run of 20.582 seconds, finished the round in sixth place and won $218.50.
Colby Walkoviak’s 8.7 seconds in the tie down calf roping early in the round was good for first place, and the Anderson, Texas, roper earned $1,524.90.
In the saddle bronc competition, Dylan Henson, Bloomfield, N.M., won $574.08 for his score of 74 which was good enough for a first-place finish in the round.
Will Abshure, from Ward, Ark., who is the defending IFYR saddle bronc champion, shared fourth place with Dalton Davis of Holcomb, Kan. They each won $188.37 for their identical scores of 72.
Sharing second-place money were a pair of Texans, Ty Kirkland, of Lukfin, and Michael Houston, from Belton. Each scored 73 and won $376.74.
Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La., earned $1,023.04 for his first-place finish in the steer wrestling. He recorded a time of 3.6 seconds.
Winning the first round of team roping were Texans Aaron Macy, from Post, and Landon Williams, of Midland. Their time of 5.9 seconds earned them each a check for $1,582.40. They were the only team to break the six-second mark during the first round of competition.
SAD NOTE: The horse of a Florida contestant died during Tuesday’s morning’s performance. The contestant reportedly was competing in the steer wrestling when his horse went down.
First-round winners in the International Finals Youth Rodeo were determined Wednesday at the conclusion of the morning performance, and second round action started Wednesday evening.
A Meeker contestant, who finished the round in second place in the barrel racing, won more than $1,100 for her efforts.
Lauren Underwood, a 16-year-old from Meeker who will be a junior this fall at Bethel High School, claimed second in the barrel racing in the first round. She won $1,177.60 for her run Tuesday morning in 16.514 seconds. She was just behind the first-place finisher, Kaci Smith, from Purvis, Miss., who recorded a 16.494 and won $1,530.88.
Underwood led the round following Tuesday’s morning performance, but Smith ran the pattern a bit faster Tuesday night and their times held up for first and second. Underwood said Wednesday afternoon, “I could hardly believe it when they announced time and I heard all of my friends in the stands screaming. I was praying before the run that God would keep my horse and me safe and afterwards I just kept thanking Him.”
The daughter of Rene and Kurt Underwood, she said, “I was really proud of my horse, Charisma. She is 11 years old and we just bought her in April. We have just clicked from the beginning.”
Underwood mentioned that she and her parents purchased the horse through Add Waddell from Henryetta and credited Waddell and her parents with helping her with the horse. Underwood will be up again in Thursday night’s performance in the barrel racing, and on Friday night in pole bending. She said she knocked down two poles in that competition during the heavy rain Monday morning, but that her horse performed well.
Underwood noted she’s only been running poles with Charisma for a week and a half.
Underwood is the only contestant from the Tri-County area to finish as high as second in the initial round of this year’s competition.
Chase Outlaw, from Tilly, Ark., claimed the first-round win in bull riding and won $1,096.64 for his eight-second ride Monday morning. Outlaw scored an 81 during the first performance and it held up during the remaining performances.
Winning the first round in the breakaway roping was Nicole Sweazea of Mountainair, N.M., with her time of 2.3 seconds. That won her $1,536.86.
Claiming the first-round win and $559.36 in bareback riding was Christopher Smith, from Loxahatchee, Fla., with a score of 75. Mavin Alderman, Jr., of Idabel, the defending champion, failed to win any money during the first round for his score of 69, which was tied for 12th place.
Lonie Pearce, of Venus, Fla., recorded a time of 7.9 seconds in the goat tying to earn $1,346.88 for her first-round win in that event.
Taking first-place honors in the pole bending competition was Edmond cowgirl Brittney Bailey. She managed a run through the pole pattern in 20.052 seconds, which earned her $1,398.40. Defending champion Emily Miller, of Ingalls, Kan., who posted a run of 20.582 seconds, finished the round in sixth place and won $218.50.
Colby Walkoviak’s 8.7 seconds in the tie down calf roping early in the round was good for first place, and the Anderson, Texas, roper earned $1,524.90.
In the saddle bronc competition, Dylan Henson, Bloomfield, N.M., won $574.08 for his score of 74 which was good enough for a first-place finish in the round.
Will Abshure, from Ward, Ark., who is the defending IFYR saddle bronc champion, shared fourth place with Dalton Davis of Holcomb, Kan. They each won $188.37 for their identical scores of 72.
Sharing second-place money were a pair of Texans, Ty Kirkland, of Lukfin, and Michael Houston, from Belton. Each scored 73 and won $376.74.
Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La., earned $1,023.04 for his first-place finish in the steer wrestling. He recorded a time of 3.6 seconds.
Winning the first round of team roping were Texans Aaron Macy, from Post, and Landon Williams, of Midland. Their time of 5.9 seconds earned them each a check for $1,582.40. They were the only team to break the six-second mark during the first round of competition.
SAD NOTE: The horse of a Florida contestant died during Tuesday’s morning’s performance. The contestant reportedly was competing in the steer wrestling when his horse went down.
