Rodeo update: Mote takes over top spot in bareback riding

Crawley enjoys career-best saddle bronc ride, Smith wins tie-down roping in Guymon

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Stpehenville cowboy Bobby Mote is currently No. 1 in the world in the bareback riding. He's a four-time world champion in the event. || Courtesy DUDLEY BARKER/Dudleydoright.com

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(May 6, 2015) — Erath County cowboys Bobby Mote and Jacobs Crawley have been on fire.

Mote, a four-time world champion bareback rider, has climbed to the top of the 2015 PRCA world standings, while Crawley, the 2013 NFR average champ, finished April with the best saddle bronc ride of his esteemed nine-year career.


 

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Mote and Crawley each earned big pay days at the Clovis Rodeo in California, but Crawley, 26, will remember the ride and the bronc more than he will the $5,753.

Telling prorodeo.com that he crossed off one of his “bucket list” horses, Crawley stayed on Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic from Hell to a personal-record 92 points, dominating the field for his second career win in the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour Silver Rodeo.

Jacobs Crawley, Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Round 5, Monday, December 9, 2014 || Photo by DUDLEY BARKER, dudleydoright.com
Jacobs Crawley, Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Round 5, Monday, December 9, 2014 || Photo by DUDLEY BARKER, dudleydoright.com

Crawley also won the Buc Days Pro Rodeo in Corpus Christi, cashing in another $4,683 for his 87-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Griz. That split top money with Desdemona cowboy Isaac Diaz, who scored his 87 on Frontier Rodeo’s Medicine Woman. Crawley has jumped to fifth in the world standings.

Diaz has also won recently in Longview and Lufkin and was third in Guymon, Oklahoma, jumping to 13th in the world. Sterling Crawley, brother of Jacobs, gives the Cross Timbers Region a third top 20 saddle bronc rider, as he is currently 16th in the world. Sterling tied for second behind Diaz in Lufkin.


 

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Mote scored 86 points on Growney Brothers Rodeo’s Sourdough in Clovis after tying for second and $3,854 with 85 points in Corpus Christi. He has $45,417.67 in PRCA earnings this season, almost $5,000 more than Tim O’Connell of Zwingle, Iowa. Four-time reigning world champ Kaycee Field is fourth almost $11,000 behind Mote entering the summer rush.

Local tie-down ropers have had a strong first half of the season, even with legendary Cody Ohl yet to mix it up full time. Stephenville cowboys Marty Yates (4th), Sterling Smith (9th) and Chase Williams (10th) are all in the top 10, while Ryan Watkins of Bluff Dale recently won the tie-down roping and all-around title in Wichita Falls.

Smith won the first round and tied for third in the average at Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo in Oklahoma last weekend, earning $4,367 overall. He also finished third in the Spring Classic in Mesquite and third in the Angelina County Benefit Rodeo in Lufkin.

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Yates, the recently crowned National Circuit Finals Champ in, took second in the average and second in the first round at Lufkin, earning $2,788 there. Former Tarleton cowboy Reese Riemer, who won big at the RFD-TV The American earlier this year, was second in the average at Guymon.

Area team ropers have continued their success, with heeler Jake Long teaming with Coleman Proctor to win the average and more than $5,000 in Guymon. Heeler Travis Graves partnered with Chad Masters to win the average and more than $5,000 in Clovis, then placed fourth in the average and earned more than $2,400 in Guymon.

Jake Long, shown in the 2014 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. || Courtesy DUDLEY BARKER/Dudleydoright.com
Jake Long, shown in the 2014 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. || Courtesy DUDLEY BARKER/Dudleydoright.com

David Key and Martin Lucero were third in the average in Lufkin and placed second in the opening go-round in Guymon. Header Billy Bob Brown earned more than $3,000 in Clovis, while Luke Brown and Kollin VonAhn placed in the opening rounds there and at Guymon. Turtle Powell and Dakota Kirchenschlager placed in two rounds at Guymon, while world leaders Clay Tryan and Jade Corkill placed in a round and in the average in Clovis.

Tryan and Corkill have won the last two world titles together and continue to lead the heading and heeling standings, respectively, with $50,181.11 each. In heading, Jake Cooper is fourth, Charly Crawford 11th, Kaleb Driggers 12th and Key 20th. In heeling, Travis Woodard is third, Smith sixth, Long 10th, Shay Carroll 11th, Graves 15th and Lucero 20th.

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