Diaz take fourth at Calgary, Scheer wins Western Stampede

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(July 7, 2015) — Britany Diaz is off to a strong start in the Pool B barrel race at the Calgary Stampede, the world’s richest tournament rodeo.

Diaz, a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier living in Desdemona, placed fourth and earned $3,604 with a time of 17.64 seconds in the opening go-round of Pool B competition Tuesday.

Rounds continue through Friday with the top four from each pool advancing to the finals on Sunday. The top four in the finals will turn around and run one time in a shootout worth $100,000.

Other local athletes in Pool B at Calgary include saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley and bareback rider Richie Champion. Crawley, of Stephenville, was sixth with a score of 80.5 on Fool’s Turn. Champion was ninth, scoring 77 points on Gooses Fine Wine.

One local athlete has already punched his ticket to the finals in Calgary. Tie-down roper Marty Yates won two rounds in Pool A, including round two last Saturday when he roped and tied his calf in 6.8 seconds, matching the second-fastest time of his career. He also won the fourth round in 7.5 seconds on his 21st birthday Monday.

Back in the states, Stephenville saddle bronc rider Cort Scheer won the Western Stampede in West Jordan, Utah last weekend. Scheer scored 84 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Miss Independent, pocketing $3,604. It’s his fourth win this season, including outright titles at NILE ProRodeo in Billings, Mont. and101 Wild West Rodeo in Ponca City, Okla. and a share of top money at Red Bluff Round-up in Red Bluff, Calif.

Scheer finished second in the world standings and second in the average at the NFR last year. He is 10th in the current world standings.

Sterling Crawley, brother of Jacobs, continued his string of strong recent performances with 80 points for third place and $2,024. Jacobs is eighth in the world standings, Sterling 21st.

Champion competed in West Jordan before going to Calgary. He was fifth in the bareback with 82 points, earning $847. The former Tarleton standout who reached his first NFR in 2014 is currently 35th in the world.

The winnings of Scheer, Crawley and Champion in West Jordan pushed the local athletes’ take to $145,000 at 14 PRCA rodeos last week, part of the busiest annual stretch of of competitions often referred to as Cowboy Christmas.