WINNING CHEYENNE: Kirchenschlager, Murray, Crawley earn prestigious titles

Kirchenschlager feature — Dakota Kirchenschlager, shown in the 2014 National Finals Rodeo, recorded his first ever win at Cheyenne Frontier Days. || Courtesy Dudley Barker/DudleyDoRight.com

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(July 31, 2016) — Morgan Mill heeler Dakota Kirchenschlager, Stephenville native and world champion saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley and Morgan Mill barrel racer Tillar Murray each won their events at the rodeo known as “The Daddy of Them All” Sunday.

Kirchenschlager and heading partner Tyler Wade won the team roping average and Murray the barrel race average, joining Crawley as champions at Cheyenne Frontier Days, the richest of all PRCA regular season rodeos.

Kirchenschlager earned more than $17,000 at Cheyenne and jumped to No. 8 in the PRCA world standings following his big week.

Crawley strengthened his hold on the top spot in the saddle bronc world standings, pushing his year total to $125,656.58 before the start of August. Only one rival, Rusty Wright, is within $25,000 of Crawley. No other PRCA saddle bronc rider is within $40,000.

Crawley built the big lead with more than $16,000 at Cheyenne as well as wins at Red Desert Roundup and at Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, where his brother, Sterling Crawley, was second.

Murray also won more than $16,000 at Cheyenne, where Richmond Champion continued climbing up the world standings – he’s currently 22nd – by winning the finals and taking fourth in the average. Champion, a Dublin resident, won more than $5,000 at Cheyenne, split top money at Chief Joseph Days and won at Deadwood Days of ’76 Rodeo.

The biggest change in the world standings for local athletes came in team roping, where two Stephenville cowboys are tussling for the top spot in the world. It changed hands from Luke Brown to Kaleb Driggers this week, with Driggers and heeling partner Junior Nogueira winning the finals to finish second in the average at Cheyenne. Driggers and Nogueira earned almost $12,000 each there, and won the Caribou County Fair & Rodeo.

Marty Yates won the tie-down roping at Last Chance Stampede and was second in one round at Cheyenne. Chase Williams was also second in a round at Cheyenne to help continue his recent surge. Yates is 13th in the world, Williams 26th, Sterling Smith 31st and Cimarron Boardman 36th.

Colby Lovell of Stephenville is fifth in the world in heading, while in heeling, Jake Long of Morgan Mill – partner to Luke Brown – is second, Paul Eaves third, Wesley Thorp fifth, Shay Carroll ninth and Travis Graves 11th.

Cheyenne Frontier Days

Cheyenne, Wyo.

Bareback riding:

First round – 7. Richmond Champion, 81.5, $736

Finals – 1. Richmond Champion, 88.5, $1,650

Average – 4. Richmond Champion, 247 on 3, $3,035

Team roping:

First round – 1. Tyler Wade/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 7.2, $6,338

Second round – 6. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 8.9, $2,025

Finals – 1. Kaleb Drigers/Junior Nogueira, 8.8, $1,627; 2. Tyler Wade/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 9.8, $1,415

Average – 1. Tyler Wade/Dakota Kirchenshlager, 27.0 on 3, $9,508; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 28.4, $8,268

Saddle bronc riding:

First round – 2. Jacobs Crawley, 86, $3,748

Second round – 2. Jacobs Crawley, 86.5, $3,748

Finals – 1. Jacobs Crawley, 88.5, $1,650

Average – 1. Jacobs Crawley, 261 on 3, $7,334

Tie-down roping:

First round – 2. Chase Williams, 10.3, $5,641

Second round – 2. Marty Yates, 11.0, $5,641

Barrel racing:

First round – 2. Tillar Murray, 17.56, $5,234

Second round – 7. Tillar Murray, 17.58, $1,775

Average – 1. Tillar Murray, 52.73 on 3, $9,318

That Famous Preston Night Rodeo

Preston, Idaho

Team roping:

3. (tie) Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess, Rhen Richard/Cole Davison, 4.5, $1,953 each; 8. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.8, $814; 10. (tie) Colby Lovell/Travis Graves, 5.2, $81

Tie-down roping:

7. Cimarron Boardman, 9.9, $503

Last Chance Stampede

Helena, Mont.

Bareback riding:

3. Richmond Champion, 82, $995

Team roping:

7. Adam Rose/Walt Woodard, 6.3, $1,010

Tie-down roping:

1. Marty Yates, 7.5, $2,357; 2. Cimarron Boardman, 8.2, $2,049

Red Desert Roundup

Rock Springs, Wyo.