Posted by By Lillian Landreth
The 97th Tucson Rodeo saw record-breaking rides from bronc riders Brody Cress and Jess Pope during the last weekend of February. Brody Cress raised the bar in the saddle bronc riding when he set two new arena records, earning a finals high score of 92 on Beutler & Son’s Nutrena’s Killer Bee.
His aggregate score of 178/2 set yet another record. The 26-year-old from Hillsdale, Wyoming, is currently sitting fourth in the PRCA world standings with $34,283 and is focused on marking out his best ride possible during The American in Fort Worth, Texas, this weekend. He is going into the finals in fifth place following The American Semi-Finals.
Jess Pope also set a new aggregate high score during the Tucson Rodeo with 179.5/2 in the bareback riding. His 90-point ride on Beutler & Son’s Nutrena’s Tic Tac in the final round secured the win. The 23-year-old from Waverly, Kansas, has won money on his last six rides, and is currently sitting fifth in the PRCA world standings with $33,498. Pope is also competing in The American this weekend, ready to burst out of the chutes in AT&T Stadium after placing ninth in The American Semi-Finals.
The other average winners of the Tucson Rodeo were all-around cowboy Seth Hall, Trey Kimzey in bull riding with a finals ride of 84, Steely Steiner in barrel racing with a 17.23, J.D. Struxness in steer wrestling with a 4.6, Lane Livingston in tie-down roping with an 8.9, and Josh Siggins and Junior Zambrano with the aggregate high of 20.1 on three head and a finals score of 6.9. The Tucson Rodeo also saw a record attendance of more than 55,000 spectators over 6 days.
About the Author
Lillian Landreth is a freelance writer and editor. She particularly enjoys writing about rodeo and the extraordinary people and animals who make the lifestyle fascinating. The author of more than 1,000 stories, her writing has appeared in the Rodeo News; The Ketchpen, published by the Rodeo Historical Society and National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum; and local newspapers. She is also working on her first novel. When she’s not writing, Lily enjoys riding with the Snake River Stampeders night light drill team, coaching the EhCapa Bareback Riders, a PRCA specialty act, and teaching horseback riding lessons. She makes her home in Southwest Idaho with her entrepreneurial husband, their dog, horse, and cows.
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