Competition Heating Up at College National Finals Rodeo

CASPER, Wyo. (Susan Kanode, CNFR) – There were several lead changes in the third round of competition at the College National Finals Rodeo at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper on Wednesday night. 

The action started with the bareback riding where Kelby Schneiter, a freshman from Rexburg, Idaho rode Brookman Rodeo’s horse named Voodoo for a score of 82 points. Schneiter, who is attending Western Texas College in Snyder has a seven-point advantage over the rest of the field in the third round. 

While Schneiter stands a good chance of getting a round win, a champions ring and a $500 scholarship if his lead holds through Friday night, he is unlikely to qualify for Saturday’s championship finals because he failed to make a qualified ride in round one. 

Bodee Mattson from Gillette College and Trae Smith of Casper College kept themselves out of a shutout in the team roping. With Mattson doing the heading and Smith heeling, they stopped the clock in 4.8 seconds and will be tough to beat in the third round. It was their first time of this year’s competition and they are over a full second faster than any other ropers in the round and have made the best run at this year’s rodeo. 

Kenlie  Raby, a freshman at Missouri Valley College stopped the clock in 1.7 seconds to take the lead in the third round of breakaway roping. She failed to get a time in round 2, so now is hoping her lead in round 3 will hold through two more performances. 

University of Wyoming’s Chadron Coffield took the lead in the tie-down roping by one-tenth of a second with an 8.3. Coffield, from Yuma, Colorado just graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and is competing at his third CNFR. 

Blake Betz from Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon is the new leader in steer wrestling with a 4.0-second run. The University of Wyoming’s Taylour Latham tied for the fastest goat tying run in round three with a 6.1 on Wednesday. Kamryn Duncan of McNeese State University who competed at the first performance Tuesday night also has a 6.1. 

Jaylie Matthews took the lead in the barrel racing with a 14.13-second run. The East Mississippi Community College student is the first to have a run under 14.2 seconds so far this year. Unfortunately, she will not qualify for Saturday night’s championships because of a five-second penalty for a downed barrel in round one. Her sister Taycie who also goes to the same school is currently in fifth place and could be running for the championship. 

Only two bull riders have made it to the whistle so far in round three and the high score also came during the second performance. Cole Skender from Three Rivers College had an 84-point ride to move ahead of Tristan Hutchings in the round. Both men have ridden two bulls and Hutchings, from Sul Ross State University is in first place in the overall standings. 

The third performance of the CNFR will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday – Watch live on ESPN 3 or the ESPN App.

View the complete results at www.collegerodeo.com

Tiny URL for this post:
 Copy