When the dust settled on the 2023 Reno Rodeo, there were some very happy rodeo contestants heading out of town. The rodeo marks the start of the busy summer rodeo season and winning here gives contestants momentum as they head into “Cowboy Christmas,” which includes all of the rodeos held over the Fourth-of-July holiday.
After nine nights of exhilarating rides the Reno Rodeo ended with two bareback champions. Jayco Roper of Oktaha, Okla., had the ride of the night, scoring an 86 on Flying U Rodeo's Little Red Hawk. That put him in the top spot, but Cole Reiner of Buffalo, Wyo. who went into the finals in the lead, scored an 81 on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Meat Sweats in the short go to match Roper’s 251 points on three head. Jacek Frost rounded out the leaderboard with 249 on three head.
A veteran bulldogger took home his third set of Silver Spurs in front of the sold-out crowd. J.D. Struxness, Haines, Ore., went 4.5 seconds in the short go, earning the fastest throw of the night and fastest average with 12.8 seconds on three head. Elko-native Dakota Eldridge and Olin Hannum of Malad, Idaho tied for second place with 13.8 on three head.
Team ropers Chris Francis (header) and Cade Passig (heeler) went into Saturday night in eighth position. They had the fastest time of the night, roping their calf in 5.8 seconds and giving them 18.9 on three head. It was just shy of what they needed for the win. That honor went to header Kaleb Driggers of Hoboken, Ga., and heeler Junior Nogueira of Presidente Prudente, Brazil with 18.4 seconds on three head. Keven Daniel and Travis Graves took third with 19.8 in the average.
Last year’s co-champion Statler Wright of Beaver, Utah, went into the night in fifth place on the leaderboard but an 88.5-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Indian Burn catapulted him into the lead with 252 on three. Just half a point behind was Kade Bruno whose 83.5-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Mama’s Boy was just short of what he needed to keep the lead. Rounding out the top three was Layton Green with an 85.5-point ride on Big Bend Rodeo’s Huckleberry.
In tie-down roping, Shad Ryan Mayfield of Clovis, N.M., wowed the crowd with the fastest time of the night, clocking in a 7.8-second run in the finals to score a 25.8-second average on three head to secure the win. The competition was close with defending Reno Rodeo champion Riley Webb of Buffalo, Texas missing the top spot by just two-tenths of a second following his 9.1-second run for an average of 26 on three. Luke Potter of Maple City, Kan. rounded out the final leaderboard with his 8.8-second run for an average of 27.4.
Women’s breakaway roping continues to be an electrifying event in just the third year as an official Reno Rodeo event. Shelby Boisjoli of Stephenville, Texas came into the night tied for second but pulled ahead following her blistering fast 2.2-second run and was crowned Reno Rodeo breakaway champion with 7.5 on three. Coming in second with 8.8 on three was Sarah Angelone of Lipan, Texas with Taylor Munsell of Alva, Okla. placing third with 9.5 on three.
Arguably the most exciting moment of the 2023 Reno Rodeo Championship was when Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas, broke the arena record with her 16.70-second turn around the barrels and brought the cheering crowd to their feet. The previous arena record of 16.73 seconds by Terri Kaye Kirkland was set 17 years ago. Tonozzi has placed second in Reno multiple times but her 51.35 seconds in the average secured the record-setting barrel racer her first set of Silver Spurs. Hailey Kinsel’s consistently fast times put her in the lead going into Saturday night, but she missed taking home the win by just one one-hundredth of a second with 51.36 on three. Close behind was Sharin Hall with 51.52.
Going into the finals bull rider Hayes Weight was at the top of the leaderboard with the highest-scoring ride of the week - 83 points on Flying 5 Rodeo's No. 516. That was until Colton Kelly, Rhome, Texas, scored 87 points on Rosser Rodeo’s Sweet Justice in the final round. That earned him a combined 168 points on two head and his first set of Silver Spurs. Weight would have to settle for second place with 166 on two. Brady Portenier ended the night in third place with 163 on two head. No other bull riders got a qualifying ride in the short go. That put Josh Frost in fourth with 82.5 on one head and the all-around title for bull riding and tie-down roping.
2023 Reno Rodeo Champions
Bareback Riding: (tie) Cole Reiner, Buffalo, Wyo. and Jayco Roper, Oktaha, Okla., $7,161 (each)
Steer Wrestling: J.D. Struxness, Haines, Ore., $9,247
Team Roping: Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prudente, Brazil, $9,266 (each)
Saddle Bronc Riding: Statler Wright, Beaver, Utah $8,071
Tie-Down Roping: Shad Ryan Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., $9,468
Women’s Breakaway Roping: Shelby Boisjoli, Stephenville, Texas, $4,519
WPRA Barrel Racing: Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas, $6,937
Bull Riding: Colton Kelly, Rhome, Texas, $10,178
All-around cowboy: Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, $10,984, bull riding and tie-down roping
(Reno Rodeo)
