RENO, Nev. --- The 89th Reno Rodeo came to a close on Saturday night with some
tightly contested championships.
This year’s rodeo saw over $500,000 in prize money distributed throughout nine
days of rodeo action. The saddle bronc riding may have been the most exciting
event of the night as rodeo fans watched Jesse Kruse set a new arena record on
Flying Five Rodeo’s Spring Planting. Kruse from Great Falls, Mont., spurred his
way to a 91-point score and the Reno Rodeo title.
Last year, Kruse finished in second place at the College National Finals Rodeo
behind Taos Muncy, from Corona, N.M. Muncy went on to win the world championship
in 2007 and now Kruse is hoping that after winning the saddle bronc riding here
he might have similar success.
Prior to the Reno Rodeo, Kruse was 20th in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys
Association Crusher World Standings. The $9,983 he won here will move him up in
the standings. If he can keep the momentum going through the lucrative Fourth of
July holiday, he will most likely qualify for his first Wrangler National Finals
Rodeo. “This is the first time I’ve been to Reno, and I’ve never set an arena
record,” Kruse said. “There were a bunch of rank horses tonight. It’s awesome.”
All of the champions here earned their first pair of championship spurs. The big
money winner was Fred Boettcher from Rice Lake, Wis. Boettcher earned $13,984
for his two ride total of 176 points in bull riding. Right behind him was his
traveling partner, B.J. Schumacher, the 2006 world champion from Hillsboro, Wis.
Schumacher had
174 points on two rides and won $12,780.
During the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, there are over 30 rodeos sanctioned
by the PRCA. Winning contestants from the Reno Rodeo will be using their
momentum to take advantage of the opportunity to compete daily and increase
their position in the world standings.
The ninth performance of the Reno Rodeo was sold out with over 8,200 in
attendance.
Reno Rodeo Champions
All-Around, Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., $11,758 in tie-down and steer wrestling
Bareback riding, Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., 255 points, $11,364
