Ferley extends hot streak at Red Bluff on Kool Toddy
Courtesy PRCA

 
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For 2006 World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Chad Ferley, his trip to the April 16-18 Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-Up turned out to be a sort of fun (and profitable) reunion of old friends.

In two previous meetings with Kool Toddy, Ferley had wins at the 2008 Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo and the 2009 Snake River Stampede (Nampa, Idaho) – and he was mighty glad to see the Big Bend Rodeo Company mare show up next to his name again.

 “When the draw comes out Monday or Tuesday, you are really excited to have her,” Ferley said. “The closer you get to the rodeo, the more you worry about what you have to do to stay on. I was a little nervous, but knew I could ride her. It turned out to be one of my better rides in quite a while. You always know if you ride her right, you’ll be rewarded.”

This time it was with an 89-point score at the Tehama District Fairgrounds, enough to hold off runners-up Alex Wright and Wade Sundell by four points and earn $5,073 in this Wrangler Million Dollar Tour Silver event, presented by Justin Boots.

It was Ferley’s first win of the 2010 season, but he has been a consistent earner, and the win at Red Bluff took him from 11^th to ninth place in the PRCA World Standings with earnings of $21,314.

So, the reunion was good.
“I just hope I draw her again,” said Ferley, of Oelrichs, S.D., “at one of the big rodeos on down the road.”
Kool Toddy has been one of the most reliable money makers in saddle bronc riding for the last seven seasons. She has had the distinction of being assigned to the elite 10^th round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo every year since 2004 and has produced the highest score in four rounds of the NFR during that span.

A year ago, Jesse Kruse rode Kool Toddy for an arena-record 91 points at the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo.
“Kool Toddy is just a great horse,” Ferley said. “From the first time I had her at the DNCFR, she’s just gotten better and better. She’s a solid horse that bucks off a lot of guys, but who can dang sure get you big points.

“Every time out, she jumps and kicks high in the air while staying close to the chutes. She just gives great effort every time.”

Kaycee Feild, who is making an all-out effort to make the final step up to a bareback riding gold buckle this year, continued his winning ways at Red Bluff with an 88-point ride on Growney Brothers’ Raggidy Ann, edging Clint Cannon by two points.

“I’m riding every horse for first, and not just for safety,” Feild told the Red Bluff Daily News. “I’m going for the money.”

Feild’s win follows four others in Rapid City, S.D.; Fort Worth, Texas; Tucson, Ariz.; and Rio Rancho, N.M. It paid him $6,163 and cut a little more than $5,000 off the lead held by bareback riding leader Ryan Gray.

Tyson Durfey followed his win last week at the Clark County Fair & Rodeo in Logandale, Nev., by sharing the tie-down roping average title with eight-time World Champion Fred Whitfield. Both completed two runs in 17.5 seconds.

The other champions at the Red Bluff Round-Up were steer wrestler Ethan Thouvenell (11.1 seconds on two head), team ropers Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz (11.8 seconds on two head), barrel racer Jill Moody (35.03 seconds on two runs) and bull riders Brady Scott Williams and Clayton Foltyn (91 points).

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