Dakotan’s Rise to the Top at the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo
Susan Kanode

SAN ANTONIO, Texas --- When the dust settled in the AT&T Center on Saturday night, there were three contestants from South Dakota that added championship buckles to their collection.

Leader of the pack was Ardie Maier from Timber Lake who won the bull riding and $19,964. In the saddle bronc riding, J.J. Elshere from Quinn won $17,630 and Matt Zancanella from Aurora won the team roping and $18,159. Maier rode the bull named Cyclone for 94-points in the finals to win $12,445. That added to his previous earnings here gave him the championship and the biggest win of his career.

Prior to San Antonio’s rodeo, Maier was ranked 23^rd in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association with earnings of $7,862. Adding nearly $20,000 to that will better his position substantially. However, that wasn’t the only reason he was happy about riding Cyclone Saturday night.

“I watched that bull step on my traveling partner Taylor Cowan’s leg at the first Xtreme Bulls here,” Maier said. “When I saw my name beside his on the list, I thought it would be sweet revenge to ride him.” And ride him he did. Maier’s 94-point ride is one point off of the arena record of 95 set by former world champion B.J. Schumacher in 2004.

Matt Zancanella did the heeling at the rodeo behind Colby Siddoway from Hooper, Utah. They had a near flawless run on Saturday night stopping the clock in 4.9 seconds. The $12,445 they earned brought their total earnings to $18,159 each.

J.J. Elshere was second in the PRCA world standings prior to the rodeo here, but may have earned enough to overtake the top spot. Elshere is coming off a win at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo in Denver. He rode the Calgary Stampede horse named Knife Money for 88-points to win first. He had total earnings of $18,159.

All of these men received new championship buckles from the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. They also got a pair of trophy spurs, and an $8,000 gas card. Zancanella and the rest of the timed-event contestants received an extra bonus in a gift certificate for a Driftwood bred Quarter Horse yearling from Cuatro Light of the Kincaid Ranch.

Barback rider Micky Downare from Hartsel, Colo., had the biggest win of his career here. He earned a total of $18,408 thanks in part to an 88-point ride on Calgary Stampede’s horse Mad Money. In barrel racing, the 2008 world champion Lindsay Sears from Nanton, Alberta, and her great horse Martha won their first championship here with $17,112.

Reigning world champion tie-down roper Trevor Brazile won his second championship in the building rodeo here as well. He rode his great buckskin horse Jaguar during the finals and stopped the clock in 7.0 seconds. Brazile also won the tie-down roping title at Denver. He had total earnings of $16,593.

In the steer wrestling, Clayton Morrison from Cavalier, S.D., had the fast time of the night at 3.2 seconds tying the arena record held by Curtis Cassidy and Shawn Crawford. Morrison earned $12,445 which will certainly help his checkbook. However, Luke Branquinho finished second for the night but had more success in previous rounds, so he earned the championship with total earnings of $17,112 compared to Morrison’s $16,075.

This year’s rodeo again paid over $1 million out to contestants. The rodeo committee also paid contestant’s entry fees and recognized the excellence of animal athletes in each event.