Top Pro-Rodeo Hands Kick Off
Mesquite Rodeo's 45th Season

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Mesquite Championship Rodeo kicked off its 45^th year last Friday in the Resistol Arena in Mesquite, Texas. Since 1958, producer Neal Gay and his staff have staged the PRCA-sanctioned rodeo each Friday and Saturday evening from the first weekend in April through the first weekend in October.

In 1999, Tom Hicks of Dallas added the Mesquite Championship Rodeo to a sports entertainment empire that includes the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball club and the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars.

Now the Resistol Arena is part of a $20 million complex that includes a hotel, convention center and exhibition hall. Fox Sports Net Southwest televises the action to some 8.3 million households weekly, while some 200,000 fans attended the rodeo in 2001.

The first installation of Mesquite Championship Rodeo’s 2002 season drew some of the PRCA’s top hands. In calf roping, Wade White of Richfield, Wis., edged seven-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Blair Burk for the title. White tied his calf in 8.2 seconds and won $1477.

Darran Robertson rode Rafter G Rodeo Company’s bull Captain Chaos for 81 points to win the bull riding title. The Weatherford, Texas cowboy earned $1164.

In bareback riding, Ron Leger of Madisonville, Texas, and Jesse Christensen Odessa, Texas, each scored 77 points to share the title.

Jason Milam of Cleburne, Texas, and Pete Ellis of Fort Worth shared the saddle bronc riding title by each scoring 75 points.

In steer wrestling, Jerrod Pillans of Streetman, Texas, and Bart Bailey of Okmulgee, Okla., edged Jack Daniel’s World Standings leader Joey Bell Jr., and all-around hand Cash Myers, Athens, Texas, for the title. Both Pillans and Bailey threw their steers in 4.5 seconds and earned $1028.

Mary Roberts of Weatherford, Texas, claimed the barrel racing title.

In the Jack Daniel’s World all-around race, Cash Myers leads the pack with $51,532. He is followed by Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D., with $44,403; Trevor Brazile, Anson, Texas, $42,980; Chad Klein, Clinton, La., $22,790; and Kyle Hughes, Model, Colo., $22,435.

Standings by event:

Bareback riding: 1. Cody Jessee, John Day, Ore., $28,642; 2. J.D. Garrett Jr., Belle Fourche, S.D., $25,775; 3. J.D. Garrett Jr., Belle Fourche, S.D., $24,019; 4. Jared Lavergne, Ville Platte, la., $22,502; 5. Jason Jeter, Fort Worth, Texas, $21,274.

Steer wrestling: 1. Joey Bell Jr., Salem, N.J., $32,259; 2. Todd Suhn, Brighton, Colo., $23,588; 3. K.C. Jones, Las Animas, Colo., $20,236; 4. Cash Myers, Athens, Texas, $19,317; 5. Jerrod Pillans, $18,317.

Team roping (headers): 1. Speed Williams, Jacksonville, Fla., $24,749; 2. Jake Barnes, Cave Creek, Ariz., $18,570; 3. Kevin Stewart, Glen Rose, Texas, $18,331; 4. Joe Beaver, Huntsville, Texas, $18,052; 5. Tee Woolman, Llano, Texas, $15,744.

Team roping (heelers): 1. Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, $25,107; 2. Brad Culpepper, Ashburn, Ga., $19,818; 3. Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, $18,331; 4. Clay O’Brien Cooper, Glen Rose, Texas, $17,007; 5. Tyler Magnus, Llano, Texas, $15,744.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Dan Mortensen, Billings, Mont., $47,558; 2. Jesse Bail, $31,873; 3. Steve Dollarhide, Wikieup, Ariz., $26,791; 4. Tom Reeves, Eagle Butte, S.D., $24,987; 5. Shane Moran, Dillon, Mont., $20,068.

Calf roping: 1. Blair Burk, Durant, Okla., $36,547; 2. Trevor Brazile, $28,929; 3. Cash Myers, $26,697; 4. Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, $25,055; 5. Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas, $21,004.

Barrel racing: 1. Charmayne James, Athens, Texas, $26,913; 2. Tami Fontenot, Ethel, La., $19,275; 3. Kay Blandford, Sutherland Springs, Texas, $18,771; 4. Molly Powell, Sims, Mont., $18,593; 5. Heather Henderson, Middleburg, Fla., $18,256.

Bull riding: 1. Cody Hancock, Taylor, Ariz., $29,901; 2. Terry Don West, Henryetta, Okla., $26,745; 3. Justin Andrade, Grover Beach, Calif., $23,504; 4. Johnny Chavez, Bosque, N.M., $20,765; 5. Robbie Russell, Jacksonville, Texas, $19,587.

Steer roping: 1.Trevor Brazile, $10,458; 2. JP Wickett, Sallisaw, Okla., $6905; 3. Guy Allen, Santa Anna, Texas, $6557; 4. Cash Myers, $5519; 5. Scott Snedecor, Uvalde, Texas, $4870.