Louisiana cowboy moves up the world standings ladder with a win at the Oregon Trail Rodeo
HASTINGS, NEB. – (August 28, 2016) – Cody DeMoss nearly didn’t come to Hastings, Neb., but the Heflin, La. man is sure glad he did.
The saddle bronc rider had planned on “turning out” – not competing in the Oregon Trail Rodeo in Hastings, Neb. on August 27, but at the last minute, changed his mind.
Inky, the saddle bronc horse owned by Korkow Rodeo of Pierre, S.D., helped change it.
DeMoss made an 82 point ride on the horse to win the 25th anniversary of the Oregon Trail Rodeo.
He had planned on competing in Kennewick, Wash., instead of Hastings. “I got to thinking about it,” he said, “and prayed about it a bit and a couple of other guys I talked to, they said, you might ought to get on Inky there.”
He took their advice. DeMoss spent $850 on a plane ticket from Seattle to Omaha, where he met up with fellow saddle bronc rider Logan Allen from Crescent, Iowa. The two traveled to Hastings, where DeMoss ended up winning the rodeo.
The $1814 check he won couldn’t have come at a better time. With only five weeks left in the rodeo year, DeMoss is outside the top fifteen in the world standings, who qualify to compete at pro rodeo’s “world series”, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (Wrangler NFR) in December in Las Vegas. He’s been to the Wrangler NFR eleven times, but didn’t start rodeoing hard this year till mid-June. “I only went to twelve rodeos by the time Reno (Nev.) started,” he said. “I stayed at the house and baled hay.”
But then it was time for the 35 year old cowboy to make a decision: either rodeo full time or stay home more. “Me and my wife were talking. Are you going to do it or not do it? I said, I guess I’ll go.”
DeMoss hit the road, winning $8,000 over the Fourth of July run and second at the Calgary Stampede. He was doing OK, but not up to the standard he was used to.
Things have started to click, however. “You know, it feels good right now. I kind of wish we had a couple more months” before the rodeo season ends, he said.
DeMoss would like to earn $20,000 more in the next five weeks. He’s only $5400 from fifteenth place, but the extra money would give him some security.
And there’s a chance he can do it. He will rodeo every day except for six between now and September 30. But this week includes a little down time. His wife Margie will meet him in Denver, where they’ll enjoy Tuesday and Wednesday off.
Then it’s back to the road, in pursuit of his twelfth qualification for the Wrangler NFR.
An Oklahoma man won the bull riding at the Hastings rodeo.
Newt Brasfield, Lane, Okla., scored 85 points on the Korkow Rodeo bull No. 208 to win $1706.
Brasfield had seen the bull at the Dickinson, N.D. rodeo in late June. “He was nice there,” he said. “I was pumped to have him.” And his trip on the bull was good. “I felt like he was a little buckier than the last time I saw him. I needed that, anyway. Eighty-five (points), you can’t complain about that.”
The 22 year old cowboy is in his first year of PRCA competition, and it’s not going quite as well as he’d like. “I’ve stayed afloat, stayed healthy and made a decent living,” he said. “I went pretty hard this summer, but didn’t have the year I wanted to.”
Even then, he’s ranked eighth in the Prairie Circuit, pro rodeo’s regional designation for rodeos in Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma, and he’ll compete at the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in October.
After his ride on Saturday night, Brasfield was in a hurry to make the eight hour trip home. The third birthday party for he and his wife Brooke’s son Briar was on Sunday, and he didn’t want to miss it. He gave credit to his wife, Brooke. “I couldn’t do this without her. She’s in her last year of nursing school, and she’s raised a kid and gone to school while I’ve been out here. I have to give her props for that.”
This was Brasfield’s first trip to Hastings, but it won’t be the last. “I’ll be back after tonight.”
Other champions at the 25th annual rodeo are bareback rider Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D. (77.5 points), tie-down roper Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. (9.1 seconds), steer wrestler Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, Texas (4.0 seconds), team ropers Caleb Mitchell, Mason, Texas and Dustin Harris, O’Neill, Neb. (4.7 seconds), barrel racer Emily Miller, Weatherford, Okla. (16.43 seconds), and all-around Ty Talsma, Verdigre, Neb. Talsma competed in the steer wrestling and team roping and placed in both events.
The 2016 Miss Oregon Trail Rodeo queen was crowned during the Sunday performance. Jenna Langer, Superior, Neb., won the crown and the title. She is the 18 year old daughter of Larry and Jody Langer.
The 26th annual Oregon Trail Rodeo will take place August 25-27, 2017. For more information, visit the fairgrounds website at AdamsCountyFairgrounds.com. For complete results, visit ProRodeo.com.
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Results, 2016 Oregon Trail Rodeo, Hastings, Nebraska
Bareback riding
- Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D. 77.5 points on Korkow Rodeo’s Hot Pickett; 2. Nate McFadden, Elsmere, Neb. 76.5; 3. Troy Vaira, Richey, Mont. 75; 4. Caine Riddle, Vernon, Texas 74.5; 5. Logan Patterson, Goodwell, Okla. 73.5; 6. Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo. 73.
Tie-down roping
- Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. 9.1 seconds; 2. Sterling Smith, Stephenville, Texas 9.6; 3. Boe Brown, Valentine, Neb. 9.9; 4. Shank Edwards, Tatum, N.M. 10.4; 5. (tie) Brady Graff, Ainsworth, Neb., Stephen McLauchlin, Rockwall, Texas and Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 10.5 each; 8. Chase Lako, Arthur, N.D. 10.8.
Saddle bronc riding
- Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La. 82 points on Korkow Rodeo’s Inky; 2. (tie) Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D. and Doug Aldridge, Carthage, Mo. 81.5; 4. Taylor Tupper, St. Onge, S.D. 77.5; 5. Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 76.5;6. (tie) Jace Lane, Stephenville, Texas and Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas 75.5 each.
Steer wrestling
- Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, Texas 4.0 seconds; 2. Jeff Johnston, Thedford, Neb. 4.9; 3. Ty Talsma, Verdigre, Neb. 5.8; 4. Cody Doescher, Oklahoma City, Okla. 5.9; 5. Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D. 6.1; 6. (tie) Kyle Whitaker, Chambers, Neb., and Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 6.2 each; 8. Jon Herl, Goodland, Kan. 6.4.
Team roping
- Caleb Mitchell, Mason, Texas/Dustin Harris, O’Neill, Neb. 4.7 seconds; 2. Cale Markham, Vinita, Okla./Nick Simmons, Colcord, Okla. 5.2; 3. Payden Emmett, Ponca, Ark./Justin Pruitt, Victoria, Texas 5.5; 4. Miles Baker, Mountain Park, Okla./Dustin Searc, Mooreland, Okla. 5.9; 5. Reece Weber, Valentine, Neb./Ty Talsma, Verdigre, Neb. 6.3; 6. Brett Christensen, Alva, Okla./Dawson McMaster, Madison, Kan. 6.4.
Barrel racing
- Emily Miller, Weatherford, Okla. 16.43 seconds; 2. Calyssa Thomas, Harrold, S.D. 16.45; 3. Kyra Stierwalt, Leedey, Okla. 16.56; 4. Conny Winkers, Woodman, Wisc. 16.72; 5. Mattie Jackson, Goldsby, Okla. 16.73; 6. (tie) Trula Churchill, Valentine, Neb. and Jordan Moore, Mauston, Wisc. 16.74 each; 8. (tie)Tracy Nowlin, Nowata, Okla. and Ceri McCaffery, Wayne, Okla. 16.77 each; 10. Kara Large, Bromide, Okla. 16.79.
Bull riding
- Newt Brasfield, Lane, Okla. 85 points on Korkow Rodeos’ No. 208; 2. Trevor Reiste, Linden, Iowa 76; 3. Richard Schleicher, Stockton, Kan. 75.5; 4. Brody Yeary, Brock, Texas 71; 5. Bart Miller, Pleasanton, Neb. 21; no other qualified rides.
All-around champion:
Ty Talsma, Verdigre, Neb. (won money in both the steer wrestling and the team roping)
