×

Hanging on for the ride

Fitzpatrick stays upright to win the first night of NPRA Bull Riding at the NDSF

Alex Eisen/MDN Minot's Skylar Hamilton exits the chute on his bull Monday evening at the North Dakota State Fair.

Eight seconds felt like an eternity for the cowboys looking to tame the Mosbrucker bucking bulls Monday evening at the North Dakota State Fair.

When the dirt and dust settled, Payton Fitzpatrick from Polson, Montana, took home the NPRA Championship Bull Riding event victory in front of an energetic crowd inside the All Seasons Arena.

Fitzpatrick was the only rider to stay on his bull during both rides. The two-round event featured nine complete runs in total with over 25 cowboys competing.

Five scores were earned in the first round.

Javier Carcia from Baja, California, set the best opening score of 85 on a constant spinning bull that was reluctant to switch directions.

Keene’s Dalton Wright also had a solid first round ride and held the lead for a while with a score of 80. Fitzpatrick only slotted into third with a modest run of 70.

The bulls weren’t making it easy for most of the riders or the bullfighters by not wanting to leave the arena after a run. There were multiple lengthy chases to get the bulls caged back up during the first flight.

The intensity of the competition picked up in the second round with the pressure mounting to record a score and get on the leaderboard.

Yet, the bulls were up to the task – bucking off rider after rider. After a rather slow start, the bulls had found their groove.

Over halfway through the second round, Mathew Leippi from Saskatchewan finally broke the bulls’ shutout with a 78.

Then, next out of the chute, Fitpatrick became the first and only rider to complete both rides. He finished with a total of 138 (70 and 68).

Carrington’s Keenan Kvamme, a former NPRA event winner at the NDSF, got a straight line bull to post his first and only score of 67.

He was followed by Dunn Center’s Jake Benson, who kept the rider’s hot streak going with an 80. That was good enough to finish third in the event behind Fitpatrick and Carcia.

Carcia had the final ride of the night and could have won the event, but he came roughly three seconds short on what was looking like a promising ride.

The average score for a completed eight-second ride on Monday was just a 73.

A second chance to do better is on the cards today. Another session of bull riding takes place at 7 p.m. this evening at the All Seasons Arena.

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today