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Braving the bulls

Thorson completes two rides to win NPRA event

Alex Eisen/MDN John Smith from Killdeer hangs on, but can’t stay on in the second round of the NPRA Bull Riding competition at the State Fair.

Staying up twice was all it took to win Tuesday’s NRPA Bull Riding competition at the North Dakota State Fair. Easier said than done.

The Mosbrucker bulls had their way throughout the evening with only six cowboys getting off successful eight-second rides. Park Rapids, Minn., native Coy Thorson was the only rider to stay upright on both his attempts to win with a total of 144 points.

Two second round scores of 79 from Carrington’s Keenan Kvamme and Keene’s Dalton Wright forced a tie for second place.

The fans on hand at All Seasons Arena enjoying every second of the action.

“It gets a pretty good crowd, a good turnout at the State Fair,” Kvamme said. “The crowd usually gets pretty electric and that always make the ride better. When the crowd is going wild, there’s noise and music is playing, it gets you pumped up and you ride better with the energy.”

Alex Eisen/MDN Keenan Kvamme (in black) from Carrington jumps on the fence after falling off his bull Tuesday in the NPRA Bull Riding competition at the State Fair.

Only two cowboys stayed up in the first round. Thorson had the first successful, and ultimately the best, ride of the competition with a score of 81. Zach Peterson later posted a 71 on a bull that bucked in a straight line and didn’t challenge him with any twists or turns. Yet, his performance was good enough to finish fourth overall.

Round two was better for the riders with five completed rides, including Kvamme and Wright going back-to-back with their rides of 79 to wrap up the competition. Wade Berg and Pat Johnson also set scores in the 60s.

Kvamme won the NPRA event on Monday at the State Fair and came a couple seconds short in his first ride on Tuesday from sweeping both days. The cowboy out of Carrington High School also won one of the bull riding competitions at last year’s State Fair.

Kvamme just completed his freshman year at Montana State University and is on its rodeo team. His roommate Chase Dougherty is also a bull rider on the team.

“You kind of learn as you go,” Kvamme said. “My dad was a good bull rider and he showed me a lot. Then, I went to college, and my roommate is a really good bull rider too and he just showed me a lot of small things. Everyone has their own style, but you pick up on other people’s things that can better you.”

In a sport like bull riding, practice really does pay off because experience comes with it.

“I’ve been riding bulls for seven or eight years now,” Kvamme said. “It seems like you should (have time to think), but then you get on a really good bull, are really riding and you come back and you honestly don’t even know what you did because you just blacked out. But, if you get on a little easier, slower bull, then you can kind of think to yourself on what to do. But, it’s mostly just reactions.”

Such was the case for Tuesday’s event winner Thorson, who got a raging bull in the first round and was just casually sitting on his bull when the buzzer sounded at the end of his second ride.

Talks of a re-ride could have been had, but there was no need for Thorson to do so despite receiving a lackluster score of 63. Thorson’s victory was locked up because of his first outing.

There is more rodeo ahead at the All Seasons Arena with the Ranch Rodeo tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m. Mutton Bustin’ will also be featured in the pre-show beforehand.

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