Minot Y’s Men’s Rodeo arrives at the State Fairgrounds
Submitted Photo Chason Floyd slides off his award winning horse, Tiger, to turf a steer at the 2016 Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in Minot. The South Dakota man leads his event coming into next week's circuit finals. Photo by Peggy Gander.
The 63rd annual Minot Y’s Men’s Rodeo gets underway today at the All Seasons Arena on the State Fairgrounds.
The four-day event is centered around the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo, which is comprised of seven competitions: Bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, tie-down roping and bull riding.
Cowboys and cowgirls are competing to make the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Florida. They can do so by being the year-end champion in the region – whoever earns the most money throughout the entire season – or being the average champion, the contestant who has the fastest combined time during the four performances at the regional Badlands Circuit Finals this weekend.
Nearly 100 participates from across North and South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming will be taking part in the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo.
Here are the top money earners on the circuit this season coming into each event.
Submitted Photo South Dakota's J.J. Elshere rides a saddle bronc at the 2016 Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo. The cowboy has the biggest lead among any of the first-place contenders coming into this year's finals, at $7,000 more than the next best bronc rider. Photo by Peggy Gander.
Bareback riding:
Shane O’Connell,
Wall, S.D.
In his third time to the circuit finals, O’Connell is in first place with $20,207 won and $705 ahead of second place Ty Breuer from Mandan. O’Connell finished fourth in the average at the 2016 Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo.
Steer wrestling:
Chason Floyd,
Buffalo, S.D.
The 2016 year-end champion is almost $5,000 ahead of second place Cameron Morman from Glenullin. Floyd owns and riders the 2016 Badlands Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, Tiger.
Team roping (headers):
J.B. Lord,
Sturgis, S.D.
Slowed down by shoulder injuries, veteran Lord continues to push on. He has taken part in roughly 25 Badlands Circuit Finals with 14 year-end titles and two circuit championships from his estimations. He ropes with his son Levi, who is currently second in the team roping heeler competition.
Team roping (heelers):
Matt Kasner,
Cody, Wyo.
Formerly from Texas, Kasner competed in Texas Circuit Finals five times. He will rope with Logan Olson this year at the Badlands Circuit Finals on a 16-year old sorrel named Cason, a former cutting horse reject.
Saddle bronc riding:
J.J. Elshere,
Hereford, S.D.
Three-time year-end circuit finals winner is still going strong at 37 years old. Rodeo runs in the Elshere family with Elshere’s older sons competing in high school and junior rodeo, plus his cousins Ryan and Cole Elshere competed nationally in saddle bronc riding.
Barrel racing:
Jessica Routier,
Buffalo, S.D.
Routier wasn’t planning on making the circuit finals this year because her horse Fiery Miss West wasn’t supposed to be ready. The horse proved otherwise, and has Routier at the top of the leaderboard with $20,897 earned with over $3,600 ahead of second-place Nikki Hansen from Dickinson.
Tie-down roping:
Trey Young,
Dupree, S.D.
Young, 26, has qualified for four Badlands Circuit Finals. He trains tie-down roping with his father, who “gives me advice and I do the stunt piloting.” Young was the reserve year-end champion in 2015.
Bull riding:
Taylor Miller,
Faith, S.D.
From riding bulls in high school to college at Gillette (Wyo.), Miller is competing in his third circuit finals at the age of 25. With $13,029 earned this season, he only leads second-place Jeff Bertus (Avon, S.D.) by $960.
The Minot Y’s Men’s Rodeo will also feature the Wild West Rodeo today for special needs kids and adults at 5 p.m., a horsemanship contest and the Miss Rodeo North Dakota competition Friday morning, the Jane Thompson Memorial 4D barrel race jackpot Saturday and Cowboy Church on Sunday.
The rodeo expo and trade show will be in the All Seasons Arena atrium throughout all four days.
The Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo competition begins at 6:30 p.m. each day, except for Sunday, when the final round will start at 1:30 p.m. For more information on the festivities and to pre-purchase tickets, visit minotysmensrodeo.com.
Friday’s circuit finals competition is the annual “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night to raise funds for the Trinity Cancer Exercise Rehab Program at the Minot Family YMCA. Participates and spectators are to wear pink to show their support for the campaign.
Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.
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