Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009

World leader scores top ride at Horse Heaven Round-Up

By Annie Fowler, Herald staff writer

KENNEWICK — Clint Cannon is due for a little luck to go his way.

On the PRCA circuit since 2003, the bareback rider from Waller, Texas, just missed the National Finals Rodeo in 2007, finishing 16th. In 2008, a shoulder injury cut his season short.

This season, Cannon is making up for lost opportunities. He leads the bareback world standings ($162,004) by almost $30,000 over Bobby Mote, and if his 81-point ride on Orphan Annie on Wednesday night at the Horse Heaven Round-Up stands up for a little money, he should cruise into his first NFR atop the event.

"I've never won a check here," said Cannon, 30, who played fullback at Stephen F. Austin for two years before hitting the PRCA circuit full time. "The first night is always tough, you never know who's coming in after you. Hopefully I can win something here and keep some distance between me and Bobby."

Mote, a two-time world bareback champion and eight-time NFR qualifier from Culver, Ore., rides tonight.

"Every time Bobby takes a piece of the pie, I get one back," Cannon said. "I just want my piece of the pie. I'm hungry -- I want the whole pie."

Cannon said it was the first time he had ridden Orphan Annie, but said he and the mare were a good match.

"She was nice," Cannon said. "I didn't know anything about her coming in. She was a big fat mare, she sat up when she came out and she worked with me."

In the tie-down roping, it pays to know a little something about your calf.

Justin Macha of Needville, Texas, missed his calf in the afternoon slack, but in the night performance he got the calf of his dreams.

"In the first round they were winning on her," said Macha, who turned in an 8.1-second run in the second go. "As good as she was, I knew I could do something. After missing this morning, I had to make up for it."

Macha and his horse Gray are 34th in the world standings and about $18,000 from the top 15.

"We have a good month left with rodeos that pay well," Macha said. "I just hope my time here tonight gets some money."

Dustin Flundra of Pincher Creek, Alberta, and Roy Johnson of Etna, Calif., turned in 83s to take the lead in the saddle bronc event.

Flundra, 18th in the world standings, earned his points on Drinkin Blues.

"I didn't know that much about him, but he fit the mold of what everyone told me," Flundra said of his ride. "Right now I'm floating around the (NFR) bubble and I'd like to get it (NFR qualification) done the next couple of weeks. After Pendleton, it really dries up. I've had good luck at this rodeo -- I've won it twice."

Alex Robertson of Bend, Ore., had the top time of the night in steer wrestling at 4 seconds, while Hermiston cowboy Jake Stanley teamed up with Justin Davis of Cottonwood, Calif., for a run of 4.8 seconds in team roping.

Twelve bull riders tested their luck Wednesday, with Jake Wade of Alamo, Nev., taking 84 points off Hard Eight to surpass an 81-point ride by Tate Stratton of Stanley, N.M.

"I'm happy to have a good ride," said Wade, who is 40th in the standings. "I did really good over the Fourth of July, but I've been in a slump since. I need to get on a hot streak."

Deb Renger of Okotoks, Alberta, had the hot run of the night in barrels at 17.39 seconds.

Horse Heaven Round-Up
Benton Franklin Fairgrounds
Wednesday night’s performance
Bareback
1, Clint Cannon, Waller, Texas, 81 points. 2, Dusty LaValley, Crooked Creek, Alberta, 74. 3, (tie) Steven Anding, Crossroads, Texas, and Daniel Herman, Marsing, Idaho, 71.
Tie-down roping
1, Justin Macha, Needville, Texas, 8.1 seconds. 2, J.C. Malone, Hooper, Utah, 8.5. 3, Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, 8.9. 4, Brett Hale, Tenino, 9.1.
Steer wrestling
1, Alex Robertson, Bend, Ore., 4.0 seconds. 2, Daryl Joe Elliott, Beaumont, Texas, 4.7. 3, Jody Brown, Carstairs, Alberta, 4.9. 4, Joey Bell Jr., Athens, Texas, 5.0.
Saddle bronc
1, (tie) Roy Matthew Johnson, Etna, Calif., and Dustin Flundra, Pincher Creek, Alberta, 83 points. 3, Rod Hay, Wildwood, Alberta, 82. 4, (tie) Dusty Hausauer, Dickinson, N.D., and Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 79.
Team roping
1, Jake Stanley, Hermiston-Justin Davis, Cottonwood, Calif., 4.8 seconds. 2, Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore.-Russell Cardoza, Farmington, Calif., 5.6. 3, Dustin Hermreck, Arroyo Grande, Calif.-Cody Robbins, Brawley, Calif., 5.8. 4, Cody Cabral-J.C. Cabral, Milton-Freewater, 7.3. Barrel racing
1, Deb Renger, Okotoks, Alberta, 17.39 seconds. 2, Kelli Kamm, Stanfield, 17.83. 3, Tana Thompson, Goldendale, 17.96. 4, Jeni Hayes, Kennewick, 18.37.
Bull riding
1, Jake Wade, Alamo, Nev., 84 points. 2, Tate Stratton, Stanley, N.M., 81. 3, Cody Gardner, Fort Lupton, Colo., 79. 4, (tie) Clint Craig, Mena, Ariz., and Luke Haught, Weatherford, Texas, 71.