High scores and fast times highlight NWSS Rodeo
DENVER, Colo. – Sub-zero temperatures in Colorado didn’t keep the action from heating up in the Denver Coliseum on Saturday.
The highest score of bareback riding at the 2024 edition of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) through six performances has been awarded to Ty Pope from Garnett, Kansas. Pope is the 2022 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association champion and the brother of Jess Pope who won the world championship in the PRCA the same year.
He rode Saturday afternoon and night and wowed the crowd at the night performance with an 88-point ride on Vold Rodeo’s Breezy Fling. He was also successful on Saturday afternoon, scoring 80. His combined total of 168 will see him back here next Saturday competing in the Semi-Finals. Pope is attending Missouri Valley College and juggling college and professional rodeos.
Marty Yates is a well-known tie-down roper who has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on nine occasions. Yates’ go-for-broke style sees him getting big checks or coming up empty. He had his first competition here at the afternoon performance and came up empty. Then he came back Saturday night and stopped the clock in a blazing fast 7.5 seconds.
While Yates will not advance to the Semi-Finals here, he is likely to get a good check based on his second-round performance. A new crop of tie-down ropers are making their way to the top here. Pecos Tatum, from La Plata, N.M., and Sam Lewis from Amarillo, Texas are two 18-year-olds who advanced out of their brackets on Saturday. They will both be making their way back to Denver next Saturday for the Semi-Finals.
Rainey Skelton from Llano, Texas is a barrel racer who looks to be a force here. She made two runs under 15 seconds on Saturday and is the only woman to do that here so far. Skelton, the daughter of eight-time world champion Rich Skelton will also be back here for the Semi-Finals.