Richie is a Guymon Champion

GUYMON, Okla. ­ To say that Richie Champion is having the best season of his
young would be quite an understatement.
In just a few months, the 21-year-old cowboy from The
Woodlands, Texas, has won more than $1.1 million riding bareback horses,
almost all of that coming from a new concept rodeo called RFD-TV¹s The
American. But he also is the No. 4 cowboy in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys
Association, where he¹s won more than $35,000 already this season.
On Sunday afternoon, Champion added another title to his
growing list by matching moves with Fancy Free of the Pete Carr¹s Classic
Pro Rodeo string for 86 points to share the crown with another newcomer to
the game, Tim O¹Connell of Zwingle, Iowa, the reigning rookie of the year;
O¹Connell rode Carr¹s Scarlet¹s Web on Friday night to match the score. Each
cowboy pocketed $2,900.
³When I got my call back last week,² Champion said, referring
to the notice of which animal he was to be matched with via a random draw,
³I was so excited. She¹s been so great for so long. It¹s just a blessing to
be able to be on her.²
Fancy Free is a veteran bay mare that has been selected to
perform at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo nine times. She also has been
named the Texas Circuit Bareback Horse of the Year.
³She was a little more of a handful than I expected,² Champion said. ³She
had a lot of down, and it took me a minute to adjust. She kind of loosened
me up at the end.
³For a horse like that to consistently be getting stronger on the ride Š
that¹s why she¹s so great and has been so great, because she doesn¹t
weaken.²
In addition to winning the bareback riding title at The
American, Champion shared titles in both Montgomery, Ala., and Denver. He
also had a good run at RodeoHouston, which, like The American, is not
affiliated with the PRCA.
³I¹m really having fun,² he said. ³I¹m really just enjoying
it, and I have been all year. I had a great winter. Everything¹s just been
rolling.²
A student at Tarleton State University in Stephenville,
Texas, Champion won the Southwest Region title this season and will compete
for a college championship in mid-June. Now he hopes to remain in the
position to qualify for the NFR in December.
³I have had a lot of luck at events that are not PRCA
sanctioned,² he said. ³My goal is to go to the NFR and be a contender for
the world championship. I want a gold buckle.
³I don¹t want to be that guy who had all that luck at a
one-day or two-day rodeos. When I look at (world champions) Kaycee Feild,
Bobby Mote and Will Lowe Š those guys could take a whole year of hauling and
have learned how to travel and win consistently all over the world on little
sleep, no food and just really learn to rodeo and made a career out of it
because they¹re the best.²
Combined, Feild, Lowe and Mote own 10 gold buckles.
³They¹re the guys I look up to,² Champion said. ³I want to be
that guy.²

Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo
April 28-May 4
Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Tim O¹Connell, on Pete Carr¹s Classic Pro Rodeo¹s
Scarle¹s Web, and Richie Champion, on Pete Carr¹s Classic Pro Rodeo¹s Fancy
Free, 86 points, $2,900 each; 3. Jared Smith, 85, $1,860; 4. Mason Clements,
84, $1,204; 5. Tilden Hooper, 83, $766; 6. (tie) Kyle Brennecke and Caleb
Bennett, 82 $492; 8. Winn Ratliff, 81, $328.
Team roping: First round: 1. (tie) Cole Dorenkamp/Jesse Jolly and Trevor
Brazile/Travis Graves, 6.5 seconds, $1,956 each; 3. Travis Warren/Justin
Price, 6.9, $1,547; 4. Tyler Wade/Kinney Harrell, 7.0, $1,274; 5. Chad
Masters/Paul Eaves, 7.1, $1,001; 6. Matt Sherwood/Dugan Kelly, 7.2, $728; 7.
Tuf Cooper/Marty Yates, 7.5, $455; 8. Kory Bramwell/Cole Jackson, 7.7,
$182.Second round: 1. Keven Daniel/York Gill, 5.8 seconds, $2,092 each; 2.
Turtle Powell/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 5.9, $1,819; 3. Casey Hicks/Jake
Pianalto, 6.0, $1,547; 4. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 6.5, $1,274; 5. (tie)
Calvin Brevik/Wade Masters and Charly Crawford/Ryan Motes, 6.6, $864 each;
7. (tie) Ty Blasingame/J.W. Borrego and Travis Bounds/Wade Kreutzer, 6.7,
$318 each. Third round: 1. Keven Daniel/York Gill, 6.4 seconds, $2,092; 2.
Paul David Tierney/Matt Kasner, 6.7, $1,819; 3. Luke Brown/Kollin vonAhn,
8.9, $1,547; 4. Chace Thompson/Twister Cain, 7.2, $1,274; 4.Turtle
Powell/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 7.5, $1,0012; 6. Trevor Brazile/Travis
Graves, 7.6, $728; 7. Arky Rogers/Travis Woodard, 7.9, $455; 6. Drew
Horner/Buddy Hawkins II, 8.2, $182. Average: 1. Turtle Powell/Dakota
Kirchenschlager, 23.6 seconds on three runs, $3,139; 2. Trevor
Brazile/Travis Graves, 25.4, $2,729; 3. Brock Hansen/Cesar de la Cruz, 25.7,
$2,320; 4. Chad Masters/Paul Eaves, 27.1, $1,910; 5. Arky Rogers/York Gill,
27.3, $1,501; 6. (tie) Drew Horner/Buddy Hawkins III and Mike Bacon/Joseph
Harrison, 27.5, $887 each; 8. Chace Thompson/Twister Cain, 28.3, $273.
Steer roping: First round: 1. J. Tom Fisher, 11.7 seconds, $1,891; 2. Brent
Lewis, 12.3, $1,565; 3. (tie) Neal Wood and J.B. Whatley, 12.5, $1,076 each;
5. Tyrel Taton, 12.6, $587; 6. Jay Sellers, 13.1, $326. Second round: 1.
Shay Good, 10.2 seconds, $1,891; 2. Trevor Brazile, 10.3, $1,565; 3. Tom
Smith, 11.0, $1,239; 4. (tie) Vin Fisher Jr. and Corey Ross, 11.1, $749
each; 6. Chet Herren, 11.3, $326. Third round: 1. Trey Wallace, 10.8
seconds, $1,891; 2. Will McBride, 11.4, $1,565; 3. Chris Glover, 11.7,
$1,239; 4. Tom Smith, 12.1, $913; 5. (tie) Jess Tierney and Joe Wells, 12.3,
$456. Fourth round: 1. Chet Herren, 10.8 seconds; $1,891; 2. Chance Kelton,
11.1, $1,565; 3. Brodie Poppino, 11.7, $1,239; 4. (tie) Walter Priestly and
Rob Denny, 11.9, $750 each; 5. Marty Poppino, 12.0, $326. Fifth round: 1.
Kim Ziegelgruber, 11.2 seconds, $1,891; 2. Jason Evans, 11.7. $1,565; 3.
Mike Chase and J.B. Whatley, 12.0, $1,076 each; 5. Chris Glover, 12.5, $587;
6. Joe Wells, 12.6, $326. Average: 1. Chance Kelton, 68.1 seconds on five
runs, $5,673; 2. Brady Garten, 78.6, $4,695; 3. Mark Milner, 84.9, $3,717;
4. Tony Reina, 85.4, $2,739; 5. Chris Glover, 86.9, $1,761; 6. Randy Wells,
55.5 seconds on four runs, $978.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Chad Ferley, 86 points on D&H Cattle¹s Shaken Not
Stirred, $3,486; 2. (tie) Chet Johnson, Heith DeMoss and Tyler Corrington,
84, $1,975 each; 5. (tie) Rusty Wright and Rusty Aldridge, 82, $697 each; 7.
Justin Caylor, 80, $465; 8. (tie) Brady Nicholes, Ty Thompson, Cody Taton
and Hardy Braden, 79, $87 each.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Dru Melvin, 3.7 seconds, $1,960; 2. Tyler
Pearson, 3.8, $1,705; 3. Quinn Campbell, 4.0, $1,449; 4. Jacob Talley, 4.3,
$1,193; 5. (tie) Josh Peek and Chance Howard, 4.5, $810 each; 7. (tie) Dean
Gorsuch and Ben Shofner, 4.6, $298 each. Second round: 1. Tommy Cook, 3.6
seconds, $1,960; 2. (tie) Josh Peek and Todd Suhn, 3.7, $1,577 each; 4.
Tyler Waguespack, 4.1, $1,193; 5. Trell Etbauer, 4.2, $937; 6. Clayton Hass,
4.3, $682; 7. Kyle Irwin, 4.4, $426; 8. (tie) Garrett Poston and Cole Edge,
4.5, $85 each. Third round: 1. Quinn Campbell, 3.7 seconds, $1,960; 2. Dru
Melvin, 3.9, $1,705; 3. Kyle Irwin, 4.0, $1,449; 4 (tie) Riley Duvall and
Cole Edge, 4.6, $1,065 each; 6. Brady Hageman, 4.8, $882; 7. (tie) Rowdy
Parrott and Payden Kime McIntyre, 4.9, $298. Average: 1. Quinn Campbell,
13.2 on three runs, $2,940; 2. Cole Edge, 13.8, $2,557; 3. Josh Peek, 13.9,
$2,173; 4. Payden Kime McIntyre, 14.3, $1,790; 5. Dean Gorsuch, 14.5,
$1,406; 6. Dru Melvin 14.7, $1,023; 7. Rowdy Parrott, 15.2, $639; 8. Jacob
Talley, 15.8, $256.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Clay Long, 7.6 seconds, $1,744; 2. Trevor
Brazile, 7.8, $1,617; 3. (tie) Tyson Durfey and Marty Yates, 8.1, $1,175
each; 5. (tie) Seaver Tate and Morgan Grant, 8.3, $720 each; 7. Chase
Williams, 8.4, $379; 8. Quay Howard, 8.6, $152. Second round: 1. Ryan
Jarrett, 7.4 seconds, $1,744; 2. (tie) Michael Otero and Cody McCartney,
7.5, $1,403 each; 4. (tie) Marty Yates and Trent Creager, 7.6, $948 each; 6.
(tie) EJ Roberts and Cade Swor, 7.7, $493 each; 8. Clint Robinson, 7.9,
$152. Third round: 1. (tie) Hunter Herrin and L.D. Meier, 7.7 seconds,
$1,630 each; 3. Timber Moore, 8.2, $1,289; 4. Catfish Brown, 8.4, $1,062; 5.
(tie) Jake Hamilton, Sterling Smith and Trevor Brazile, 8.5, $607 each; 8.
E.J. Roberts, 8.6, $152. Average: 1. Marty Yates, 24.9 seconds on three
runs, $2,616; 2. Trevor Brazile, 25.5, $2,275; 3. Ryan Jarrett, 26., $1,934;
4. Timber Moore, 26.7, $1,592; 5. (tie) Clay Long and L.D. Meier, 27.2,
$1,081 each; 7. Seaver Tate, 27.3, $569; 8. Hunter Herrin, 27.4, $227.
Barrel racing: First round: 1. (tie) Alicia Stockton and Shelby Herrmann,
17.43 seconds, $1,860 each; 3. Natalie Foutch, 17.45, $1,431; 4. Emily
Holton, 17.54, $1,240; 5. Jordan Taton, 17.55, $954; 6. (tie) Shelley Morgan
and Taylor Langdon, 17.56, $668 each; 8. Mary Burger, 17.57, $382; 9.
Chelsie Clement, 17.59, $286; 10. Ivy Hurst, 17.60, $191. Second round: 1.
Ivy Hurst, 17.06 seconds, $2,004; 2. (tie) Toni Harden and Alicia Stockton,
17.18, $1,574 each; 4. (tie) Carlee Pierce and Kim Schulze, 17.21, $1,097;
6. Victoria Williams, 17.29, $763; 7. Taylor Langdon, 17.33, $572; 8.
Natalie Foutch, 17.37, $382; 9. Jean Winters and Tara Carr, 17.47, $239.
Average: 1. Alicia Stockton, 34.61 seconds on two runs, $2,004; 2. Ivy
Hurst, 34.66, $1,717; 3. Natalie Foutch, 34.82, $1,431; 4. Taylor Langdon,
34.89, $1,240; 5. Victoria Williams, 34.92, $854; 6. Kim Schulz, 35.08,
$763; 7. Mary Burger, 35.11, $572; 8. Toni Hardin, 35.12, $382; 9. Shelby
Herrman, 35.13, $286; 10. Britany Diaz, 35.15, $191.
Bull riding: 1. (tie) Sage Kimzey, on Pete Carr¹s Classic Pro Rodeo¹s Line
Man, and Jason Beck, on Pete Carr¹s Classic Pro Rodeo¹s Footloose, $3,313
each; 3. Caleb Sanderson, 89, $2,125; 4. (tie) Scottie Knapp and Clayton
Foltyn, 87, $1,125 each; 6. Jeff Askey, 86, $625; 7. (tie) Trey Benton II
and Aaron Pass, 85, $438 each.