Story by Buffalo Bill Rodeo Communications
North Platte, Neb. (June 15, 2024) – Ean Price’s bank account has some additional padding after a Saturday night at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte, Neb.
The Leedey, Oklahoma saddle bronc rider scored 85 points on the Beutler horse Fight Night to take the 2024 title and win more than $2800.
The mare, a nine-year-old sorrel, could have been intimidating to any other saddle bronc riders, but not to Price.
“When you look up her stats online, it could make a guy nervous because of the zero (scores) on there, but I figured it’s just because she bucks.”
And she did buck. The mare was rested, having had time off; her last rodeo was Austin, Texas in March.
“Rhett (Beutler) told me she was fresh, and I just told myself to take the fight to her and don’t wait for it to happen,” he said. “I kind of bobbled the ride at the beginning, but she was bucking and I just felt like I finished a good ride on a great horse. I thank God for the opportunity to come and do this.”
This is the second year the 25-year-old cowboy has rodeoed hard, and he’d like to be able to rodeo full time.
“I’d like to rodeo good enough to stay on the road,” he said. With his win in North Platte, “it feels like I’m getting closer.”
Winning a big check from the Buffalo Bill Rodeo helps.
“It takes a lot of the financial burden off. If you can go out there and know you’re just having fun and know you don’t have to worry about where your next tank of gas is coming from, it changes a lot. You can go out there and have fun more than anything.”
In the team roping, the number one and two man in the world standings paired up to win the 2024 title.
Dustin Egusquiza, the header, and Levi Lord, the heeler, turned in a time of 4.5 seconds to be this year’s champs.
It was on a good steer as well. “That really helps,” Lord said, “when you have one on the better end.”
They competed on Friday, June 14, in the rain, which wasn’t ideal.
“It’s definitely tougher,” Lord said. “You obviously prefer nice ground and nice weather, but it happens with rodeo. It’s something you have to deal with. I think you can either shy away from it, or lean into it and we were excited to be there.”
The rain and mud has followed Egusquiza and Lord all spring.
“Honestly, this spring we’ve been unlucky with the mud. Everywhere we’ve gone, it’s been either rainy or muddy. It’s following us around, but it’s worked out OK.”
This is the second year for the duo to rope together, and Lord loves it.
Roping with Egusquiza as a header “is pretty awesome,” he said. “It’s like cheating sometimes. He can reach the steer from pretty much anywhere in the arena, and that sure makes it easy on me, to know you’ll get a lot of throws and most of the time it’ll be pretty fast.”
Lord, roping with Nelson Wyatt, set the arena record in the team roping in 2020 (3.8 seconds). Lord is from Sturgis, S.D.; Egusquiza calls Marianna, Florida home.
A new arena record was set in the barrel racing by a repeat Buffalo Bill Rodeo champion.
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi rounded the barrels in 16.55 seconds to set the record, which was broken several times this weekend, due to a smaller barrel pattern.
The Lampasas, Texas cowgirl won the North Platte rodeo in 2013, and loves coming to North Platte.
“I’ve been coming to this rodeo for 21 years,” she said. “This rodeo gets my summer kicked off.” She complimented the arena conditions as well. “I think the ground conditions are the best they’ve ever been. The committee has done an amazing job.”
She was aboard an eleven-year-old stallion, SR Industry Titan, whose barn name is Titan, a horse owned by the 70 Ranch.
“He helped me break the record last year for single season earnings,” she said. Her 2023 earnings were $270,563.
Stallions can often have aggressive personalities, but not so for Titan.
“He’s just the sweetest guy. He has so much heart and so much try. You would never know he’s a stud. My seven-year-old daughter has ridden him.”
Pozzi Tonozzi is a three-time and reigning world champion barrel racer.
The bull riding came down to the final night of rodeo.
Kansas man JR Stratford won his event with an 86.5 point ride on the Beutler bull Mayhem.
Injuries in the second half of last year plagued the 21-year-old. A bull stepped on his head in Kennewick, Wash. in late August, causing a brain bleed. And two torn shoulders didn’t help either.
He qualified for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but didn’t ride well, and after winning round three, he broke his leg in round four, which took him out of competition.
“My goal is to be the world champion,” he said. “God willing, if I can stay healthy, I can do it.”
Stratford is ranked seventh in the world standings.
Other champions at the 2024 Buffalo Bill Rodeo include bareback rider Rocker Steiner, Weatherford, Texas (88 points); steer wrestler Travis Munro, Townsville, Queensland, Australia (8.7 seconds on 2 head); tie-down roper Conner Matheson, Stephenville, Texas (19.5 seconds on 2 head); and breakaway roper Layni Masters, Leon, Iowa.
During the rodeo, the 2024 Trail Boss Award was given to Jim Gragg. The Tryon man has volunteered at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo for the past fifty years, untying calves after each tie-down roping run. He has never missed a performance in the last half-century and has missed very few rodeo slack mornings.
NebraskalandDays activities continue next week with a prime rib feed, competitive art show, beer garden and food court, and concerts by Parker McCollum with support from Flatland Cavalry and Meg McRee on June 21 and Jelly Roll with support from Priscilla Block and Austin Snell on June 22.
For more information, visit the website at NebraskalandDays.com
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Results, North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo June 12-15, 2024
All-around champion: Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb. (tie-down roping, steer wrestling)
Bareback riding – 2024 champion: Rocker Steiner, Weatherford, Texas
1. Rocker Steiner, Weatherford, Texas 88 points on Happy Hour; 2. Keenan Hayes, Hayden, Colo. 84.5; 3. Cole Franks, Clarendon, Wyo. 84; 4. Gauge McBride, Kearney, Neb. 83; 5. Waylon Bourgeois, Church Point, La. 82; 6. Garrett Shadbolt, Merriman, Neb. 80.5; 7. Spencer DeNaeyer, Seneca, Neb. 80; 8. Jake Kesl, Tendoy, Idaho 78.5
Steer wrestling – 2024 champion: Travis Munro, Queensland, Australia
1. Travis Munro, Townsville, Queensland, Aus. 4.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb. and Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla. 4.1 each; 4. Seth Peterson, Wellington, Colo. 4.3; 5. Marc Joiner, Loranger, La. 4.5; 6. Kalane Anders, Bayard, Neb. 4.7.
2nd round results
1. Tyler Pearson, Atoka, Okla. 3.5 seconds; 2. Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D. 3.9; 3. Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan. 4.1; 4. Logan Lemmel, Whitewood, S.D. and Jacob Sterkel, Brighton, Colo. 4.4 each; 6. (tie) Sawyer Strand, Sioux Falls, S.D. and Payden McIntyre, Douglas, Wyo. 4.5.
Average:
Travis Munro, Townsville, Queensland, Aus. 8.7 seconds on 2 head; 2. Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D. 8.8; 3. Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb. 9.1; 4. Kalane Anders, Bayard, Neb. 9.2; 5. Tyler Ravenscroft, Nenzel, Neb. 9.3; 6. Cody Devers, Perryton, Texas 9.4.
Tie-down roping – 2024 champion: Connor Matheson, Stephenville, Texas
1st round results
1. Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas 8.9; 2. JD McCuistion, Estes Park, Colo. 9.0; 3. Denton Oestmann, Auburn, Neb. 9.3; 4. Zane Kilgus, Pryor, Okla. 9.6; 5. Connor Matheson, Stephenville, Texas 9.8; 6. Clint Graves, Oxford, Kan. 9.9.
2nd round results
1. (tie) Ryan Belew, La Junta, Colo. and Coy Arnold, Abilene, Kan. 9.1 seconds each; 3. Chance Wall, Cheraw, Colo. 9.5; 4. Ty Moser, Volga, S.D. 9.6; 5. Connor Matheson, Stephenville, Texas 9.7; 6. Trey Hall, Rolla, Kan. 9.9.
Average
1. Connor Matheson, Stephenville, Texas 19.5 seconds on 2 head; 2. Jase Staudt, Saguache, Colo. 20.9; 3. Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas 21.1; 4. Clint Graves, Oxford, Kan. 21.3; 5. Glenn Jackson, Okmulgee, Okla. 21.8; 6. (tie) Cole Robinson, Moorcroft, Wyo. and Ty Moser, Volga, S.D. 21.9 each.
Saddle bronc riding – 2024 champion: Ean Price, Leedey, Okla.
Breakaway Roping -2024 champion: Layni Masters
1. Layni Masters, Leon, Iowa 2.5 seconds; 2. Brooke Curuchet, Belle Fourche, S.D. 2.6; 3. Devin Robinson, Moorcroft, Wyo. 2.7; 4. Beau Peterson, Council Grove, Kan. 2.8; 5. Rylee George, Oakdale, Calif. 2.9; 6. (tie) Morgan Foss, Rhame, N.D., Kristy Farris, Sentinel, Okla. and Josie Mousel, Colman, S.D. 3.2 each; 9. Taylor Raupe, Douglas, Kan. 3.3; 10. (tie) Josie Conner, Iowa, La. and Lauren Hopkins, Lipan, Texas 3.4 each; 12. Bailey Witt, Coleman, Okla. 3.6.
Team roping – 2024 champions: Dustin Egusquiza, Marianna, Fla. and Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D.
1. Dustin Egusquiza, Marianna, Fla./Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D. 4.5 seconds; 2. Payton Pirrung, Hartford, S.D./Logan Schliinz, Whitewood, S.D. 4.9; 3. Cyle Denison, Iowa, La./Tanner Braden, Dewey, Okla. 5.3; 4. Trevor Olson, Mud Butte, S.D./Tracer Olson, Wanblee, S.D. 5.4; 5. Jake Poncost, Wittmann, Ariz./Cole Cooper, Montrose, Colo. 5.5; 6. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla./Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M. 5.6; 7. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Az./Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo. 5.7; 8. Jay Tittel, Pueblo, Colo./TJ Watts, Eads, Colo. 6.0; 9. (tie) Cooper Brott, Gothenburg, Neb./Dawson McMaster, Madison, Kan. and Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla./Kollin VonAhn, Blanchard, Okla. 6.1 each.
Barrel racing -2024 champion: Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas
1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas 16.55 seconds; 2. Paige Jones, Wayne, Okla. 16.74; 3. Shelley Morgan, Eustace, Texas 16.77; 4. Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D. 16.79; 5. Dona Kay Rule, Minco, Okla. 16.80; 6. Emily Beisel, Weatherford, Okla. 16.87; 7. Leslie Smalygo, Skiatook, Okla. 16.88; 8. Tillar King, Ft. Worth, Texas 16.93; 9. Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas 16.95; 10. Ari-Anna Flynn, Charleston, Ark. 16.99; 11. (tie) Patty Finney, Ainsworth, Neb., Angie Meadors, Blanchard, Okla. and Ashley Day, Volborg, Mont. 17.04 each.
Bull riding – 2024 champion: JR Stratford, Byers, Kansas
1. JR Stratford, Byers, Kan. 86.5 points on Mayhem; 2. Colton Byram, Mound City, Kan. 86; 3. Chase Dougherty, Canby, Ore. 85; 4. Hudson Bolton, Milan, Tenn. 83.5; 5. Garrett Uptain, Craig, Colo. 83; 6. Brandon Ballard, New Hope, Kent. 81; 7. Riggen Hughes, Kempner, Texas 73.
** All results are unofficial.