BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to ProRodeo.com
At just 26 years old, bull rider Sage Kimzey has nothing left to prove in the rodeo business. He’s earned six PRCA world championships in seven trips to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, won the average there three times and has more than $2.5 million in career earnings.
Don’t for one second believe that means Kimzey is done striving to be the best.
“I have nothing to prove to anyone at this point, except to prove to myself what I am capable of,” Kimzey said.
“I push to see what I can put my body through, how much I can take and continue to compete at the highest level.”
He’s still chasing his stated goal of breaking Don Gay’s record of eight PRCA bull riding world championships.
With less than three months left in the 2021 season, Kimzey is in familiar territory, leading the PRCA | RAM World Standings once again. He added to his lead during the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah, July 10 after sharing the win with Parker McCown with matching 90.5-point rides.
Surprisingly, it was Kimzey’s first win in Vernal, a stop on the Pro Rodeo Tour.
“I’ve been there a few times; it seems like we get there about every other year or so, but I’ve never gotten much done,” said Kimzey, who made his ride on July 9. “It was good to break the ice.”
The Oklahoma native, who now makes his home in Salado, Texas, knew he had a chance to change that streak when he saw he’d drawn Audacious from Powder River Rodeo.
“That’s a really nice bull; he’s been the money bull for Powder River and D&H for several years now, but he’s actually been even better this year than the last couple of years,” Kimzey said.
Kimzey first rode the bull to the pay window during the 2019 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. Last week in Belle Fourche, S.D., Daylon Swearingen had a 90-point ride on Audacious for the win.
“He’s the one you want to draw, so I was really happy,” Kimzey said. “It was good to capitalize on him.”
Kimzey banked another $3,038 towards the world standings and picked up more valuable ProRodeo Tour points, working toward a qualification to the ProRodeo Tour Finale to be held in Salinas, Calif., on the final weekend of the regular season in September. Kimzey is second in the ProRodeo Tour Standings.
“The Tour rodeos are the biggest and richest rodeos, so the Tour standings and the world standings go hand-in-hand,” Kimzey said. “It will be cool to go out to Salinas for the Finale.”
Despite a torrid schedule in 2021 – Kimzey has already attempted 80 bulls, riding an impressive 62% of them – the champ is feeling ready to tackle the heart of the rodeo season for the rest of the summer.
“I’m healthy. All is well and I’ve got no complaints,” he said.
Other winners at the $165,556 rodeo were bareback rider Tilden Hooper (88 points on Powder River Rodeo’s 99 Problems); steer wrestler Shane Frey (3.6 seconds); team ropers Clay Smith/Jade Corkill and Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves (4.5 seconds each); saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright (91.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Bet The Ranch); tie-down roper Tuf Cooper (7.5 seconds); breakawy ropers Shelli Scrivner and Loni Lester (2.4 seconds each) and barrel racer Emily Miller-Beisel (17.08 seconds). Stetson Wright was the all-around cowboy ($1,962, saddle bronc riding and bull riding).
Full results:
All-around cowboy: Stetson Wright, $1,962, saddle bronc riding and bull riding.
Bareback riding: 1. Tilden Hooper, 88 points on Powder River Rodeo’s 99 Problems, $3,235; 2. Clayton Biglow, 87.5, $2,480; 3. Cooper Bennett, 84.5, $1,833; 4. (tie) Seth Hardwick and Wyatt Denny, 84, $970 each; 6. Cole Reiner, 83.5, $539; 7. (tie) Bodee Lammers and Logan Patterson, 82, $377 each.
Steer wrestling: 1. Shane Frey, 3.6 seconds, $3,483; 2. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Tucker Allen, 3.8, $2,933 each; 4. (tie) Will Lummus, Jesse Brown and Ringo Robinson, 3.9, $2,016 each; 7. (tie) Blake Knowles, Riley Hamilton, Jace Melvin and Tyke Kipp, 4.1, $733 each.Team roping: 1. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill and Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 4.5 seconds, $4,420 each; 3. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 4.6, $3,684; 4. (tie) Tyler Wade/Trey Yates and Pedro Egurrola/JC Flake, 4.8, $2,947 each; 6. Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison, 4.9, $2,210; 7. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 5.0, $1,719; 8. Spencer Mitchell/Chris Young Young, 5.1, $1,228; 9. Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley, 5.3, $737; 10. (tie) Jaguar Terrill/Sid Sporer and Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 5.5, $123 each.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Jesse Wright, 91.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Bet The Ranch, $3,463; 2. Hardy Braden, 89, $2,655; 3. Stetson Dell Wright, 88, $1,962; 4. Kobyn Williams, 85.5, $1,270; 5. (tie) Wyatt Hageman and Cody DeMoss, 85, $693 each; 7. Rusty Wright, 84.5, $462; 8. Creighton Curley, 84, $346.
Tie-down roping: 1. Tuf Case Cooper, 7.5 seconds, $4,947; 2. Ryley Fontenot, 8.0, $4,426; 3. Blake Chauvin, 8.4, $3,906; 4. Kincade Henry, 8.5, $3,385; 5. Hudson Wallace, 8.8, $2,864; 6. (tie) Zack Jongbloed, John Douch and Michael Otero, 8.9, $1,823 each; 9. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.0, $781; 10. (tie) Jase Staudt and Tyler Milligan, 9.2, $130 each.
Breakaway roping: 1. (tie) Shelli Scrivner and Loni Lester, 2.40 seconds, $2,638 each; 3. Jordan Minor, 2.50, $1,996; 4. (tie) Hannah Lee, Cassie Bahe Latham and JJ Hampton, 2.60, $1,378 each; 7. (tie) Bailey Gubert, Kara Burns and Abby Medlin, 2.70, $594 each; 10. Madison Outhier, 2.80, $428; 11. (tie) Cadee Williams, Josie Jensen and Shelby Boisjoli, 2.90, $214 each.
Barrel racing: 1. Emily Miller-Beisel, 17.08 seconds, $4,142; 2. Hailey Kinsel, 17.09, $3,313; 3. Jodee Miller, 17.10, $2,692; 4. Shelley Morgan, 17.15, $2,071; 5. Jessi Fish, 17.25, $1,657; 6. Christine Laughlin, 17.32, $1,242; 7. Amanda Welsh, 17.33, $1,035; 8. Stevi Hillman, 17.35, $932; 9. Kim Schulze, 17.42, $828; 10. (tie) Ericka Nelson and Terri Wood Gates, 17.43, $673 each; 12. (tie) Loni Lester and Kelley Carrington, 17.44, $466 each; 14. Nellie Miller, 17.48, $311; 15. Ilyssa Riley, 17.49, $207.
Bull riding: * 1. (tie) Parker McCown, on Powder River Rodeo’s Notorious Nonsense, and Sage Kimzey, on Powder River Rodeo’s Audacious, 90.5 points, $3,038 each; 3. Clayton Sellars, 87, $1,966; 4. Creek Young, 85.5, $1,289; 5. Ky Hamilton, 84.5, $838; 6. (tie) Trey Kimzey and Hayes Weight, 82, $556 each; no other qualified rides. *(all totals include ground money).
Total payoff: $165,556. Stock contractor: Powder River Rodeo. Sub-contractor: Outlawbuckers Rodeo. Rodeo secretary: Eva Chadwick. Officials: Harry Rose Jr, Tim Engelhart and Wade Woolstenhulme. Timers: Tammy Braden and Sam Arnold. Announcer: Roger Mooney. Specialty act: J.J. Harrison. Bullfighters: Aaron Hargo and Luke Kraut. Clown/barrelman: J.J. Harrison. Flankmen: Matt Cook, John Franzen and Jonathan Kmita. Chute boss: John Franzen. Pickup men: Clint Humble and Jay Shaw. Photographers: Brooks Benjamin and Lexi Christopher. Music director: Jill Franzen Loden.