ProRodeo Sports News - August 24, 2018

Turning Heads

Bareback rider Blaine Kaufman had an 86-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Black Kat to win Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg, Aug. 4. Kaufman is having his best season yet in the Prairie Circuit. Teri Abrahamsen photo

Prairie Circuit bareback rider Kaufman eyes RAM NCFR BY TRACY RENCK P riorities are simple for Blaine Kaufman. Family, job, rodeo. In that order. The Pretty Prairie, Kan., bareback rider is quenching his thirst for the latter by competing in the Prairie Circuit. Kaufman is having his best season to date in the Standings with $21,817. Kaufman has been on a heater this summer, winning the Abbyville (Kan.) Frontier Days Rodeo (May 19); Bennington (Kan.) PRCA Rodeo (June 2); Kansas’ Largest Night Rodeo in Pretty Prairie (July 21); Wahoo (Neb.) Saddle Club PRCA Rodeo (July 21); Kaw Valley Rodeo in Manhattan, Kan. (July 28); and Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg (Aug. 4). Kaufman also split wins at the Wild Bill Hickok

ABOUT BLAINE AGE: 26 CIRCUIT: Prairie EVENT: Bareback riding HIGHLIGHT: Kaufman has won six rodeos outright and split the win at three others this summer to climb to second in the Prairie Circuit standings.

Prairie Circuit, as he is second in the Aug. 20 standings with $15,308. He trails Steven Dent by $7,492. Dent is an eight- time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the last coming in 2017. “This is the best year, by far, I have had,” said Kaufman, 26. “I’ve been really blessed. I’ve been drawing good everywhere I have been to. I’ve either placed or won at every rodeo I have been to except for one, so things have gone extremely well.” Although Kaufman had competed in only 21 rodeos as of Aug. 20, he still ranked 37th in the PRCA | RAMWorld

Rodeo in Abilene, Kan. (Aug. 4); the Rusk County Rodeo in Ladysmith, Wis. (Aug. 11); and the Linn County Fair & Rodeo in Mound City, Kan. (Aug. 11). In Mound City, Kaufman shared the title with his traveling partner Jared Keylon, who qualified for the Wrangler NFR in 2012 and finished 15th in the final world standings. Keylon heaped mounds of praise on Kaufman. “I’ve known Blaine since he was 19 years old,” Keylon said. “It has been really neat to watch him develop into what

ProRodeo Sports News 8/24/2018

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