ProRodeo Sports News July 13, 2018

World’s Oldest Rodeo

He won the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo with an 87.5-point ride on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Diamond Fever and earned $9,997. Brooks also was victorious at the Black Hills Roundup in Belle Fourche, S.D., with an 89-point trip on Powder River Rodeo’s RichN Fancy and left that town with $5,640. Then, he collected $3,836 for splitting the win with Cody DeMoss at the Livingston (Mont.) Roundup. “The (Cowboy Christmas run) seemed

accomplishment was winning the RAM Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo in 2016. Brooks joined the PRCA in December 2013. His career was sabotaged by injuries for several years. “I got hurt my rookie year (2014), and I kept getting hurt and I had a string of bad luck,” he said. “That held me back for a little while. I got stepped on at the (Montana) circuit rodeo in 2014. I collapsed a lung and lacerated my liver. I took a couple of months off, and the first horse I got on when I returned stepped on my left elbow, my riding arm, and dislocated it backwards. I ended up missing about a year and a half.” Over the 2016-17 seasons, Brooks has mainly been competing in the Montana Circuit. “I’ve just matured, and I was tired of

“The (Cowboy Christmas run) seemed surreal. It was like a blur and it wasn’t really happening. I couldn’t believe it. I tried not to think about it and how I was doing. I was focusing on one rodeo at a time.” -– CHASE BROOKS

surreal,” Brooks said. “It was like a blur and it wasn’t really happening. I couldn’t believe it. I tried not to think about it and how I was doing. I was focusing on one rodeo at a time. It was crazy when I realized howmuch money I had piled up. I’ve gone on plenty of cold streaks, so it was nice to see the other side of things.” Brooks’ performance is more noteworthy considering this was his first full-fledged Cowboy Christmas run. “I love being able to travel that hard, and I got on some awesome horses,” Brooks said. “I kept getting on and stuff was bucking with me. Everything kept working. I tried not to overthink anything and just let it happen.” Not only did Brooks’ bank account get larger, he also made a sizable move up the world standings, going from 30th on July 2 with $18,434 to 11th in the July 12 standings with $49,204. “I can’t believe that,” Brooks said. “Last year, I had a decent Cowboy Christmas and I won around $5,000. I figured if I won between $5,000 to $10,000 during Cowboy Christmas this year that would be solid. This is just incredible. I’m trying to let it all sink in.”

wasting years,” Brooks said about his 2018 season. “I needed to get going with my rodeo career. We have a long summer ahead of us, and I want to do whatever I have to do to qualify for the NFR.” Smith is full of praise for Brooks. “Chase traveled with Jesse Kruse and me in 2014, and he wasn’t really ready to rodeo as hard as I like to rodeo,” said Smith, 31, a 2012Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “This year, he’s more focused than I’ve ever seen him. He called me and asked me if I had a spot for him to travel with us. I told him I did, and he jumped in and things took off for him. I know he can ride that good, but the important thing is that he proved it to himself.”

ONA ROLL

The confidence Brooks is riding with is obvious, and he believes part of his good fortune is a result of his traveling partners Tyrell Smith, Joe Harper and Sage Newman. “It’s a huge help to be with these guys,” Brooks said. “They are really positive, they help you out and they are not scared to give you criticism when you need it. Tyrell has been awesome. He knows the entering and the books, and without him I honestly wouldn’t have known what the heck I was doing to enter the Fourth of July run the way we did.” Before his Cowboy Christmas heater, Brooks’ biggest

BULL RIDING 1. Tim Bingham ......................... 89.5 pts. 2. Ty Wallace ....................................... 86 3. Ramon Curley .................................. 84 4. Lon Danley ................................... 82.5 Complete results on Page 71

SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Chase Brooks ........................... 86 pts. 2. Jay Joaquin .................................. 85.5 3. Cody DeMoss ............................... 84.5 4. Spencer Wright ............................... 84

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. (tie) Cory Solomon .... 20.6 sec. on two Tuf Cooper .................................... 20.6 3. Cooper Martin .............................. 21.6 4. Westyn Hughes ............................ 21.8

STEER ROPING 1. Rocky Patterson ..... 38.9 sec. on three 2. Jason Evans ................................. 43.6 3. Cody Lee ...................................... 46.2 4. Chance Gasperson ........................ 48.0

ProRodeo Sports News 7/13/2018

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