PublicationProRodeo Sports News - March 22, 2019

SOUTHEASTERN EXPOSITION LIVESTOCK

“It has changed a lot having The American and Houston counting now. It’s a big difference.” – KOBY RADLEY

Double the Pleasure BY TRACY RENCK D uring his short time in the PRCA, Montgomery, Ala., has been a good stop for bull rider Koby Radley. In his third season competing, Radley won the Southeastern Livestock Exposition for the second time. “I seemed to have some things go my way in Montgomery,” Radley said. The Montpelier, La., cowboy’s latest triumphant came this year when he had an 86-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Ugly Boy. “Everybody has been watching me for years, and they were wanting me to get to the NFR and I finally got there,” Radley said. “I had some nerves and jitters going on there. Each day you’re getting on one of the top bulls, and they are there for a reason. You’re on that big stage and want to prove to yourself and everybody else that you’re there for a reason.” Radley acknowledged excelling at the Wrangler NFR is no easy task. “There are a few things I will do differently when I go back (to the NFR),” Radley said. “I will try and calmmy nerves a little bit. Everybody says when you go to the Finals you have to treat it like another rodeo, but I don’t care who you are, it’s not just another rodeo, it’s the NFR for a reason. I just need to find a good balance and take it bull by bull.” Radley wins in Montgomery for second time in three years

“My buddy Corey Atwell rode that bull in Arcadia (Fla.) and had an 87-point ride (and finished third),” said Radley, 20. “I was there at that perf at Arcadia, and I watched him ride him. I saw that he was a good bull, and I knew he would be a good matchup for me. He’s one a top 30 bull rider should ride. He bucks, but he’s really nice about it and he spins, which I like. He was definitely everything I thought he would be.” Dustin Boquet, Radley’s traveling partner who finished second in Montgomery with an 85.5-point trip, praised his friend. “I didn’t care if he won or I won, it didn’t matter,” Boquet said. “I’m just glad we went 1-2.” Radley split the win in 2017 with Dustin Bowen after each had 89-point rides. For his first-place, outright win, which came March 15, Radley earned $4,590. During the lucrative run of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, The American in Arlington, Texas, and RodeoHouston, Radley earned an additional $8,250. “I won a little bit out of those three rodeos, but not as much as I would have liked to,” Radley said. “It has changed a lot havingThe American and Houston counting now. It’s a big difference.” As of March 19, Radley sat in 27th place in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with $18,807. BACKTOVEGAS A year ago, Radley had his best season to date, finishing 10th in the final world standings with $160,072. He only made the whistle three times at the Thomas &Mack Center in Las Vegas, but he made the most of those rides, placing third in Rounds 2 and 6 and splitting third in Round 5. He earned $62,814 in Vegas.

LOOKINGAHEAD With this being the halfway point of the 2019 season, Radley is keeping focus and perspective. “I don’t want to make the NFR just one time, I want to keep going every year,” he said. “One thing I would like to change about this year compared to last year is that last year my goal was just making it to the NFR. This year, I want to shoot for the No. 1 spot. Last year, I set my goal of just making the Finals, and I stayed between 10th to 15th place the whole season. I want to shoot for the No. 1 spot this year, so I can go in with a better place in the standings. I think my maturity in riding and rodeoing has gone up a bunch, and that’s really helped me in handling situations this season.” Radley qualified for the 2018Wrangler NFR in the No. 12 spot with $97,258. He was $6,000 outside of the Top 15 near the end of the season. He clinched his inaugural bid to the Wrangler NFR after winning $8,235 at the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up, Sept. 15. “Koby is a really positive guy, and he wants to win just like I want to win,” Boquet said. A year ago, Boquet also make his Wrangler NFR debut, finishing seventh in the world standings. “I thought it was the coolest thing ever that we both went to the NFR,” Boquet said. “Last year, he rodeoed with Eli (Vastbinder) and I rodeoed with Jeff (Askey), and all four us went to the NFR, which was a pretty cool deal for all of us. There’s no question Koby has the ability to keep going to the NFR, he just has to stay healthy and keep riding.”

Complete results on Page 51

SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cort Scheer .............................. 88 pts. 2. Colt Gordon .................................. 87.5 3. Rusty Wright ................................ 86.5 4. Spencer Wright ............................ 85.5

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Kyle Lucas .............................. 9.0 sec. 2. (tie) Andrew Burks ......................... 9.4 J.D. McCuistion .............................. 9.4 4. Jud Gully ........................................ 9.5

BARREL RACING 1. Sabra O’Quinn .................... 14.34 sec. 2. Carly Taylor ................................. 14.40 3. Kathryn Hawkins ........................ 14.51 4. Jennifer Sharp ............................ 14.52

BULL RIDING 1. Koby Radley ............................. 86 pts. 2. Dustin Boquet ............................... 85.5 3. Lane Nobles ..................................... 85 4. Trey Kimzey .................................. 84.5

ProRodeo Sports News 3/22/2019

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