McMillan, Stacy show cowboy ability at finals

The Columbia River Circuit Finals completed a three day stand in Redmond, Oregon Saturday, with several Newport Rodeo regulars doing well. The CRS is made up of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rodeos in Washington, Oregon and Northen Idaho. Riley and Brady Minor of Ellensburg, who won the team roping at Newport, took second at the CRC finals, winning $5,838 and taking the CRC heading and healing season titles. They are also headed to the National Finals Rodeo in December, both with more than $125,000 in Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association winnings. Roger Nonella of Redmond, who won the all-around title at Newport, placing in the steer roping and tie down roping, won the steer roping at the CRC finals. Mason Stuller of Veneta, Oregon, who won second in the bareback riding at Newport, won the bareback riding at the CRC finals.

Deer Park’s Colt Schneiderman won the first go round of the bull riding, collecting $2,622 with his 84-point ride. Lane Vaughan of Klamath Falls, Oregon, who won second in the bull riding at Newport, won third in the bull riding at the CRC finals and took the CRC season title.

But it was Caleb McMillan of Soap Lake, Washington, who, along with his brother, Jacob Stacey of Moses Lake who stole the show with a spectacular save as pickup men Friday.

McMillan, who won the Linderman Award last year for winning the most money in three events or more, including a timed and riding event, didn’t win the Linderman again, but did win the first go-round of the tiedown roping at the CRC finals.

But it was when Clay Stone of Blackfoot, Idaho, bucked off and hung up in the bareback riding, that Stacy and McMillan teamed up to incredibly get Stone back on the bronc and out of the wreck. McMillan got a rope on the

It is hard to overstate what a hopeless feeling hanging up to a bareback horse is. Because my parents didn’t want me riding bulls, I got my start in rodeo in the bareback riding, the most physically demanding event in rodeo. When your hand won’t come out of the rigging and you’re hung up while the horse bucks and runs, it is truly terrifying, mostly because it usually goes on so long.

One time at Livingston, Montana, my bareback rigging slipped under the horse’s belly, and I drug most of a full lap around the Livingston arena underneath the horse, my hand caught in the rigging, with pickup man Sonny Riley riding alongside on his horse. I can still hear him saying, ‘put your hand in a little too far, did you son?’ before I finally came loose, thankfully uninjured, no thanks to Riley.

So, I can appreciate what happens when pickup men try and succeed in helping you out of the wreck. My hat’s off to McMillan and Stacy for the spectacular save.

COLUMBIA RIVER CIRCUIT FINALS

REDMOND, ORE., OCT. 16-18

All-around cowboy: Jett Stewart, $5,848, team roping and steer roping.

Bareback riding: First round: 1. Dylan Riggins, 83 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s El Dorado, $2,458; 2. Mason Stuller, 78, $1,844; 3. Colton Clemens, 75, $1,229; 4. Claystone Stone, 71, $615. Second round: 1. Mason Stuller, 83.5 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Spring Valley, $2,458; 2. Colton Clemens, 81, $1,844; 3. (tie) Dylan Riggins and Casey Thomson, 80, $922 each. Third round: 1. Mason Stuller, 82 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Whizbang, $2,458; 2.

Hunter Greenup, 79, $1,844; 3. Claystone Stone, 76, $1,229; 4. Colton Clemens, 73, $615.

Average: 1. Mason Stuller, 243.5 points on three head, $3,687; 2. Dylan Riggins, 235, $2,765; 3. Colton Clemens, 229, $1,844; 4. Ty Holmes, 203.5, $922.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Kaden Greenfield, 4.1 seconds, $2,458; 2. Jesse Brown, 4.5, $1,844; 3. Mike McGinn, 4.7, $1,229; 4.

Justin Kimsey, 5.8, $615. Second round: 1. Justin Kimsey, 3.7 seconds, $2,458; 2. Traver Johnson, 4.4, $1,844; 3. Jesse Brown, 5.4, $1,229; 4. Kaden Greenfield, 6.5, $615. Third round: 1. Jacob Stacy, 4.4 seconds, $2,458; 2. Jesse Brown, 4.9, $1,844; 3. Kaden Greenfield, 5.2, $1,229; 4. Traver Johnson, 5.3, $615. Average: 1. Jesse Brown, 14.8 seconds on three head, $3,687; 2.

Kaden Greenfield, 15.8, $2,765; 3. Justin Kimsey, 17.5, $1,844; 4. Mike McGinn, 19.8, $922.

Team roping: First round: 1. Garrett Rogers/Jake Minor, 5.1 seconds, $2,458 each; 2. Riley Minor/ Brady Minor, 5.4, $1,844; 3. Jack Fischer/Bucky Campbell, 5.8, $1,229; 4. Jake Stanley/Jason Duby, 6.1, $615. Second round: 1. Jett Stewart/ Sam Saunders, 4.1 seconds, $2,458 each; 2.

Cole Eiguren/Breck Ward, 4.9, $1,844; 3. (tie) Brayden Schmidt/Bo Patzke and Jake Stanley/ Jason Duby, 5.1, $922 each. Third round: 1.

Steven Duby/Taylor Duby, 4.0 seconds, $2,458 each; 2. Jake Raley/Russell Cardoza, 4.7, $1,844; 3. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 5.0, $1,229; 4. Jett Stewart/Sam Saunders, 5.6, $615. Average: 1.

Cole Eiguren/Breck Ward, 18.0 seconds on three head, $3,687 each; 2. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 20.5, $2,765; 3. Jett Stewart/Sam Saunders, 22.0, $1,844; 4. Jake Raley/Russell Cardoza, 26.4, $922.

Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Kade Bruno, 82 points on Aces Wild Pro Rodeo’s Blue Duck, $2,458; 2. Tate Owens, 73.5, $1,844; 3. Charlie Barker, 72.5, $1,229; 4. Jake Clark, 71.5, $615.

Second round: 1. Kade Bruno, 84.5 points on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Blue Heaven, $2,458; 2. Jake Clark, 79.5, $1,844; 3. Lavern Borntreger, 76.5, $1,229; 4. Joe Harper, 76, $615. Third round: 1. Kade Bruno, 86 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Felicity Shagwell, $2,458; 2. Ryan Verling, 82.5, $1,844; 3. Jake Clark, 82, $1,229; 4. Lavern Borntreger, 75, $615. Average: 1. Kade Bruno, 252.5 points on three head, $3,687; 2.

Jake Clark, 233, $2,765; 3. Ryan Verling, 223.5, $1,844; 4. Lavern Borntreger, 220.5, $922.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Caleb McMillan, 8.1 seconds, $2,458; 2. Ty Harris, 8.3, $1,844; 3. (tie) Preston Pederson and Lucas Potter, 8.7, $922 each. Second round: 1. Ty Harris, 6.8 seconds, $2,458; 2. Nick Achille, 7.4, $1,844; 3. Joel Harris, 7.6, $1,229; 4. Jake Pratt, 7.8, $615. Third round: 1. Bo Pickett, 8.0 seconds, $2,458; 2. Lucas Potter, 8.3, $1,844; 3.

(tie) Nick Achille and Kass Newman, 9.3, $922 each. Average: 1. Lucas Potter, 26.0 seconds on three head, $3,687; 2. Joel Harris, 26.1, $2,765; 3. Ty Harris, 26.9, $1,844; 4. Jake Pratt, 30.1, $922.

Barrel racing: First round: 1. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 15.07 seconds, $2,458; 2. Hailey Garrison, 15.23, $1,844; 3. Julia Johnson, 15.31, $1,229; 4. Jeannette Etchebarne, 15.39, $615. Second round: 1. Julia Johnson, 15.11 seconds, $2,458; 2. Hailey Garrison, 15.14, $1,844; 3. Kacey Gartner, 15.19, $1,229; 4.

Jeannette Etchebarne, 15.28, $615. Third round: 1. Hailey Garrison, 15.10 seconds, $2,458; 2.

Kacey Gartner, 15.20, $1,844; 3. (tie) Jeannette Etchebarne and Shelly Mull, 15.24, $922 each.

Average: 1. Hailey Garrison, 45.47 seconds on three head, $3,687; 2. Julia Johnson, 45.73, $2,765; 3. Jeannette Etchebarne, 45.91, $1,844; 4. Summer Huston, 46.21, $922.

Steer roping: First round: 1. Roger Nonella, 12.9 seconds, $1,863; 2. Jason Burson, 17.7, $1,397; 3. Jett Stewart, 20.2, $931; 4. Taylor Santos, 20.6, $466. Second round: 1. Trent Sorey, 10.8 seconds, $1,863; 2. Cooper Mills, 14.5, $1,397; 3. Roger Nonella, 14.7, $931; 4.

Wade Kane, 15.9, $466. Third round: 1. Kass Newman, 13.5 seconds, $1,863; 2. Dawson McGinn, 16.3, $1,397; 3. Wade Kane, 24.6, $931; 4. Jason Burson, 29.1, $466. Average: 1. Roger Nonella, 27.6 seconds on two head, $2,794; 2.

Wade Kane, 40.5, $2,095; 3. Jason Burson, 46.8, $1,397; 4. Howdy McGinn, 54.2, $698.

Bull riding: * First round: 1. Colton Schneiderman, 83 points on Aces Wild Pro Rodeo’s Darlington Motel, $2,622; 2. Nash Jones, 76, $2,017; 3. Cole Hill, 61, $1,412; no other qualified rides. Second round: 1. Nash Jones, 85.5 points on Aces Wild Pro Rodeo’s Kung Fu, $2,421; 2. Jordan Spears, 84, $1,815; 3. Cole Hill, 83, $1,210; 4. Levi Gray, 82, $605.

* Third round: 1. Lane Vaughan, 88 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Hell Ya Roscoe, $2,622; 2. Jordan Spears, 86.5, $2,017; 3. Cole Hill, 83, $1,412; no other qualified rides. Average: 1.

Cole Hill, 227 points on three head, $3,631; 2. Jordan Spears, 170.5 on two head, $2,723; 3. Lane Vaughan, 162, $1,815; 4. Nash Jones, 161.5, $908. *(all totals include ground money). Total payoff: $241,761. Stock Contractors: Aces Wild Pro Rodeo, Anthony Verdino, Riley Minor, Flying 5 Rodeo, Big Bend Rodeo and Corey & Lange Rodeo.

DON GRONNING IS A FORMER PRCA BULL AND BAREBACK RIDER. HE ALSO PUBLISHED NORTHWEST RODEO SCENE FROM 1986-1989.