7-21 Pages for Bryan

St. Paul Rodeo – St. Paul, Ore.
Irwin’s magic didn’t stop in
Wyoming. In the upper reaches of the
Northwest, the Alabama cowboy’s toil
at Oregon’s St. Paul Rodeo was just as
fiscally beneficial. Irwin’s 4.4-second firstgo
placed him in a three-way tie for fifth,
but his 4.2-second final run clinched the
average and $4,677 for his two-go finish.
In total, Irwin raked in $7,252 at St. Paul.
“I admire the buckle, the rodeo and
the tradition of the rodeo with the trees
in the arena,” Irwin said. “Dang sure, it’ll
be one of my highlight wins – forever.”
With placing performances at
Ponoka (Alberta), Livingston (Mont.)
and Prescott (Ariz.), Irwin didn’t grace
Cowboy Christmas with a tentative
game. Instead, he attacked.
“I did feel like I was in a rhythm
and I feel like I was aggressive,” Irwin
explained. “You can’t win much sitting
back and hoping to do good.
“Every place I went I had an
opportunity, and you just can’t beat
yourself, so I feel like I had an aggressive
approach and let the rest take care of
itself.”
Irwin, a two-time qualifier for
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo
presented by Polaris RANGER, and the
current steer wrestling leader atop of the Southeastern Circuit, had been the
target of well-intentioned jabs from those closest to him. Now, he can parry
their lighthearted punches.
“Friends from back home and family members were joking, ‘Boy you’re
slipping, we haven’t seen your name in the standings much,’ but I’ve felt
confident about my season,” Irwin said.
“I’ve learned the past five years or so you can’t get worked up over the
little things, and having a week like this, we’re right back in the mix.”
Among those in the rig with Irwin is Blaine Jones. The 28-year-old Jones
also noticed Irwin wasn’t playing it safe, but rather catching steers for keeps.
“He was really aggressive,” Jones said. “He made smart runs and
bulldogged really good all week. He used every steer to his advantage.”
The totality of Cowboy Christmas gains its reputation for the expedited
payouts available to cowboys just as the summer begins to climax. However,
it’s also known for the grueling lengths cowboys are willing to go to best gain a
fraction of a competitive advantage.
For Irwin, the routine is familiar.
“It was a lot of driving, but we broke it up pretty good between all four of
us, so it wasn’t too bad,” Irwin said.
Without a lot of personal time for the extent of rodeo’s holiday season,
Irwin and his close-knit group of steer wrestlers managed not to let the hours
on the highway, or fatigue, strike a wedge between the bulldoggers and a
chance to pave cement on the road to the WNFR.
Bob Click photo
The top-ranked bareback rider in the world, Tim O’Connell, bested Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Sacred Nation for 89.5
points, a ride worth $10,892.
“It can be testy,” Irwin said with a chuckle. “I think it’s good to be around
your buddies. You know each other, you know they’re going to do this, this and
this. You don’t step on each other’s toes, nobody’s mad at each other, because
with that, you get bad mojo in the rig.
“You’re in a travel trailer with bags packed on top of each other and you
sleep odd hours of the night and people get grouchy. It was good, everybody
kept a good attitude and I feel like that helped.”
Irwin’s placement within the Top 15 certainly has him thinking about
his third trip to Las Vegas, and it also has Jones wondering what kind of a
performer the Thomas & Mack Center would receive upon a very realistic
return.
“Hopefully he does really well into the Finals,” Jones said. “He’s riding a
really good horse, and Tyler (Pearson) does a great job hazing for him and that
makes for a winning combination.
“He’d be one to watch at the Finals. He’s pretty electric, and he’s proven
himself there already.”
Irwin certainly understands that his Cowboy Christmas grind has
resulted in an inflated wallet, as well as heightening the odds of another
WNFR qualification. Even so, Irwin’s focus isn’t squarely on Las Vegas, but
contrarily, his next go.
“That’s the ultimate goal,” Irwin said. “I think guys can put extra pressure
on themselves thinking, ‘I got to make the Finals, I got to make the Finals.’
“Steer by steer, run after run, and I think it’ll all come out the way it’s
supposed to in the end.”
Complete results on Page 52
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
1. Shade Etbauer .......................... 83 pts.
2. (tie) Ryder Wright ........................ 82.5
Joe Harper ................................... 82.5
4. Two tied at .................................... 81.5
TIE-DOWN ROPING
1. Clint Nyegaard ........... 19.7 sec. on two
2. Tyson Durfey ................................ 20.1
3. Marcos Costa ............................... 21.1
4. Kirk Robinson .............................. 21.7
BARREL RACING
1. Nellie Miller ........................ 17.43 sec.
2. Morgan Breaux .......................... 17.59
3. Amberleigh Moore ..................... 17.65
4. Megan McLeod-Sprague ............ 17.75
BULL RIDING
1. Brady Portenier ........................ 90 pts.
2. Sage Kimzey ................................... 88
3. Adam Lucero ................................ 87.5
4. Brennon Eldred ............................... 85
ProRodeo.com ProRodeo Sports News 7/21/2017 37