Minor Maintains All-Around Status,
Thigpen Earns Two Gold Buckles
IFR42 In Review
By: Tammie Hiatt
The 42nd International Finals Rodeo stampeded the Oklahoma City State Fair Arena January 13-15. From IPRA convention meetings to Miss Rodeo USA fashion shows, the week was jam-packed with activity.
The race for the gold buckle in the bareback riding was between reigning world champion Josh Cragar of Columbia, TN and former world champion Shawn Minor of Camden, OH. Minor, who had the lead coming into the finals was able to hold Josh off until the fourth round. Shawn took the round win with a 84.5 point ride aboard Corona Sunrise from Rawhide Rodeo Company but Cragar’s 83.25 points on #462 Hollywood from Latting Rodeo Company was good enough for second in the round and the win in the average. Cragar edged Minor for the gold buckle by $53.68. Latting’s horse, #462 Hollywood was named as Bareback Horse of the Finals.
It was a great year for Justin Thigpen of Waycross, GA. Thigpen had a healthy lead coming into the steer wrestling. He picked up checks in the first three rounds of competition but a “no-time” in the fourth round dropped him to 6th in the average. Shayde Etherton of Borden, IN was the Cinderella story in the steer wrestling. Etherton came into the finals in 9th position but finished with the average win and the number two man behind world champion Justin Thigpen.
Manny Cunde of Madison, GA and Clint Summers of Lake City, FL earned their first team roping world titles. After a devastating “no-time” in the first round, the pair came back to place in the remaining three rounds and ending up fourth in the average. Jason Tucker of Mt. Ulla, NC and Caleb Anderson of Mocksville, NC earned the average win.
It was Eddie Parlier’s time to shine at IFR42. The Johnson City, TN cowboy came into the finals in the lead for his first world title and walked out of the State Fair Arena with a gold buckle in tow. Parlier placed in the four rounds and topped the average with 317.5 points on four head. Freeburg, IL cowboy, Keith Brauer ‘s 82.75 point ride aboard Little Rooster from Williams & Long Rodeo Company in the fourth round was the highest marked ride of the finals. Williams & Long’s horse, #04 Short Cut earned Saddle Bronc of the Finals honors.
In the tie-down roping, the spotlight was once again on Justin Thigpen. Despite being plagued by broken barriers, Justin still earned his third consecutive world title. T.J. Hobson of Henryville, IN claimed the average win with 38.9 seconds on four head.
The cowgirls in the breakaway roping made IPRA history at IFR42. Jimme Beth Hefner of Bixby, OK earned the buckle in the first round with her time of 3.1. Kasi Prather of Ochelata, OK earned the win in both the second and third rounds with runs of 2.3 and 2.4 seconds. Jana Williams of Haskell, OK took the win in the fourth round with a 2.3 second run. Lacey Scully of Rockwood, ON, Canada, earned the average win with 24.2 on four head. Despite a quiet finals, Sheri Cahill of Strarthroy, ON, Canada, earned the first world championship awarded in this event.
Consistency was the name of the game in the cowgirls barrel racing. Stassi Pyne of Scotts, MI came into the finals with a very comfortable lead over the pack and was a reckoning force in the average race as well. Pyne placed in all four rounds, clinched the average win, ran the fastest time of the finals and shared the high money award of the finals with saddle bronc rider, Eddie Parlier.
The first round of the bull riding proved to be a shut out with the bulls walking away the victors. The second round found four cowboys up for the challenge with Joshua Baker of Birch Tree, MO rising to the top with 84.75 points on Ryleigh Jane from Rawhide Rodeo Company. In the third round the tables turned once again and rookie Jake Anderson of Shortsville, NY took the round buckle with a score of 84.75 points aboard the Bull of the Finals, #654 Risky Business of Wild Horse Rodeo Productions. The fourth round proved devastating to Luke McCoag who had strong hopes to claim his first world title but his lead had been chipped away as each round progressed. The Canadian cowboy slipped to third in the world standings. Shane Rickly of Lancaster, OH came into the finals in third position and quietly crept up the standings passing both Baker and McCoag to claim his first world title.
Shawn Minor earned his seventh All-Around Cowboy title at the close of business at IFR42. Minor’s last six titles have been consecutive wins.
Belle Forche, SD’s Trisha Smeenk was crowned the 2012 Miss Rodeo USA. The contestants underwent a grueling week of speaking, modeling, horsemanship and extensive testing. Smeenk will be the 49th Miss Rodeo USA to serve as the official ambassador of the International Pro Rodeo Association.
