BRONCS AT THE BUFFALO BILL – Story by Ruth Nicolaus
Wyoming, Texas cowboys jump to the top; PRCA action continues in North Platte
North Platte, Neb. (June 13, 2024) – During the second night of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo, a Wyoming cowboy took over the saddle bronc riding lead with an eight second ride on the Beutler horse Level Out.
Joe Priebe, Cody, scored 84 points on a horse he’d been told would be a good draw.
Priebe, who is in his second year of pro rodeo competition, was ready for the ride.
The horse “left clean, and I felt him take a bit of a scoot, and I was saying to myself, I hope this horse breaks (into bucking) and I kept lifting my rein.”
“That’s a really good horse to have.”
Priebe competed in North Platte two years ago, but didn’t do well. He’s grown and progressed in his bronc riding since then.
“I was not as good as I am now,” he said. “I wasn’t near as prepared and I didn’t have the confidence I have now.”
Time has helped his skills mature, and he’s worked at it, too.
“I read a lot of books about sports psychology and mental preparation, and I applied them. I prayed a lot, and I put a lot of work into it,” he said.
He set goals as well.
“I used to write down a list of everything I needed to do every day, to get better, and I’d cross things off,” as they were accomplished. “Once I started doing that, it made a difference.”
A farrier by trade, when he travels to rodeos throughout Wyoming, he’ll schedule appointments with clients as he travels to rodeos.
“If I’m not out rodeoing, I’m shoeing horses. I try to separate the bronc riding and horse shoeing a little bit, but they overlap.”
In the bareback riding, a household name in the rodeo world leads his event.
Rocker Steiner, known for his “rebel” image, scored 88 points on Beutler’s Happy Hour to take the lead.
It was the second time for the Weatherford, Texas cowboy to ride the mare; he won the long round in Tucson, Ariz. on the horse in 2023.
“That’s probably my favorite horse of Bennie (Beutler’s),” he said. “She’s probably not the rankest horse he has, by any means, but she gives you confidence, makes you feel like you’re doing everything right.”
The twenty-year-old cowboy is ranked fifth in the world standings; his dad, Sid, was the 2002 PRCA Steer Wrestling World Champion; his granddad, Bobby, won the 1973 PRCA Bull Riding World title.
Beutler’s horse Happy Hour is an eight-year-old mare who has been selected to buck at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo several times.
The third night of action at the Buffalo Bill rodeo takes place Friday, June 14 starting at 8 pm.
Here’s how the leaderboard looks headed into the third performance at 8pm on Friday, June 14th:
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Rocker Steiner, 88 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Happy Hour; 2. Keenan Hayes, 84.5; 3. Cole Franks, 84; 4. Waylon Bourgeois, 82; 5. Jake Kesl, 78.5; 6. Tyler Graf, 78.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Travis Munro, 4.0 seconds, $1,513; 2. (tie) Riley Duvall and Austin Hurlburt, 4.1, $1,122 each; 4. Seth Peterson, 4.3, $731; 5. Marc Joiner, 4.5, $470; 6. Kalane Anders, 4.7, $261. Second round leaders: 1. Tyler Pearson, 3.5 seconds; 2. Eli Lord, 3.9; 3. Tanner Brunner, 4.1; 4. (tie) Logan Lemmel and Jacob Sterkel, 4.4 each; 6. (tie) Kalane Anders and Tyler Ravenscroft, 4.5 each. Average leaders: 1. Travis Munro, 8.7 seconds on two head; 2. Eli Lord, 8.8; 3. Austin Hurlburt, 9.1; 4. Kalane Anders, 9.2; 5. Tyler Ravenscroft, 9.3; 6. Cody Devers, 9.4; no other qualified runs.
Team roping leaders: 1. Payton Pirrung/Logan Schliinz, 4.9 seconds; 2. Trevor Olson/Tracer Olson, 5.4; 3. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 5.6; 4. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 5.7; 5. Cooper Brott/Dawson McMaster, 6.1; 6. Layne Carson/Jesse Chase, 6.2.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Joe Priebe, 84 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Level Out; 2. Kasey Rosendahl, 79; 3. Jack Skavdahl, 78.5; 4. (tie) Roper Kiesner and Wade Sundell, 78 each; 6. Garrett Long, 77.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Lane Livingston, 8.9 seconds, $1,763; 2. J.D. McCuistion, 9.0, $1,459; 3. Denton Oestmann, 9.3, $1,155; 4. Zane Kilgus, 9.6, $851; 5. Connor Matheson, 9.8, $547; 6. Clint Graves, 9.9, $304. Second round leaders: 1. Ryan Belew, 9.1 seconds; 2. Ty Moser, 9.6; 3. Connor Matheson, 9.7; 4. Trey Hall, 9.9; 5. Glenn Jackson, 10.2; 6. Rio Nutter, 10.4. Average leaders: 1. Connor Matheson, 19.5 seconds on two head; 2. Jase Staudt, 20.9; 3. Glenn Jackson, 21.8; 4. (tie) Cole Robinson and Ty Moser, 21.9 each; 6. Tate Teague, 23.7; no other qualified runs.
Barrel racing leaders: 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 16.55 seconds; 2. Shelley Morgan, 16.77; 3. Summer Kosel, 16.79; 4. Dona Rule, 16.80; 5. Leslie Smalygo, 16.88; 6. Tillar King, 16.93.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Colton Byram, 86 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Mayhem; 2. Chase Dougherty, 85; 3. Hudson Bolton, 83.5; 4. Garrett Uptain, 83; 5. Brandon Ballard, 81; 6. Riggen Hughes, 73.
Total payoff: $117,123. Stock contractor: Beutler & Son Rodeo.
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The Buffalo Bill Rodeo is taking place June 12-15 in North Platte, Nebraska. Tickets can be purchased online at nebraskalanddays.com.
