JOHN DAY – Large and enthusiastic crowds of fans were treated to some outstanding performances by members of the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association at the Grant County Rodeo on Aug. 10-11 at the Grant County Fairgrounds Arena.

With rough stock provided by the P9 Rodeo Company from Parma, Idaho, NPRA cowboys had their skills put to the test aboard some of the top bucking stock in all of the Northwest.

Top saddle broncs included Bubba Holiday and Myster, while the bull riders were tested against Twilight Zone, the 2000 USRBC Bull of the Finals and Bull of the Year, and the 1999 ICA Bull of the Year, Shortfuse.

In the bareback riding competition, Kirk Giovanini from Prineville scored 76 points in Saturday’s go-round and made the score stand up to win the championship.

Ryan Beckman from Idaho Falls, Idaho, put up 74 points on Sunday to finish second, and Terrebonne rider Jarad Bain scored 72 points to finish third.

J.W. Rose from Burns had a time of 8.78 seconds in Sunday’s slack to capture the calf roping crown.

Mt. Vernon’s Ty Holly had a run of 9.27 seconds in the second go-round on Sunday to finish second, with Fruitland, Idaho’s Andy Bowden slack time of 9.78 good for third.

It took a re-ride by Neil McKay from Caldwell, Idaho, on Sunday to score 72 points and earn him a first-place tie with Kaila Mussell from Chilliwack, British Columbia, for the saddle bronc riding championship.

Mussell is the only woman in the PRCA to earn a title in saddle bronc, and she delighted the crowd pulling off her 72-point ride in the first go-round of the competition on Saturday.

Robert Shannon from Ellensburg, Wash., scored 72 points on Saturday to finish third.

Aaron Marts from Marsing, Idaho, had a time of 4.82 seconds in the slack to capture the steer wrestling title.

Clint Sieders had a time of 5.02 on Saturday which was good enough for second place, and Michael McCabe from Vale had a first go-round time of 5.16 to finish third.

Katie Myers of Winamucca, Nev., recorded a blistering time of 2.89 seconds during her slack run to come away with the breakaway roping title.

Heppner’s Lexi Matteson was clocked at 2.91 seconds on Saturday which gave her second place, and Tabatha Ragust of Woodburn was a close third at 2.99.

Veteran team ropers Tommye Fienniken Jr. from Bend and his partner Matt Davis, also from Bend, were the winners with a second go-round time of 5.45 seconds.

Chad McDaniel from Caldwell, Idaho, and John Hagler from New Plymouth, Idaho, came in second at 6.33, and Skeeter Duby and Steve Dugger, both from Nampa, Idaho, finished third in a time of 6.44.

NPRA barrel racing leader Lucy Schnabele from Prineville showed why she is the No. 1 competitor, flying around the triangular course in a time of 17.39 seconds on Sunday to claim the championship.

Katie Davis from Adrian turned in a Saturday ride of 17.59 which held up and gave her a second-place finish, and Hermiston’s Maureen Crossley rode to a third-place finish on Sunday with a time of 17.63.

Jimmy Floyd looked to be in the driver’s seat when he made the only qualified ride in Saturday’s bull riding competition to score 76 points, but the Prineville rider’s score turned out to be not quite good enough.

On Sunday, Charlie Barker climbed aboard Twilight Zone and the Redmond rider turned in an 83-point performance to claim the bull riding championship.

Ty Nussbaumer and a 77-point ride on Super Star to claim second, bumping Barker down to third.