A big, bad bull named Yahoo got the best of a slick, red remote-controlled car, but J.W. Harris got the best of Yahoo on Saturday night. Harris rode the yellow-haired behemoth to a score of 89, which was good enough to claim first place and a fat paycheck at the 2008 Walker County Fair and Pro Rodeo.
Harris, who hails from May, Texas, a tiny town north of Brownwood, showed some true agility and nerve as Yahoo roared out of the bucking chute. The bull spun left, then right, jumped high and got low, trying like crazy to fling Harris from his mount.
Nothing worked.
Harris stayed on top for the required eight seconds, then celebrated when he surpassed the leader after Friday’s first performance, Cameron Bland of Glen Flora. For his work, Harris earned a check worth $1,805.76. Bland won $1,368 for second and Bobby Welsh, who rode Buzz Saw to an 87 score, took home $985.
After Harris jumped off Yahoo, the bull turned his anger toward a toy car being driven by rodeo clown/barrelman Tim Lepard. Trying to outrun and frustrate the bull further, the car wasn’t quite fast enough. Yahoo stomped one of its powerful front feet on the car’s hood and ground it into the dirt.
That was just a small part of Saturday’s excitement enjoyed by a full house at the 30th annual Walker County Fair and Rodeo.
No one bettered Trevor Brazile’s average on three head in the tie-down roping. The reigning all-around world champion, Brazile posted a 24.9-second time during three runs in the rodeo’s weeklong competition. Tuf Cooper, who like Brazile is from Decatur, tied for second with Sulphur, La., cowboy Shane Hanchey. Hanchey posted an 8.9-second time Saturday, which earned him $2,003.
Brazile, who roped Friday night, claimed $2,491 for his average victory. He also pocketed $1,552 for winning the progressive go, $1,011 in the first go and $1,335 in the second go.
In steer wrestling, Casey McMillen, a Craig, Colo., cowboy, made a serious move up the leaderboard and claimed the top prize in the three-head average when he turned in a 3.9-second time Saturday. McMillen, who earned more than $5,475 for his week’s work, surpassed Hunter Cure of Holliday, Texas, with Saturday’s super-quick run.
Red Lemmel, who made his way to Texas from his home in Faith, S.D., had the top ride in the saddle bronc competition Saturday. Lemmel rode a horse called Amarillo to a score of 81, which was good enough for second place and a payday of $1,111.50.
“That was a nice little horse that’s always good,” said Lemmel, who has been riding saddle bronc horses professionally since 1985. “It circles around about right and gets more jam.”
Gets more jam? Lemmel, 44, said that means the horse likes to jump.
“It gets up underneath itself and gets more air,” he explained. “That 81 is a good score. It’s good enough for second, and that’ll work. I won this rodeo last year, but I’ll take second.”
Rowdy Rathmell of Wills Point won the saddle bronc riding with the 85 score he posted Friday. That was worth $1,467.
Another rodeo veteran won the barrel racing title and the $1,715 prize that comes with first place. Mary Burger, a 59-year-old cowgirl from Pauls Valley, Okla., rode her horse, “Fred,” into the arena, around the cloverleaf and back past the timer in 17.88 seconds. With her run, Burger overtook Layna Kight of Ocala, Fla., in first place.
“That felt really good,” said Burger, the 2006 world champ. “My horse really hustled. It tried to turn and run and work.”
For her work, Burger cashed a check for $1,715.
Team ropers Chance Kelton and Boogie Ray turned in a 4.9-second time Saturday, which placed them first in the progressive go. Cody Odell and Dee Rampy won the team roping average with their 17.0-second time on three head. Kevin Stewart and Clay O’Brien Cooper placed second in the average.
Finally, in the Walker County team roping competition, Terry Winfrey and Tim Fryar won the first-place saddle for their total on four head-time of 36.52 seconds. Danny McGlothern and Cody Thornton took first in the short go with their time of 7.2 seconds.
Sports
Harris posts an 89 to take top bull riding honors at Walker Country Rodeo
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OUTGUNNED: First-place Mavericks shoot down Sam Houston, run winning streak to 14
Texas-Arlington had an answer for every Sam Houston run Wednesday night on the way to a 75-63 victory over the Bearkats. It was the Mavericks’ 14th consecutive win and improved their Southland Conference record to 10-0.
The last team to start league action with such perfection was Sam Houston in 2010, a team which won the conference’s regular season as well as the postseason tournament championship. -
Championship salute
The Southland Conference champs from Sam Houston State received special recognition on Wednesday night for the most successful football season in school history.
Huntsville Mayor Mac Woodward, SHSU President Dana Gibson and Walker County Judge Danny Pierce were among those who honored the Bearkats during halftime of the Bearkats’ basketball game against Texas-Arlington.
Woodward declared Feb. 8 Bearkat Pride Day. -
Bearkat women win again, 61-45
Britni Martin scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead Sam Houston State to a 61-45 Southland Conference women’s basketball victory over UT-Arlington on Wednesday at the new UTA College Park Center in Arlington.
All four of Martin’s field goals were 3-pointers and the junior forward from Conroe went 6-of-6 from the foul line to post her 17th double-figure scoring performance of the season. -
Alive and kicking
For the third consecutive game, the Hornets played like a team that does not want basketball season to end anytime soon.
Desperate to notch another victory over Willis, the Huntsville boys jumped on the Wildkats early. The Hornets used their muscle and started pulling away in the second half, then when Willis made a late rally, Huntsville’s hungry bunch had enough energy left to hold off the Wildkats in a wild 76-63 victory at the Paul Bohan Hornet Gym. -
Lady Hornets roll through district undefeated again
The Lady Hornets did it again. For the second consecutive season, the Huntsville girls basketball team rolled through District 18-4A play without a loss.
On Tuesday night in Willis, the Lady Hornets closed out another perfect 14-0 district campaign with an 86-33 win over the LadyKats. -
New Waverly seniors close out regular season in style
In their final game of the regular season, the Lady Bulldogs just enjoyed themselves in a 60-46 win over Anderson-Shiro.
This was a team New Waverly beat on the road earlier in the season and a win in “Bulldog Country” would be the appropriate way to send out seniors Myeisha Williams, Morgan Eastland, Whitney McCullough and Alex Abbott. -
Streak stoppers?
The hottest team in the Southland Conference visits Johnson Coliseum tonight, riding a 13-game winning streak and sporting a perfect 9-0 league record.
Sam Houston State has a difficult task on its hands facing Texas-Arlington, a team which had its way with the Bearkats on Jan. 11 at Texas Hall. The Mavericks rolled to a 66-40 that night in what was Sam Houston’s worst loss in conference action all season. -
Bearkats to hold celebration befitting a championship team
A championship celebration unlike any in Bearkat history will take place tonight at Johnson Coliseum as part of the festivities for the Bearkats’ basketball game against Texas-Arlingon.
Walker County, the city of Huntsville and university officials will join with SHSU alumni, students, faculty-staff and fans in saluting the 2011 Southland Conference champion and NCAA Division I football national finalist Bearkat football team. -
Big week ahead for Bulldogs, Lady Bulldogs
To say that this is an important week for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs basketball team would be a big understatement. With the regular season winding down, much is at stake for the New Waverly boys and girls.
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Bulldog lifters gain experience at Shepherd meet
Looking back on his lifters’ performance at last Saturday’s meet in Shepherd, New Waverly powerlifting coach Mike Carolan lauded his team’s efforts. Senior Tucker Saxton won the 220-pound classification and freshman Dillon Silvis took fifth in the 114-pound division.
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