New records shattered and thrilling rides electrified the arena. Round 2 saw cowboys and cowgirls push limits, proving their mettle as the IFR competition intensifies.
It’s IFR week in Oklahoma and the competition is only getting tougher as the finals progresses. After adjusting in Round 1, the cowboys and cowgirls brought their A-game in Round 2 on Friday night.
The bareback horses thrashed and flailed with the grace only a bucking horse can exhibit. Cowboy Bryan Rouillier was able to match them move for move and earn an 82 point ride, moving him into first place and leading to his round win.
When it came time to toss steers, the horses took off like rockets, and the top four on the leaderboard were all a second faster than the top four from round 1. Trey Lloyd stopped the clock the quickest with a 3.5 second run. This run set a new arena record for the Lazy E Arena, with the previous record set several years ago at IFR 54 by David Reagor Jr. with a 3.7 second run.
The team ropers kept up the pace with Brady Schmidt and Josh Clayton nailing a 4.9 second run with clean, quick catches right outside the gate.
The saddle broncs brought the bucking, and it wound up being a special night for North Carolina cowboy Colt Bass who had a nice 80 point ride. Colt is not that far out from a deadly accident–literally. While competing at a rodeo, this young cowboy was thrown and coded in the arena and then again in the ambulance before being revived at the hospital and released. His perseverance shows as he went right back to it, not letting fear or memories of that scare overpower him, and is now reaping the success of his focus and hard work. His fellow cowboy Timothy Troyer took home the round win with another stellar ride that scored 81 points.
In the tie-down roping Georgia cowboy Zack Cargle made a fabulous 7.7 second run that secured him the round win. When the cowgirls came out to rope, Kolby Whitesell showed everyone how it’s done with a 2.1 second run that was even faster than the previous night’s winning run.
The barrel racing ladies had a wear pink night as part of their ongoing fashion competition, and their colorful outfits brightened the arena as they turned barrels and sped home. Payton Askins claimed the round with a 16.049 second run.
To finish out the nights the cowboys of the bull riding raised the energy, and rookie Elijah Jennings became the round champion with a 83.25 point ride.
With faster times than the previous evening and new arena records, the contestants in this year's IFR only keep improving. There’s much to look forward to in the remaining two rounds as we see who is crowned world champion of each event.
Tune in at 7:30 central time tonight, Saturday, January 17, on the NextGen Rodeo app to livestream the performance and decide for yourself who will come out on top. Like any good rodeo, it could be anyone’s moment.