Arena records shattered and champions emerge! Discover the electrifying performances and back-to-back wins that defined Round 3.
Last night’s performance of Round 3 of the International Finals Rodeo saw the competition getting even fiercer and times even faster as contestants gave it their all with the finish line in sight. Arena records were set, repeat winners maintained their place on the board, and newcomers stepped up to show out.
A South Carolina brother and sister team had an especially big night in the calf roping, with Kolby Whitesell winning the breakaway roping round with a 2.2 second run. Her brother, Cynch Whitesell, had an 8.4 second run in the tie-down roping which was a tie for winning the round with Chism Goodrich. Both young men had stellar runs that stopped the clock at exactly 8.4 seconds. Kolby had just won the round the night before with a 2.1 second run in the breakaway, and Cynch won the tie-down roping the very first night of the rodeo with an 8.4 second run in round 1.
Bull rider Elijah Jennings of Marietta, Georgia, carried on his momentum as well, winning the round with an 85.25 point ride after just winning the round the previous night.
Another big moment came when 56-year-old Troy Orr of Lebanon, TN, shattered yesterday’s new steer wrestling arena record that was set on January 16 by Trey Lloyd. Trey Lloyd had a 3.5 second run but Troy came out with a 3.4 second run for a new Lazy E Arena IFR record, leaving the previous record standing for less than 24 hours.
Former world champion Tanner Phipps took the win in the bareback riding with an 82.5 point ride and Jack Smithson won the saddle bronc round with a 81.75 point ride. Both Phipps and Smithson were leaders in the world standings coming into this year’s rodeo, but this is the first round each of them have won out of the first three rounds.
In the team roping, Casey Hicks and Jake Pianalto stretched the steer out clean and won with a 5.4 second run, showcasing solid team work and horse work.
To finish out the night, the well dressed and talented ladies of the barrel racing brought strong runs to the arena, and the crowd saw a young standout from Decatur, Tennessee, win the round. Josie Thompson claimed this win with a 16.133 second run. In addition to her prowess on the barrel pattern, Josie is a breakaway roper as well.
The final round is today, Sunday, January 18, at 2 p.m. CST. Known as Championship Sunday, this is the day that will declare the all-around winners. Following this performance the world champions for each event will be crowned and it appears as though there will likely be some first timers receiving this title. In addition to these awards, the new IPRA Miss Rodeo USA will also be named. There’s plenty to celebrate so stay tuned, and consider viewing all of the action on the NextGen Rodeo App where the performance will be livestreamed if you’re unable to attend in person.