SPRINGDALE -- Rodeos aren't just for country folks.
City boys like to ride, too.
73rd Rodeo of the Ozarks
Overall Results
BAREBACK RIDING
NAME^SCORE
Tim O’Connell^3,955
Bill Tutor^3,032
Clayton Biglow^2,341
Tanner Phipps^1,010
Steve Peebles^1,010
STEER WRESTLING
KC Jones^2,571
Blake Mindemann^2,235
Riley Duvall^1,800
Cody Harmon^1,397
Clayton Haas^1,397
TEAM ROPING
Ward/Ward^1,579
Thompson-Berryhille/Heflin^1,184
Turner/DeShazo^789
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Curtis Garton^3,668
Jacobs Crawley^2,810
Kobyn Williams^2,077
Roper Kiesner^1,099
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Marty Yates^4,572
Sterling Smith^4,090
Cole Wilson^3,368
Ace Stone^3,368
Hunter Herrin^2,647
BARREL RACING
Stevie Hillman^3,656
Kassie Mowry^2,925
Lacinda Rose^2,376
Ivy Hurst^1,645
Jackie Ganter^1,645
BULL RIDING
Joseph McConnell^4,671
Markus Mariluch^3,730
Trey Benton III^2,923
Joseph Ramagos^2,117
Cody Mounts of Pine Bluff was among a handful of cowboys from Arkansas competing before a large crowd on the final night of the 73rd Rodeo of the Ozarks at Parsons Stadium. While most rodeo participants are from rural areas, Mounts is a 2008 graduate of Watson Chapel High School and he works in the street department for the City of Pine Bluff.
Mounts has plenty of experience on the rodeo circuit. But he was bucked off early Saturday and his entries will be limited this year because of a new addition to his family.
"I'm getting used to being a daddy," said Mounts, who is a new father to Aubrey Lynn, who is a month old. "I'm going home and I'll be back at work on Monday."
Mounts played youth league football in Pine Bluff before deciding to focus on rodeo. It was an easy decision considering his father, Charles Mounts, was a bareback rider for over two decades.
"My dad rode bareback horses for over 20 years and carried me all over the country," Mounts said. "So, it was kind of born into me, I guess."
Bravery, brawn, and beauty were on display Saturday night, when Molly Musick of Ozark was crowned Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks for 2017 at Parsons Stadium.The top stock fared well this year, especially in bull riding, where there were only four qualifying rides. But there was plenty of excitement in barrel racing where Savannah Pearson of nearby Summers scored 17.72 seconds for the second-fastest time on the night.
Saturday's fireworks concluded the 73rd Rodeo of the Ozarks, which was held before the July 4th holiday for the second consecutive year. The move proved beneficial with top cowboys and cowgirls stopping in Springdale before continuing west to participate in rodeos during a busy period called "Cowboy Christmas."
The grandstand was full of rodeo fans on the west side and most of the bleachers seats on the east side were filled on the final day of the four-day event. Rodeo of the Ozarks President Texas Holt said over $103,000 dollars in ticket sales were collected this year compared to $93,000 in ticket sales last season.
"This crowd is awesome," Holt said. "I think this is a win-win situation by backing it off on the 4th, because people like to do other things, like going to the lake. We've had four nights of perfect rodeo and the weather has been unbelievable. We are very happy."
Sports on 06/25/2017