The Fort Hays State University rodeo team added another cowboy to the regional standings last weekend at the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rodeo, Nov. 4-6, in Alva, Okla.
Jordan Sammons, sophomore, is now 13th in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Central Plains regional standings in bull riding.
Sammons finished the weekend in fifth place out of 56 bull riders. Although he didn’t cover his short-go bull, he placed second in the long-go with an 80-point ride. Only three cowboys made 8 seconds on both of their bulls, so Sammon’s one qualified ride was still enough to place him in the average.
Sammons said he was happy when he found out what bull he drew in the long-go.
“He was a good spinner, just right there around to the left,” Sammons said. “I had been on him twice, and he had bucked me off, so I knew he was good.”
He said his second bull started out much like his first.
“He spun right there in the gate to the left, and I had a good seat for about five seconds. He just weakened, and I made too big of moves and welled myself.”
With Alva’s rodeo being the last of the fall and with six rodeos still left in the spring, Sammons finished the fall on a positive note and still has a chance to accumulate enough points to qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo.
“This gives me a good and positive outlook,” he said. “I got some points, and I just need to keep riding good in the spring so I can have a chance to make the CNFR. There are a lot of rodeos and a lot of points left.”
Fort Hays had two team members just one spot shy of making the short-go, which takes the top 10.
Out of the four rodeos this season, this was freshman Samantha Tenpennyís third that she has been in 11th place in goat tying.
She said one of the big reasons she hasn’t been able to get into the top 10 is due to the goats she has drawn. In rodeo, animals are randomly drawn for contestants to compete on.
“I haven’t drawn well at all, so I’ve been making good runs on bad goats,” Tenpenny said. “I guess I need to go to art school and practice drawing.”
Tenpenny noted the adrenaline of getting off her horse in goat tying as her favorite part of the sport.
“You never know if you’re going to face plant or not.”
The other member in 11th place was senior Adam Stegman in team roping.
Stegman and his partner, Monte Snider from Dodge City Community College, were just 0.2 seconds out of the short-go with their time of 7.8 seconds.
“I was happy that I caught but disappointed about not making it back,” Stegman said.
Two cowgirls held their own in the breakaway roping with solid runs, but they just weren’t quick enough to get into the top 10 out of 125 breakaway ropers. Senior Jennifer Sherman had a time of 3.7 seconds and senior Nikki Brobst, 6.3.
FHSU’s other regionally-ranked cowboy, senior Cody Pratt, is still fourth in the standings in steer wrestling.
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