MEEKER | The Meeker Summer Rodeo Series kicked off last Thursday with slack beginning at 6 p.m. and the rodeo starting at 7 p.m. With no steer riders scheduled, the night opened with the open team roping event.
Meeker local Kash Atwood and teammate Kole Roberts came away with the win in that event. Following the open team roping, the next event on the schedule was the dally ribbon roping, where Clayton Rossi and teammate David Gonzales claimed the win.
In the open breakaway event, Taylor Davis of Rifle, Colorado, captured the top spot. Davis shared her thoughts on winning the first week of the summer series and her goals for the rest of the rodeo season.
“Coming out with a win is always fun. The ultimate goal is to always go out and do my best. I’m always thankful for every single run I get to make,” Davis said. “My goals for the summer rodeo series are just to go out and do the best I can on every run. I’m also trying to work on my younger horses and get them the experience they need, and this rodeo is perfect for that.”
Davis competed on a horse she calls Batman, her current head horse. She explained that Batman doesn’t have much breakaway experience, so she was especially impressed with how he performed that evening.
“My good horse had gotten hurt and needed to be put down about two months ago, so this was actually a really special run for me. It was my first run back since. I think Batman really stepped up and he exceeded my expectations,” she said.
In the ladies breakaway event, Ripley Bellio took home the win. Bellio described her run, what made it a winning effort, and shared details about the horse she rode that night.
“Breakaway is such a fast event that I knew I had to take the first shot that presented itself, but also knew I needed to just get one caught and see how I would end up,” Bellio said. “The mare I was riding was one of our older seasoned horses named Lisa who has been there and done that. She always gives me the best opportunities to win. She’s the best partner you could have when looking for a horse to compete on.”
As for what the win meant at this point in the season, Bellio said it’s always nice to start with a win and build confidence and momentum for the rest of the summer.
“We are incredibly grateful for everyone that helps put that rodeo on. It’s always such a blast and a great rodeo to haul to,” she said.
In the junior breakaway event, Whitt Watson came away with the win. In the open barrels event, Ashley Keeling claimed first place, while Landree Tate topped the junior barrels division. The evening also featured one mutton buster, with Cash Kreider earning the win in that event.
Week two of the Meeker Summer Rodeo Series will take place this Thursday at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds. Slack begins at 6 p.m., with the main performance starting at 7 p.m. Good luck to all the competitors.
