MEEKER | With three straight wins under her belt, Ripley Bellio is becoming the one to beat in the ladies breakaway event at the Meeker Summer Rodeo Series. The Craig cowgirl clocked a 4.06 on Thursday night during week three, just off her 4.04 from the previous week.
Bellio’s consistency and speed have set her apart early in the series, and her streak has made her a familiar name under the lights at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds. She wasn’t the only competitor putting up fast times — week three brought some of the toughest runs yet across multiple events.
There were no qualifying rides in steer riding Thursday night, so $155 will be added to the pot in week four on July 10.
In the open team roping event, Stetson Clawson and his teammate won with a final time of 5.32 seconds. Todd Peters and Colt Call took the win in the #8 team roping event, finishing in 15.38 seconds. Cody Edinger and Sherry Dexter won the dally ribbon roping event with a time of 16.25 seconds.
Taylor Davis, of Rifle Colorado, picked up her second win of the series in the open breakaway event with a time of 3.35 seconds. Davis previously won in week one and missed week two while competing in the Xtreme Million Dollar Barrel Race in Cedar City, Utah.
Ripley Bellio spoke about Chrome, a friend and client’s horse that she also rode in week two, and the partnership they’ve built in the arena, and what has contributed most to her consistent performance in the series.
“He’s a great horse. I haven’t been able to practice on him much — he’s mainly a team roping horse — so I’m just happy he’s letting me get by pretty good and pull a check,” said Bellio. “I just remind myself it’s just another practice pen run and I just need to go and take whatever shot presents itself.”
Bellio’s times have been remarkably consistent — 4.04 in week two and 4.06 in week three. She said staying mentally sharp and flexible is key to maintaining that speed.
“This week I just happened to get lucky,” she said. “I would have been faster, but I had to do a little loop fishing for it to go on legally, so it was pure luck. It’s pretty wild to pull the win three weeks in a row. Definitely really special. Hopefully this luck continues to hold.”
In the junior breakaway event, Rooster Velazquez earned the win with a time of 4.57 seconds. Charly Bastian won the open barrels event with a time of 17.06, and Kensley Mahaffey was the last rider in the junior barrels event, taking the win with a time of 18.56 seconds.
Like week one, the bulls got the better of the riders Thursday night. Two sections of bull riding were held, with four riders in each section, but all eight came up short. No qualified rides were recorded, and $1,000 will be added to the pot in week four.
With a short break for Range Call and Fourth of July festivities, the arena will quiet down — but not for long. Week four of the Meeker Summer Rodeo Series returns Thursday, July 10, with more on the line, added money in multiple events, and riders hungry to make their mark as the season heats up. Slack begins at 6 p.m., followed by the main performance at 7.
