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Top cowboys, bull riders come to Mitchell for start of Corn Palace Stampede rodeo weekend

marcus traxler, the daily republic, mitchell, s.d.
·4 min read

Jul. 13—MITCHELL — A handful of the top bull riders in the country will be on hand for the kickoff of four days of rodeo action starting Thursday, July 14 in Mitchell.

The Xtreme Bulls series will visit the Horsemen's Sports Arena on Thursday, with an estimated payout of $10,000 on the line and 35 riders expected to be in attendance for eight-second rides and a chance at high scores.

On the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Circuit, Raymond, Minnesota's Reid Oftedahl is having a strong July. He ranks No. 23 in the PRCA World Standings and No. 36 on the Xtreme Bulls. He was the second-round winner at the Calgary Stampede with a ride of 87, earning $17,000 in his pool at the Calgary Stampede. The short-go showdown is Sunday, July 17, meaning Oftedahl will likely be headed back north in search of some big winnings.

The top-ranked Xtreme rider on Thursday is expected to be No. 22 James Stratford, who hails from Byers, Kansas and is No. 9 in the PRCA world standings, putting him in line for the National Finals Rodeo chase, which takes place in December in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stratford has earned more than $12,000 in Xtreme Bulls competitions this year and was the co-champion at Rodeo Rapid City in February.

Mason Moody, of Letcher, ranks No. 49 in the Professional Bull Riders' standings on the Velocity Tour and is No. 92 overall in the world. Since turning professional last year, his best PBR finishes have included a second-place finish in October 2021 in Des Moines, Iowa and a third-place finish in Grand Rapids, Michigan in January. Also slated to compete from the region are Avon brothers Jeff Bertus and Joe Bertus and Colome's Riley Shippy. Jestyn Woodward, of Custer, is the No. 2 ranked bull rider in the Badlands Standings and a former high school state champion, will be in competition on Thursday, as well.

Woodward had a strong showing at the Black Hills Roundup earlier this month in Belle Fourche, where he scored more than $5,000, followed by a $1,481 showing at the Sitting Bull Stampede in Mobridge.

Others in the Xtreme Bulls top-50 competing on Thursday include No. 48 Blaine Beaty (Deer Creek, Minn.), No. 49 Trey Holston (Fort Scott, Kan.) and No. 50 Coy Thorson (Fergus Falls, Minn.).

While it's always been a busy weekend for rodeos around the country, the Corn Palace Stampede will have some national competition this weekend.

The inaugural NFR Open is taking place this week in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The event has a new name but it takes the place of the former National Circuit Finals Rodeo, which is the most prestigious rodeo under the PRCA Circuit System.

Previously, the National Circuit Finals Rodeo was held in the spring, most recently in Kissimmee, Florida. The new format and event has $1 million in prize money for contestants and livestock. It will be held in conjunction with the annual Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in Colorado Springs. The prize money also makes it an attractive place to compete in the chase for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The regular season ends Sept. 30 for the PRCA.

Two contestants in each event will come from the 12 U.S. Circuits, plus Canada, meaning 200 of the top circuit riders in the country will be gathering in Colorado Springs. The national circuit champions will be crowned on Saturday, July 16.

PRCA bareback riding world champion Kaycee Feild told the ProRodeo.com website why Colorado Springs will be attractive to cowboys.

"It'll be a huge opportunity after the Fourth of July weekend going to eight to 10 rodeos every day, some two a day," Field said. "To go to Colorado Springs and go to one place and be able to compete for a lot of money at one place is going to be refreshing and at the same time more motivating. ... "You can win $30,000 throughout the winter from say January to the end of March, you have several opportunities. In the summer, the checks are more like $8,000 unless you win a big average in Cheyenne (Wyo.) or Pendleton (Ore.). There are just not that many opportunities to win big money in one place."

Chance Schott, of McLaughlin, is South Dakota's only current representative in the top-50 Xtreme Bulls standings and he will be competing at the NFR Open. Badlands Circuit No. 1 bull rider Riggin Shippy, of Colome, was slated to compete at the NFR Open on Wednesday night. Shippy, ranked No. 45 in the national Xtreme Bulls standings, has earned $10,272.35 in rodeos in the Dakotas, bolstered by an 86-point ride at Mandan (N.D.) Rodeo Days in early July where he won $4,027.