North Platte, Neb. (June 16, 2023) – The spell over the bull riding at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo was cast out on Friday night.
After two performances of no bull riders making a qualified ride, one bull rider made the eight-second buzzer on Friday night.
Jeff Bertus, Avon, S.D. bested the bull A67 Bracket Buster for 72 points, taking the lead in his event, and the solitary score after three nights of rodeo.
Bertus, age 31, had done a bit of research on the bull and knew he had to pay attention to the job at hand.
“I just try to keep it simple,” he said, “try to take care of business. All you can control is riding your bull. Focus on that, and the rest will take care of itself.”
He realizes there’s one more night of rodeo and he may not be in the lead after Saturday night, but he’s probably going to win a check.
Winning “definitely keeps you going. It gives you confidence going down the road.”
He and traveling partner Wade Berg, who bucked off his bull, are headed to Newtown, N.D. for a rodeo on Saturday. They’ll drive partway, and either get a hotel room or sleep a few hours in the van.
Bertus has won the Badlands Circuit year-end title four times and the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo five times.
Tie-down roper Cash Fuesz nearly didn’t come to the Buffalo Bill Rodeo to compete on Friday, but he’s sure glad he did.
The Eureka, Kan. cowboy had a time of 7.8 seconds to tie for the lead with Shad Mayfield, in the second round.
He just returned from ten days in Israel visiting religious sites, and because of the trip, didn’t compete in the first round of roping.
A friend asked him to go along on the trip with twenty other college students, and Fuesz and his girlfriend enjoyed the trip.
“It was amazing,” he said. “It was incredible.”
While in Israel, Fuesz got a sinus infection but couldn’t get prescriptions for it.
“I got a sinus infection really bad about day six,” he said. “I wasn’t even sure I was going to be well enough to drive up here, so I’m happy I got to come up.”
His flight home arrived in Dallas yesterday, then he drove to pick up his horses from a friend’s house. This morning, he drove home to Eureka, got a doctor’s appointment, then made the rest of the trip to North Platte.
Because he didn’t have a time in the first round, due to not competing, he won’t win the average title (the fastest time on two runs), and isn’t eligible for the 2023 title. But the lead in the second round is good.
Fuesz wasn’t tired after competing, but he knows he will be.
“Right now I’m pretty good, but in about thirty minutes, I’ll be pretty tired,” he said. He’ll stay in North Platte tonight, then make his way to Greeley, Colo., to rope on June 20.
This was Fuesz’ first time to compete in North Platte. He is a student at Weatherford (Texas) College, majoring in ag economics.
Other fast times and high scores from the Friday evening performance include bareback rider Spencer Denaeyer, Seneca, Neb. (76.5 points);
Sailors from the USS Nebraska submarine were on hand to greet the crowd. The annual tradition of inviting members of the submarine, stationed on the West Coast, continues; they will stay for several days of NebraskalandDays activities.
The fourth and final night of the of action at the Buffalo Bill rodeo takes place Saturday, June 17 starting at 8 pm. NebraskalandDays activities continue through June 24.
Results, 3rd performance, June 16, 2023
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo
Bareback riding
1. Spencer Denaeyer, Seneca, Neb. 76.5 points;
No other qualified rides
Steer wrestling
1. Tyler Scheevel, Lester Prairie, Minn. 4.7 seconds;
2. Cyler Dowling, Newell, S.D. 4.9;
3. Trisyn Kalawaia, Hilo, Hawaii 6.2;
4. Reed Kraeger, Waco, Neb. 6.5
Tie-down roping
1. Cash Fuesz, Eureka, Kan. 7.8 seconds;
2. Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb. 9.6;
3. Hayden Ford, Whitehouse, Texas 12.1;
4. Grant Turek, St. Paul, Neb. 12.5.
Saddle bronc riding
1. Lefty Holman, Visalia, Calif. 86 points on 35 Flying Solo;
2. Garrett Uptain, Craig, Colo. 74.5;
No other qualified rides.
Breakaway roping
1. Chenoa Vandestouwe, Weatherford, Okla. 2.9 seconds;
2. Rickie Engesser, Spearfish, S.D. 3.9;
3. Cassidy Weber, Weatherford, Texas 5.7;
4. Laramie Bain, Overbrook, Okla. 6.2.
Team roping
1. Jake Orman, Prairie, Miss./Corey Hendrick, Bedias, Texas 5.3 seconds;
2. Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn./Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo. 11.4;
3. Blair Lammers, Hartford, S.D./Clayton Symons, Mitchelle, Neb. 12.5;
No other qualified runs.
1. Emily Beisel, Weatherford, Okla. 17.56 seconds;
2. Ali Armstrong, Lexington, Okla. 17.99;
3. Emily Griffin, St. George, Kan. 18.11;
4. Patty Finney, Ainsworth, Neb. 18.13.
Bull riding
1. Jeff Bertus, Avon, S.D. 72 points on A67 Bracket Buster
No other qualified rides.
** All results are unofficial.