Story by Ruth Nicolaus, photo by Don Christner
North Platte, Neb. (June 17, 2021) – A Nebraska cowboy is on fire, and the Buffalo Bill Rodeo on Thursday night fanned the flames.
Garrett Shadbolt, Merriman, scored 90 points in his bareback ride during the second night of the North Platte rodeo to take the lead.
He broke the old arena record of 89 points, set by Austin Foss in 2019 and tied by Tilden Hooper in 2020.
He’s ranked sixth in the world standings, the highest he’s ever been and he’s on a hot lick.
At the last four rodeos, he’s scored 87 or higher: 89 points in Weatherford, Texas; 88 in Coleman, Texas, 87 in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and then 90 in North Platte.
Shadbolt, who is 25 years old, nearly didn’t make the buzzer.
He was using an old rigging, after a horse broke his equipment the other day.
The rigging he used in North Platte was an old one he had quit using after a 90-point ride in San Angelo, Texas in April.
Needing something for North Platte, he broke out the retired one, which nearly gave way in the last few seconds of his ride.
He was on the Beutler and Son horse Bar Talk. “That horse felt crazy good,” Shadbolt said. “He came out of the chute big and strong, and after two jumps, he made a shoulder roll and switched leads to the right.
“My rigging was on its last legs, and my hand started pulling through. It was the last jump, and I crammed myself into a small corner, to keep my hand in and get the last jump in.”
A few seconds earlier, and he’d have been bucked off.
“It was really close, the last two jumps,” he said. “That horse was all there, let me tell you.”
He’s drawn well the last few weeks. “Every time I’ve gone to a rodeo I’ve had the best horse next to my name. I’m getting the right horses (to ride) but I think I’m making the most of them, too.”
It’s pedal to the metal for the next few months for Shadbolt as he chases a berth at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, where PRCA world championships are determined.
The rodeo season ends Sept. 30, and the top fifteen in each event at that point qualify for the Wrangler NFR.
Shadbolt will travel hard, rodeoing at as many events as he can get to, as the pace of the rodeo season quickens.
He is the fifth generation of his family to ranch near Merriman; his dad was a bareback rider in his youth at regional rodeos.
In the breakaway roping, a Texas cowgirl took the lead during the second night of rodeo.
Shelby Boisjoli, Stephenville, Texas, had a time of 2.4 seconds to be two-tenths of a second faster than Emma Charleston.
The Alberta, Canada native is fourth in the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association standings and was aboard her six-year-old mare, Onna, one she trained herself.
This year is the first time for the mare to compete at big rodeos, and she’s doing well. “She’s handling it really well for me. I’ve won all my money on her. She makes it super easy and I really owe all my success to her.”
Breakaway roping is a new event for PRCA rodeos; the Buffalo Bill Rodeo added the women’s event two years ago. Last year was the first year the PRCA hosted a women’s breakaway roping championship, the National Finals Breakaway Roping. The 2020 world champion is Jackie Crawford, Stephenville, Texas.
Other leaders after the day’s slack and the evening’s competition include steer wrestler Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D. (3.9 seconds); tie-down roper JD McCuistion, Collinsville, Texas (8.0 seconds); saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La. (86); team ropers Brent and Tanner McInerney, Alzada, Mont. (5.4); barrel racer Maggie Poloncic, Gillette, Wyo. (17.51) and bull rider Connor Murnion, Jordan, Mont. (83).
The third night of action at the Buffalo Bill rodeo takes place Friday, June 18 starting at 8 pm. The rodeo can be found on the Cowboy Channel app and on local radio station KODY 1240 AM.
Results, 1st Performance and slack, June 16, 2021
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo
Bareback riding
1. Garrett Shadbolt, Merriman, Ne. 90 points (new arena record- old record was 89).
2. Jamie Howlett, Wasta, S.D. 84.5;
3. Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D. 80.5;
4. Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, N.D. 75
Steer wrestling
1. Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D. 3.9 seconds
2. Colt Honey, La Junta, Colo. 5.7;
3. Adam Musil, Crescent, Okla. 6.7;
4. Shawn Musil, Cresecent, Okla. 8.4
Tie-down roping
1. JD McCuistion, Collinsville, Texas 8.0 seconds;
2. Cody Darnell, Gordon, Neb. 8.3;
3. Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas 8.4;
4. (tie) Zack Jongbloed, Iowa, La., Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla. and Blair Burk, Durant, Okla.. 8.5 each.
Saddle bronc riding
1. Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La. 86 points
2. (tie) Wyatt Hageman, Jay Em, Wyo. and Ryder Wright, Beaver, Utah 80 points each
4 Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah 74
Breakaway roping
1. Shelby Boisjoli, Stephenville, Texas 2.4 seconds
2. Sawyer Gilbert, Buffalo, S.D. 2.8 seconds;
3. (tie) Peggy Garman, Sundance, Wyo. and Katie Mundorf, Mullen, Neb. 2.9 each.
Team roping
1. Brent McInerney, Alzada, MT/Tanner McInerney, Alzada, MT 5.4 seconds;
2. JB James, Jr, Bennett, Colo./Brock Hanson, Bennett, Colo. 5.5;
3. Jade Schmidt, Box Elder, S.D./Jade Nelson, Midland, S.D. 6.1;
4. Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, TX 7.2
Barrel racing
1. Maggie Poloncic, Gillette, Wyo. 17.51 seconds;
2. Ellie Bard, Sheridan, Wyo. 17.90;
3. (tie) Patty Finney, Ainsworth, Neb. and Ryleigh Hauer, Eaton, Colo. 18.13 each.
Bull riding
1. Connor Murnion, Jordan, Mont. 83 points; no other qualified rides.
** All results are unofficial.