Highway 160 Bull Riding Extreme: Justin Granger, Wyatt Nez take advantage of second draw for 1-2 finish

RARE METALS, Ariz.

Of the 24 bull riders that rode on Saturday night, Justin Granger and Wyatt Nez sought redemption after failing to cover their first bull at the Highway 160 Bull Riding Extreme.

With the event set for 30 bull riders, the organizers sought six more entries to fulfill its slots for the bull team competition as 10 local stock contractors pitted their three best bovines against the bull riders.

The two Arizona cowboys took advantage of their second draw as they finished 1-2 at the one-night bull riding at the Tallsalt/Granger Arena in Rare Metals.

Granger won first with an 84-point ride aboard Lil Red, a Windy Valley Bucking Bulls product and pocketed the top prize of $1,900. Nez, meanwhile, posted a second-place score of 83.5 points on Tuki Wolf, which is owned by 7$T Farland Bucking Bulls stock contractor.

“The first bull really upset me because he was a good bull and he rode into my hand,” Granger said of Riddle Box, which is owned by Watch Me Bucking Bulls. “I’ve seen him quite a bit and I should have ridden him, so I had to redeem myself on the second one.

“The stock contractor told me (Lil Red) was really good, and sure enough he jumped out and he went into my hand,” the 34-year-old bull rider added. “I was like, ‘Let’s go.’ He put me in the right position, so it felt good.”

The triumph on Saturday night was Granger’s second title at said event as his last win came in 2009 at the ripe age of 19-years-old.

“I’ve missed this event a few times, but Highway 160 is one event that you want to put underneath your belt,” said Granger, who added that he was under pressure to win this year’s event.

“My youngest boy here says dad you better win that buckle because I want to wear it,” Granger said of his 8-year-old son Jesse. “I was like OK, and sure enough I get to walk home with this.”

After coming up short on Key Ranch bull Slim Shady in his first attempt, Nez made the right moves to get Tuki Wolf ridden in the last section of the bull riding event.

“I really tried on the first bull, and I really tried on the second one,” said the Flagstaff bull rider. “I didn’t try to switch anything if that makes sense. I just tried to do everything just the same.”

On Slim Shady, Nez said he put himself out of position to make a qualified ride on the Key Ranch bull.

“He’s a really good bull, but I got a little behind on him just because of the fact that I stopped moving on him,” he said. “I need to keep moving and I kind of quick for a second and he made me pay for it.”

As for Tuki Wolf, Nez said he kept things simple.

“He bucked good, and I tried to not think too much, and it worked out good,” he said. “I just let my body react to him.”

With his efforts, Nez walked away with $1,425.

Third-place finisher Trent Harrison of Dennehotso, Arizona, collected $950 as he rode K/C Bucking Bulls Thunderheart for 80 points.

“He was a good bull, and he came around to the right,” said the 19-year-old Harrison said. “He was pretty hard to ride. He kept dropping me to the inside, and I had to keep working to get myself out. It just feels to get him ridden.”

With a 70-point ride, Sweetwater, Arizona bull rider Mathias Chico placed fourth as he rode TQs Paint Job, a 4B Bucking Bulls. Chico was paid $475.

In a much closer race, the bull team competition was decided by .75 points among the top three teams. Rockin KT Bulls tallied 251.75 points for first place while 7$T Farland Buckers finished with 251.50 points and third-place finisher Wacey Jones Bucking Bulls scored 251.

In the junior bulls, Rashad Ramone won first with a 77-point ride as he bested Sonny Dentso by 10 points for the title. In the steer riding, Kaysen Brown emerged as the winner with a 73-point ride ahead of Kanin Hollowhorn (67) and Kellen Yellowhair (66).

The wooly riding was won by Sage Elridge as he finished with a 53-point score. Maddison Yazzie came in second at 52 points followed by Sage Bruce’s 51-point score.

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