Momentum carries over for Crownpoint cowboy

CHINLE – With recent wins in Idaho and South Dakota, Matt Jodie capitalized on his good fortunate to claim the men’s all-around title at the 38th Annual Central Agency Fair Open Show Rodeo on Sunday.

Jodie won the steer wrestling event, and he placed second in the tie-down roping as he was the only cowboy to win money in two events.

The women’s all-around crown went to Naci Charley, who earned a fourth-place finishes in the ladies barrel racing and breakaway roping.

“I had some good momentum coming into this fair,” Jodie said.

The Crownpoint cowboy posted a 6.0 run in the steer wrestling, which was nearly 12 seconds faster than the 17.51 run turned in by Brandon Lynch.

“I had a good steer,” Jodie said. “I drew that same steer in Page, and I was a six-flat on him, too.”

In the tie-down roping, the all-around champion finished second to event winner Roy Begay. Begay, who drove in from the Crow Fair Tour Rodeo in Montana, turned in a 13.03 run while Jodie tied his calf in 15.77 seconds.

“I had a chance to win the rodeo at Crow, so I had to redeem myself today,” Begay said. “Oh man, I needed to do something because I spent a lot of money over the weekend.

“I knew my calf and that sucker ran,” he added of his draw on Sunday in Chinle. “I got him rope and I just needed to be smooth, but the calf ran hard.”

Bareback champion Michael Peters collected his first win after picking up the sport 18 months ago.

“Hard work pays off,” said Peters, who is a regular in the bull riding event. “I had to work for this, and I finally got it.”

The Standing Rock, N.M., cowboy posted a 72-point ride aboard Charlie Brown on Saturday afternoon as he finished ahead of Ryan Bitsui, who posted a 61-point ride.

“The horse I drew was pretty good,” Peters said. “The stock contractor said he’s going to get after it, so I had to do my part. He’s a really nice horse.”

After completing his ride, though, Peters got on the wrong side of horse as his riding hand was still stuck in his riggin.

“I’ve got hung up before,” Peters said. “You just have to stay calm and stay on your feet as much as you can. You have to keep moving with the horse.”

Bitsui rode his draw on Sunday as he went the distance with Voodoo Doll for a 61-point score.

“He was pretty good,” Bitsui said. “He was pretty nice and straight. The first hop was good and after that it was kind of like long. He was kind of like diving and horses like that you have to fight with them.”

The saddle bronc crown went to Didajo Begay as he scored a 74-point score, beating out second- and third-place finishers Lorenzo Benally (69) and Leegene Barlow (68).

In the bull riding, hometown cowboy Robbie Taylor Jr., won the event with an 82-point ride aboard Texas Two Step, a Kyle Charley Ranch product.

“Those guys in the back were talking him up because nobody had rode him yet,” Taylor said of his draw. “He didn’t look too bad. I wish he was a little bigger, but it all worked out.

“I had some trouble this week in Wyoming, so it felt good to get one rode,” he added.

Erin Jones was another hometown contestant that fared well on Sunday as she captured the ladies barrel racing event with a 17.758 run. She beat out three other cowgirls with Taylor Rae Tsosie (18.344) taking second followed by Chastity Lee (18.352) and women’s all-around champ Naci Charley (18.621).

“I kind of expected this because she’s been running a lot of 17s,” Jones said of her horse, Haley. “I’ve had her for a couple of years and she’s coming out great. We just have to tweak our first barrel because she kind of overshoots it, so I have to really control her and slow her down.”

In the breakaway roping, Kadin Jodie won her first Central Agency Fair Open Show Rodeo with a 2.97 run with Ganado cowgirl Taniah Nez coming in a close second at 3.29 seconds.

Kadin completed that feat using a different mount as her breakaway horse, Piggy, was used in the tie-down roping twice for her older brother, Matt, and cousin.

“I practice off that horse at home, and he worked really good,” Kadin said. “He’s still a little scared to go through the barrier but I practiced on him a couple of times before he went.”

Kadin mentioned that she had an outstanding draw to come out on top.

“I had a good calf; he was slower than the others,” she said. “And I just made a good run on him.”

The roping combo of Bill Dahozy and Doyle Lee topped the open team roping field with a 6.75 run. They finished ahead of the Wes Dayzie/Troy Begay duo as that team turned in a 6.79.

With a run of 7.05, Marwin Tsosie and Korey Yazzie placed third while Leevy Williams and OJ Williams took fourth with a 7.61 run.

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