Navajo Nation Fair: Arizona cowboys take early lead in bareback, bull riding events

Naa’ahóóhai | 78th Annual Navajo Nation Fair

WINDOW ROCK

The 78th Annual Navajo Nation Fair All Indian Rodeo got underway Tuesday with the slack performance in the timed events.

On Thursday night, the rough stock cowboys received their first draws at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena. A few top scores were recorded, with Tonalea, Arizona, cowboy Cauy Betony leading the bareback event while Ganado’s Marshal Tsosie took over the driver’s seat in bull riding. The cowboys in saddle bronc went 0-for-9 as the horses of Cervi Championship Rodeo produced a shutout.

The rodeo continues tonight at 7 p.m., followed by a concert by country artist Rhett Akins.

On Thursday, Betony rode Bubble Up, an ornery horse owned by Cervi Championship Rodeo, for 79 points.

“It was a little smaller horse that kind of caught me off guard, but it was good enough for me to get rolling,” Betony said. “He was really flashy, really wild. That’s what the stock contractors said he was gonna be like. That’s what he did, so I anticipated a wild ride.”

Last year, Betony won the fair’s average title and Final Four round. He’s looking to repeat as champion, but he knows he has more work to do when he gets his second horse Saturday night.

“I just take it one horse at a time,” the 27-year-old cowboy said.

Six bareback riders made their rides, with half earning scores. Dennehotso, Arizona, cowboy Matthew Tuni is currently in second place after securing a 72.5-point ride on Forgot My Coffee, while Tom Chee of Newcomb, New Mexico, registered a 59-point ride on Wine and Roses.

In bull riding, Tsosie went the distance with CCR’s Can Crusher for an 82-point ride and the rodeo’s top score. Nicolas Touchine of Greasewood, Arizona, finished six points back with a 76-point effort aboard Williams James George, a re-ride bull.

“This is my first time entering the Navajo Nation Fair in the open rodeo and I wanted to make a good ride,” said Touchine, who captured last year’s Arizona High School Rodeo Association bull riding crown.

The recent Ganado High graduate said he was grateful to get a re-ride after his initial bull, Twinky, got out of the chutes awkwardly.

“I haven’t been on a bull since nationals in Nebraska, but I had the confidence to ride,” Touchine said. “I was at the junior rodeo (on Wednesday), and I took third. I came in a little nervous, but at the same time I wanted to have some fun.”

Rock Point, Arizona, cowboy Wade Tuni also was given a re-ride option when his bull, Adams Apple, tumbled to the ground mid-ride. But the 20-year-old cowboy made a business decision to hold on to his 75-point score.

“I didn’t know nothing about him, but he’s a pretty good bull,” Tuni said. “He started out good, but he fell with me, but as long as I got a score, I wanted to keep it.”

Coming in fourth was JaCauy Hale as the Ganado bull rider scored 74 points on Native Sun.

“My bull just didn’t have his day,” Hale said. “I’ve seen videos of that bull at a pro rodeo in Evergreen, Colorado and he earned some points on him. I pictured it really going different in my head, but you just gotta ride what’s underneath you.

“Just like humans, these bulls have their days,” he added.

Hale remains in contention to make Sunday’s short round. Bull riding is the only event with a long-go and short-go. The other events have two go-rounds and a short round for a three-head aggregate.

“I haven’t won this yet, but I’ve came close for like two years,” Hale said of the Navajo Nation Fair. “I wasn’t actually gonna come here, but I entered the last minute. I have some pro rodeos to get to this weekend and I had an off day today, so I thought that since I haven’t won it yet, I might as well try.”

In the timed events, first-round winners include steer wrestler Kaden Conway at 4.69 seconds, tie-down roper Laramie Martinez at 12.85, barrel racer Tara Seaton at 16.137, breakaway roper Laurel Jones at 3.26 and team ropers Dwight Sells and Dennison Boone at 5.0.

In ladies team roping, sisters Shaelene Singer and Sherina Singer won the first go-round with an 8.63-second run. Deniel Lee and Serna Dahozy won the second go-round, finishing their run in 8.11 seconds.

Timed event first round winners

Steer wrestling

1. Kaden Conway, 4.69, $1,218.
2. Dontre Goff, 5.22, $1,008.
3. Myron Lee, 5.64, $798.
4. Samson Valentino, 5.9, $588.
5. Michael Bates, 7.2, $378.
6. Dylan Lucero, 8.18, $210.

Tie-down roping

1. Laramie Martinez, 12.85, $1,549.43.
2. Dennis Boone, 13.28, $1,282.29.
3. Nelson Charley III, 13.35, $1,015.14.
4. Sheldon Jones, 13.38, $748.
5. JW Boyd, 14.09, $480.86.
6. Gerald Daye, 14.29, $267.14.

Barrel racing

1. Tara Seaton, 16.137, $1,080.00.
2. Karsyn Yazzie, 16.171, $925.71.
3. Kyle Dodson, 16.204, $771.43.
4. Carli Jones, 16.258, $668.57.
5. Faith Jesus, 16.319, $514.29.
6. Naci Charley, 16.323, $411.43.
7. Keelyn Etsitty, 16.349, $308.57.
8. Autumn Farland, 16.397, $205.71.
9. Jannon Long, 16.416, $154.29.
10. Maysa Yazzie, 16.445, $102.86.

Team roping

1. Dwight Sells/Dennison Boone, 5.0, $1,807.14 each.
2. Shane Jodie/Jake Blackrock, 5.62, $1,571.43 each.
3. Rory Billie/Jace Smith, 5.95, $1,335.71 each.
4. Jaken Todacheenie/Trey Begay, 6.21, $1,100 each.
5. Brandon Ben/Faron Candelaria, 6.29, $864.29 each.
6. Aaron Tsinigine/Victor Begay, 6.77, $628.57 each.
7. Aaric Begay/Marcus Liston, 7.06, $392.86 each.
8. Tristan Tabaha/Wyatt Gibson, 7.26, $157.14S each.

Breakaway

1. Laurel Jones, 3.16, $1,922.14.
2. Tristen Thomas, 3.34, $1,671.43.
3. Odessa Yazzie, 3.35, $1,420.71.
4. Renae Malala, 3.4, $1,170.
5. Deniel Lee, 3.52, $919.29.
6. Jocelyn Coneisenney, 3.56, $668.57.
7. Erin Jones, 3.57, $417.86.
8. Jannon Long, 3.71, $167.14.

Ladies team roping

First go-round

1. Shaelene Singer/Sherina Singer, 8.63, $801.64 each.
2. Sheila Sells/Kim Jim, 11.01, $663.43 each.
3. Autumn Lee/Anna Marie Yazzie, 13.7, $525.61 each.
4. Savannah Joe/Mia Ben, 13.77, $387 each.
5. Debbie Robbins/Jocelyn Coneisenney, 14.09, $248.79 each.
6. Kelsey Pepion/Kay Dee Tallsalt, 14.9, $138.21 each.

Second go-round

1. Deniel Lee/Serena Dahozy, 8.11, $801.64 each.
2. Lariat Nakai/Britanya Dan, 8.53, $663.43 each.
3. Tami Bigthumb Justin/Chazley Carviso, 9.12, $525.61 each.
4. Savannah Joe/Mia Ben, 10.78, $387 each.
5. Destinee Bigman/Dustyne Yazzie, 14.04, $248.79 each.
6. Debbie Robbins/Jocelyn Coneisenney, 14.11, $138.21 each.

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