Oistin Charleston continues upward trajectory, wins crown at INFR event

WIDE RUINS, Ariz.

One thing remains certain for Oistin Charleston: he’s getting better and better.

The Pinedale, N.M., saddle bronc rider is continuing to make strides after recovering from a litany of injuries he sustained over a three-year period.

As previously reported by the Times, Charleston tore his PCL in knee, fractured his neck, broke his foot and tore his rotator cuff. And while those injuries may have impede his rodeo ambitions, the 21-year-old picked up his biggest win this season when he was crowned champion at the Lane J. Silversmith Memorial INFR Stand Alone Event in Wide Ruins, Arizona.

“This means so much to me because the Silversmith family that put this on are family,” Charleston said. “They asked if I was coming out and stayed true to my word and I came to ride.

“You know, Lane is part of my family and I tried to give a big smile up there,” he added.

Charleston took home the top prize of $2,126.28 with the 82-point ride he scored on Foxy, a Triangle Rodeo Company equine.

“I didn’t know anything about him, so I went around asking about him,” Charleston said. “The guys I asked just told me to double my range measurements to five and when I got into that chute, I just did my thing and I tried to stay consistent.”

His 82-point score beat out Phillip Whiteman’s score of 72 points as the Montana cowboy took home $1,759.68. Crowd favorite Creighton Curley placed third with 65 points for a $1,393.08 paycheck while Nazlini, Arizona, cowboy Diego Begay rounded out the rodeo placers with a 58-point ride that paid him $1,026.48. The four cowboys split $1,026.19 in ground money as there were no other qualified rides.

The win on Saturday afternoon earned Charleston his first check in the INFR season standings, putting him in the top 5.

“This is like relief,” Charleston said. “I’m not really too worried about where I’ll be sitting in the standings. As long as I get another qualification, I’ll be satisfied with myself. I’m just going to try and stay consistent on the year and see what happens toward the end of the year, and hopefully we’ll get a gold buckle at the end of the year.”

Whiteman, who rode Johney of Iron Water Bucking Horses, earned himself his first check within the INFR.

“It’s a good feeling to hear that whistle,” said Whiteman, who made the 17-hour drive to make the Wide Ruins event from his home in Busby, Montana.

“This is actually my first INFR event,” the 32-year-old cowboy said. “I’ve been going to a lot of other rodeos, so this is my first one. It feels good to get some money won in the standings.”

The multi-generation cowboy was pleased with the effort he received from Johney as that horse made him work.

“I felt like I had a good mark out right away and he just took off, bucking right away,” Whiteman said. “Halfway through the ride, I kind of stalled up with my right foot. Other than that, I went back to spurring until I heard the whistle.”

In addition to the $6,000 added money, Whiteman said he made the trip to Navajo Nation to see some old friends, which includes the Silversmith family.

“Ernie Silversmith is a real good friend,” Whiteman said. “This is my first time riding at this arena, and I sure appreciate it. It’s a good way to honor his son Lane Silversmith. It’s too bad he had to pass away at a young age but it turned out to be a real nice rodeo.”

The Northern Cheyenne cowboy is seeking to make his 14th trip to the INFR. He’s looking to add to his total in the upcoming INFR Tour Rodeo like the Sky Dancer Stampede in Belcourt, North Dakota; the North American Indian Days Tour in Browning, Montana; Rock Boy INFR Rodeo in Box Elder, Montana; the Legends Tour Rodeo in Fort Hall, Idaho and Crow Fair Rodeo in Crow Agency, Montana.

“They’re awesome,” Whiteman said of the rodeos up north. “There almost just like these rodeos, but they got different contractors. A lot of those horses come from Canada and they’re kind of bigger horses. A lot of them are PRCA horses, so they’re all pretty good rodeos.”

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