Yazzie, Jodie take home titles

RED ROCK PARK

The final performance of the 68th annual Gallup Lions Club Rodeo proved to be a big night for Donovan Yazzie.

The Brimhall, New Mexico, cowboy was looking to rebound from a so-so season that included some bad luck at the barrier.

Before the Lions Club Rodeo, Yazzie admitted that he had a few runs go awry with penalties but on Saturday night he went penalty-free with two solid runs in the tie-down and steer wrestling events.

Yazzie turned in a winning time of 9.19 seconds in the tie-down and he finished fifth overall in the steer wrestling with a 7.30 run.

“I’ve been trying but this is the first rodeo that I have won,” Yazzie said. “It builds my confidence back up and I feel more confident.”

Yazzie said he drew a good calf to better the 10.81 run turned in by Tohatchi, New Mexico, cowboy Dennison Boone. Garret Hendrix came in third with a run of 11.34.
“It was the luck of the draw,” Yazzie said. “I just lucked out and the chips fell in place for me.”

Steer wrestler Sheridan Jodie was another cowboy hoping to get on a roll after spending the early part of the year supporting his son, Matthew, who served as his hazer.

“I’ve been following my son around for high school rodeos and we just got down with that,” Jodie said. “We’re (playing) to catching up.”

Jodie, who is headed to Oklahoma for an NNRA Tour Rodeo this weekend, repeated as champion with a 4.85 run he turned in during Friday’s performance at the Lions Club Rodeo. In his run, the Mulholland, New Mexico cowboy overcame some difficulties when his steer “checked up on him.”

“I just needed to catch him (but) I knew he was going to check up a little bit,” Jodie said of his draw. “I got down early enough to catch him and I just held on.”
In addition to crediting his son, Jodie also lauded his horse Piggy.

“My horse is coming along real good,” he said. “She is the reason why we are winning.”

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