Winner, losers try their best at Kayenta July 4th rodeo

There were many first time and returning winners at the Kayenta 4th of July Rodeo.

At one of the most distinguished rodeos in the area during the July 4th weekend, cowboys and cowgirls made some of their best rides and ropes of the summer season.

The rodeo payout was $60,255 and there were 621 entries, according to the All Indian Rodeo Cowboys Association Web site. The AIRCA was host of the rodeo along with the Central Navajo Rodeo Association.

One of the biggest wins of them all was in steer wrestling. After 18 years of participating in the rodeo, Sheridan Jodie, from Crownpoint, finally won the steer-wrestling championship saddle.

For the last couple of years Jodie has watched his nephew  Kyle Smith take home the win.

"Bring the saddle home that's what everyone's shooting for," Jodie said.

The 37-year-old has been rodeoing for about 21 years. And this year, he said it was the luck of the draw that got him the win, along with his new horse.

Jodie's first time was 4.1 seconds and in the finals short go he was timed with a 4.0. He stood in the No. 1 spot throughout both rounds.

Jodie also took part in the Black Mesa Rodeo where he took fourth.

Outside of steer wrestling he said he's a school bus driver and that with help from his wife he's able to travel to rodeos during the summer.

"I just do it for fun, it's something I love to do since I started," he said.

A returning winner was Leroy Etsitty who won the tie-down roping.

His first go he had a time of 9.9 and in the finals a 9.4.

With his 40th birthday just two days before he won, Etsitty said it was a great birthday present.

"It's been a long time," he said. "I won the rodeo about eight years ago in tie down."

Other cowboys and cowgirls weren't as fortunate.

Alesia Muskett from Crownpoint was timed in 17.9 seconds in the barrel racing on Saturday but in the finals in the breakaway she missed the calf.

For Muskett it was all about having a suitable draw.

"With my calf, I say we didn't have the right kind of draw," she said. And for barrels, " I had a hard time working with my horse, I kind of over thought it before turning the barrels."

Muskett said she also went to the Black Mesa Rodeo, where she also didn't do so well.

As a member of the AIRCA and CNRA, Muskett said she was hoping for a good run because of the payout.

Bareback rider Jeremy Sampson didn't make the payout list was but happy to be a part of the rodeo.

Sampson said he rode Friday and was bucked off a horse named Blue Duck, the same horse he was bucked off of the year before.

"I lasted about seven seconds," he said. "That was an un-ridden bareback horse."

Sampson said Kayenta was always his first place to ride during the 4th of July weekend because he's heard great things about it.

"I always wanted to ride in Kayenta," he said. "It just seems like some of my older cousins say to ride in Kayenta. It feels like it's a real treat to ride with world champions like Jacob Etsitty and Benny Begay and to have them pat you on the back and say, 'That was a good ride.' I feel lucky and I have a lot of stuff to learn."

Sampson, is a 2009 graduate of Tuba City High School and has found many ways to pay his way through the rodeo summer.

"My uncle, some friends out there that want to ride horses but don't have anyone to break them in, I train them and I get a little cash here and there," he said. "Sometimes I do yard work for people here in town."

Another young but veteran rider is Kassidy Dennison.

Dennison, 17, was the all-around champion in 2005 but wasn't able to regain the title.

She took second in ladies' breakaway roping and didn't payout in barrel racing.

On her first go she roped a 2.8 and in the finals a 2.5.

Dennison competed along with her sister Devon Dennison and brother Kyle Dean Dennison.

"It's just always a good rodeo we go to every year," she said.

Dennison knew her competition at the rodeo so she wasn't surprised to come in second.

"Girl that was No. 1 roped tough and I was just glad to be there," she said.

But in barrels she didn't do so well.

"I didn't do so good," she said. 'I kind of got in an accident Wednesday, had to run with a different horse."

Williams wins all-around

KPreston Williams won all-around honors at the 2009 AIRCA 4th of July Rodeo held July 2 to 4.

There were 621 entries with $60,255.00 cash payout plus prizes consisting of nine saddles for the major event champions, five buckles for the minor event champions, and one three-slant-horse trailer for Williams.

The next AIRCA rodeo is the 51st Little Beaver Round-Up Rodeo July 17 and 18.

All-around champion: Preston Williams of Schurz, Nev.; earned $626 in tie-down roping and $1,508 in team roping for a total of $2,134 plus a three-slant horse trailer.

Tie-down roping (long go)

1. Nelson Long, 9.6, $627.

2. Rudy Yazzie, 9.7, $522.

3. (tie) Gerald Daye and Leroy Etsitty, 9.9, $365.

4. Preston Williams, 10.0, $209.

Tie-down (short go)

1. Justin Tsosie Jr., 8.4, $418.

2. Kyle Dean Dennison, 9.2, $313.

3. Leroy Etsitty, 9.4, $209.

4. Preston Williams, 11.4, $104.

Tie-down (average)

1. Leroy Etsitty, 19.3, $627.

2. Justin Tsosie Jr., 19.4, $522.

3. Kyle Dean Dennison, 20.5, $418.

4. Preston Williams, 21.4, $313.

5. Nelson Long, 9.6 on 1, $209.

Open team roping (Long Go)

1. Clifford Williams/OJ Williams, 5.2, $1,450.

2. AJ Ben/Preston Williams, 5.3, $1,218.

3. Aaron Tsinginnie/Wes Dayzie, 5.9, $986.

4. (tie) Marvin Yazzie/Raphael Murphy and Lamuel Yazzie/Dewayne Sells, 6.0, $724.

5. (tie) Roderick Tso/Andre Beard and Aaron Tsinginnie/James Begay Jr., 6.1, $348.

Open team roping (long go)

1. Roderick Tso/Andre Beard, 6.2, $1,160.

2. Marvin Yazzie/Raphael Murphy, 6.8, $870.

3. AJ Ben/Preston Williams, 7.4, $580.

4. Marco Sells/Victor Begay, 11.0, $290.

Open team roping (average)

1. Roderick Tso/Andre Beard. 12.3, $1,450.

2. AJ Ben/Preston Williams, 12.7, $1,218.

3. Marvin Yazzie/Raphael Murphy, 12.8, $986.

4. Clifford Williams/OJ Williams, 16.5, $812.

5. Marco Sells/Victor Begay, 17.3, $638.

6. Johnny Samuel/Vern Begay, 18.3, $464.

7. Aaron Tsinginnie/Wes Dayzie, 25.2, $232.

Bareback (first go)

1. Bennie Begay, 79, $334.

2. Wilfred Kaye, 78, $204.

3. Jacob Etsitty, 76, $134.

Bareback (second go)

1. (tie) Bennie Begay, Jacob Etsitty and Earl Tsosie Jr., 75, $223.

Bareback (average)

1. Bennie Begay, 154, $334.

2. Jacob Etsitty, 151, $201.

3. Earl Tsosie Jr., 144, $134.

Saddle Bronc (long go)

1. Ramos Benny, 81, $497.

2. Alonzo Yazzie, 77, $373.

3. (tie) J R Hunt and Kane D Kee, 73, $186.

Saddle Bronc (short go)

1. Ramos Benny, 76, $249.

2. J R Hunt, 69, $186.

3. Herman George, 63, $124.

4. Ground Money, $18.

Saddle Bronc (average)

1. Ramos Benny, 157, $497.

2. J R Hunt, 142, $373.

3. Herman George, 132, $249.

4. Alonzo Yazzie, 77 on 1, $124.

Bull riding (long go)

1. Virgil Clark, 82, $616.

2. Justin Granger, 77, $509.

3. Guytin Tsosie, 76, $403.

4. (tie) Jason Young and Robbin Showa, 75, $244.

5. (tie) Bradford Heath and Terrance Granger, 74, $53.

Bull riding (short go)

1. Guytin Tsosie, 86, $425.

2. Raynell Harvey, 79, $318.

3. Justin Granger, 71, $212.

4. Ground Money, $31.

Bull riding (average)

1. Guytin Tsosie, 162, $616.

2. (tie) Justin Granger and Raynell Harvey, 148, $456.

3. Virgil Clark, 82 on 1, $297.

4. Jason Young, 75 on 1, $148.

5. Robbin Showa, 75 on 1, $148.

Steer wrestling (long go)

1. Sheridan Jodie, 4.1, $665.

2. Jacob Antone, 4.3, $550.

3. (tie) Garrison Begay and Marshall Allen, 4.5, $378.

4. Donovan Yazzie, 4.7, $206.

5. Brad Begay, 5.0. $115.

Steer wrestling (short go)

1. Sheridan Jodie, 4.0, $458.

2. (tie) Kyle Smith and Jacob Antone, 5.1, $286.

3. Kyle Dean Dennison, 5.3, $115.

Steer wrestling (average)

1. Sheridan Jodie, 8.1, $665.

2. Jacob Antone, 9.4, $550.

3. (tie) Kyle Smith and Kyle Dean Dennison, 10.7, $378.

4. Brandon Bates, 13.0, $206.

5. Randy Claw, 13.7, $115.

Ladies barrel racing (long go)

1. Celeste Charley, 17.173, $694.

2. Destinee Dale, 17.397, $574.

3. Recinda Yazzie, 17.452, $455.

4. Charmayne Gene, 17.483, $335.

5. Rhonda Padilla, 17.524, $215.

6. Deven Descheny, 17.553, $120.

Ladies barrel racing (short go)

1. Amanda Clawson, 16.913, $479.

2. Recinda Yazzie, 17.061, $359.

3. Celeste Charley, 17.105, $239.

4. Rhonda Padilla, 17.237, $120.

Ladies barrel racing (average)

1. Celeste Charley, 34.278, $694.

2. Recinda Yazzie, 34.513, $574.

3. Amanda Clawson, 34.532, $455.

4. Rhonda Padilla, 34.761, $335.

5. Charmayne Gene, 34.825, $215.

6. Destinee Dale, 34.837, $120.

Ladies breakaway roping (long go)

1. Danelle Tallsalt-Granger, 2.4, $763.

2. (tie) Vida Benally, Ariana Jones and Kelsi Pablo, 2.5, $499.

3. Bailey Bates, 2.6, $237.

4. Kassidy Dennison, 2.8, $132.

Ladies breakaway roping (short go)

1. Danelle Tallsalt-Granger, 2.3, $526.

2. Kassidy Dennison, 3.5, $395.

3. Benita Litson, 3.7, $263.

4. Latasha Long, 5.1, $132.

Ladies breakaway roping (average)

1. Denell Tallsalt-Granger, 4.7, $763.

2. Kassidy Dennison, 6.3, $631.

3. Benita Litson, 6.6, $500.

4. Latasha Long, 9.0, $368.

5. Vida Benally, 13.3, $237.

6. April Willie, 16.5, $132.

No. 12 team roping (1 go)

1. Chuck Sells/Delbert Begay, 5.3, $2,922.

2. Shane Jodie/Lance Boyd, 5.5, $2,418.

3. Ellison Begay/Newton Yazzie, 6.2, $1,914.

4. Sheila Sells/Shariff Sells, 6.4, $1,410.

5. John Arviso/Clayton Slick, 6.5, $906.

6. Kyle Little/Angelo Benallie, 7.0, $504.

Senior breakaway roping (1 go)

1. John Boyd Jr., 2.7, $334.

2. Olsen Redhorse, 3.1, $250.

3. Leonard Williams Sr., 3.2, $167.

4. Ray Jim, 3.5, $83.

Junior barrel racing (1 go)

1. Mikayla Jones, 17.907, $262.

2. Elisha Paul, 17.967, $157.

3. Jannon Hale, 18.166, $105.

Junior Bull Riding (1 go)

1. Dugan Black, 75, $198.

2. Sheridan Yazzie, 70, $119.

3. Justin Silversmith, 69, $79.

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