The final Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association performance of the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo reported a sold-out crowd that witnessed many of the newly crowned 2019 UMR champion competitors, along with arena records.
In the bareback bronc riding, Evan Betony of Tonales, Arizona, rode Honeycutt Rodeo’s Gully Washer to set the arena record of 85 points and take home the 2019 UMR bareback bronc riding belt buckle. Betony is first in the Turquoise Circuit PRCA standings, according to a news release from Madelaine Mills.
The timed events were packed with winning runs. In the steer wrestling, Trey Nahrgang made a smoking-fast run of 3.4 seconds, a new arena record and more than a two-second victory.
Clint Robinson and Rhen Richard, who have a combined seven Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifications split first place overall in the tie-down roping event. With back-to-back 8.1-second runs, the duo will continue to climb in the Wilderness Circuit PRCA standings, as well as the world standings. The third- and fourth-place checks for the UMR tie-down also went to athletes who performed Saturday. Justin Brinkerhoff and Sterling Cowdrey set the pace with their 8.3- and 8.9-second runs prior to the tie-down veterans backing into the roping box.
Barrel racer Leia Pluemer of Los Lunas, New Mexico, made a run of 17.42 seconds to win the 2019 UMR barrel racing title. Pluemer has had much success in both college rodeo as a College National Finals Rodeo qualifier and the 2018 first runner up to the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Barrel Racing Rookie of the Year with $39,940 in earnings. Nearly matching last year’s earnings in only 28 rodeos, Pluemer is sitting 15th in the World Standings with potential to qualify for her first WNFR in December.
