Sage Kimzey Wins Oklahoma Shoot Out at 2017 Inaugural CBR Battle on the Great Plains

With a target on his back, the reigning CBR and PRCA World Champion Bull Rider, Sage Kimzey kept his number one ranking in Championship Bull Riding by converting enthusiasm from a hometown crowd into inspiration to win the first annual Battle on the Plains Bull Riding at the Central National Bank Center in Enid, Oklahoma.

“My home state has been awesome at supporting me from day one of my career, and it was special to win in front of them and my family,” said Kimzey who has not been on a bucking bull since the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas early in December.

Kimzey, admittedly feeling nervous and anxious to get back into the arena, rode three bulls he had never seen or drawn before in competition and took home the Hyo Silver trophy buckle, an American Hat Company Western Hat, Fenoglio custom Boots and a check for $17,500.

“My first bull, Rat Killer was a good one to get the ball back rolling and get a feel for everything again. And the second one was around to the left, and just kept kicking and spinning and felt good, continued the five time World Champion who lives in Strong City.

Competing in a field of 28 riders, five Oklahoma riders shared the center stage with ten National Finals Rodeo qualifiers, but Kimzey was the only rider to cover three bulls on a night where the fans witnessed 20 qualified rides including his 91.5 score on an unknown bull in the Shootout round.

 

Round 1

With 14 qualified rides in round one, Sage Kimzey set the pace with an 87 point ride on Mike Sellers’ 917 Rat Killer as the first rider out of the chutes. 

Tyler Taylor would take the lead from Kimzey with an 88.5 in the first section where seven of the nine riders earned a score.  Section two brought the Oklahomans to their feet with three time NFR qualifier Joe Frost snatching the high marked ride of the night honors with a 92.5 on Lyndal Hurst’s 3728 Yellowhair, a bull he had seen plenty but never drawn. Four more cowboys would earn a score including an 89.5 score from U.S. Army Veteran, Juan Alonzo on a reride which earned him the second highest marked ride of the round.

 

Semifinals

With the snow, ice, and sub-freezing temperatures affecting the bulls, the advantage seemed to be in favor of the riders until this point in the competition. Advancing twelve to the semifinals, including Cody Rostockyj replacing Taryl Smith who was injured in round one, the bulls took back the momentum allowing only five of the twelve riders a score in the second and semifinal round of the three round tournament style CBR event.

NFR qualifier Cody Rostockyj was the first cowboy to cover two followed by Boudreaux Campbell, and Demond Haynes.

But with two Okies left on the roster the crowd propelled Konawa’s Colten Jesse to a 90 point spin on Cunningham and Scoggins 96 Pogo which put him in the lead with 176 on two. Kimzey continued to ignite state pride when he scored 88.5 points on 213 Fancy Pants, his first trip on the bull from Stock Contractor of the Year, Mike Rawson. Kimzey was now 175.5 on two and in second place headed into the final four round.

 

Shootout

With four outs left of the inaugural Battle on the Great Plains, Colten Jesse led the average and earned first pick. He selected Yellow Wolf, a well-known winning draw from Mike Rawson. Kimzey picked MIRF, a young bull making only his second appearance on the Road to Cheyenne, raised by Corey Melton.

“Joseph McConnell actually helped me with my selection, we travel some together and he studies the bulls as well as anyone going and we watch a lot of film and he knew him better than me,” continued Kimzey. “I knew Colten would pick Yellow Wolf so I went with the bull I knew would be a good one to get on.”

Rookie rider Boudreaux Campbell selected Rawson’s 61 Bad Black, a unsuccessful rematch from CBR Laughlin. Demond Haynes of Houston was in the fourth position and he was matched with Jeff Harris’s handful of a bull, 201 Speckled Bird.

Haynes and Campbell bucked off in order which left the shoot out to the two Oklahoma cowboys.

Kimzey, up next, took the black bull of Melton’s to the top of the leader board with the crowd and the bull getting stronger with each rotation of the 91.5 score.

Jesse, a sophomore on the Road to Cheyenne, needed a 92 point ride to win in his third Shootout Round appearance, but he bucked off Rawson’s 222 Yellow Wolf, a bull he had seen many times during his 2016 rookie season but never drawn.

World Title Race

The race for the 2017 CBR World Championship title remained the same at the top with Kimzey riding three bulls and Campbell riding two in Enid. The top two riders retain their number one and two placings in the CBR World Standings. Although no one bumped the man with five gold buckles from the top ranking, there are ten events left on the schedule and several bull riders remain within striking distance of the World Championship trophy, buckle, and the $100,000 bonus check.

 

CBR Bull Team Cheyenne Challenge Competition

With 12 rookie bulls on the daysheet, several of the bovine big guns were in the back pens, locked and loaded for the CBR’s first bull team competition of 2017. With valuable points and a trip to Cheyenne on the line, Tom Baker and Lyndal Hurst finished in first place with their trio of buckers.

With 2.19 points separating first and second place, Hurst’s team was anchored by Joe Frost’s 92.5 ride in round one on Yellowhair, a CBR Finals and NFR bull who marked 90 points on the bull side of the score.

“We bucked our bulls Monday night and picked the team based on the Circuit Finals performances and at the house,” said Hurst holding his Hyo Silver trophy buckle and jumbo check for $20,000.

Hurst’s second bull out was 285 Wreck ‘Em, a seasoned bull who assisted Colten Jesse with 86 points. 242 Rio, the latest addition to Hurst’s line up, was described as a young bull added to the team on Monday night after bucking him at the Texas Circuit Finals in Waco.

The hometown friends from Lubbock team of Baker and Hurst first joined forces to compete in the CBR Bull Team Challenge competition several years ago.

192 The Communicator from Sellers’ Bucking Bulls was the highest marked aggregate bull score marking 92 points as the rankest bull of the night. ~ CBR

Battle on the Great Plains Results

Shoot Out Round

1, Sage Kimzey, 91.5 points on 94 MIRF (Winston Loe/Melton Bull Co.) $17,500.00 

Average Results

1, S.Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., 267 points, $17,500. 2, Colten Jesse, Sulphur, Okla., 176 pts, $2,250. 3, Boudreaux Campbell, Crockett, Tex., 172 pts, $2,250. 4, Demond Haynes, Houston, Tex., 170.5, $2,250.

Semifinals

1, Colton Jesse 90 points on 36 Pojo (Cunningham/Scoggins). 2, Sage Kimzey, 88.5. 3, Cody Rostockyj 87.5. 4, Boudreaux Campbell, 87. 5, Demond Haynes 85.5.

Round One

1, Joe Frost, 92.5 on Yellow Hair (Tom Baker and Lyndal Hurst). 2, Juan Alonzo, 89.5. 3, Tyler Taylor, 88.5. 4, Bayle Worden, 88. 5, Rorey Maier, 87.5.

Cheyenne Challenge Results

1, Tom Baker and Lyndal Hurst, 286.19, $20,000. 2, Rawson and Probst, 284.00, $12,000. 3, Longcreek Outfitters and Harris, 281.99, $8,000.  4, Cunningham and Scoggins, 280.42, $5,000.