By Don Wallace

sports@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Pack up your boots and hat for another year, the rodeo has closed.

Saturday night was the final performance and it was a Texas evening which featured sweltering heat, hot rodeo and sizzling tunes by entertainer Stoney LaRue.

So to say the 46th Annual Jacksonville Tops in Texas Rodeo closed with a flourish would be accurate. A breeze would have been nice.

The crowd had an emotional start to the evening. As is the custom, military veterans are honored.

Saturday night longtime rodeo supporter Bill Isaacks, also a military veteran, got special recognition. Isaacks, 91, has been involved with the rodeo since the start, only recently missing the chance to ride in the grand entry due to health reasons.

The Jacksonville Riders Club scholarship, presented Saturday by Ronny Snow, was also emotional. Snow, the grandson of the late Raymond and Eloise Teague, gave the scholarship in their honor. Eloise Teague died only recently after serving for years with her husband on the rodeo on a variety projects, including the queen’s contest.

After Friday’s 90 score in bull riding by Jason Beck, the nasty bulls went back to dominating the action in both sections of bull riding. Cowboys were shutout in the opening event with seven cowboys trying and failing to get an eight-second ride. In the second segment to conclude the show, Corey Ruff of Clinton, Ark., rode Squaw’s Pet for a 78 and Winn Ratliff of Leesville, La., rode Firecracker for 76 points.

In bulls, Beck won $373.60 for his top score for the rodeo and another $373.60 for the night. Jason Barentine had an 80 ride and took home $1,214.40 in total prize money, not all of his money counts total PRCA standing, some of the funds were “ground money” given to some competitors, officials said. Corey Ruff won $280.25 for his 79 score.

Terrell cowboy Clayton Hass turned in a sparkling 3.6 time for first place in bull dogging or steer wrestling. Hass had a 7.4 two-day total to win the overall event for the rodeo. Hass pocketed $468.66 for the first place time in the first go around, another $468.66 for top time the second night and $468.67 for the best average.

Jason Stockton of Sheridan, Ark., was just a whisker behind, turning in a 3.7 time for second. Glen Clark of Granbury had a 4.3 time, which coupled with a 3.9 in the first round gave him an 8.2 total and second place. Justin Blaine Davis of Bartonville, landed his calf in 5.0 while J. Patton Norsworthy of England, Ark., was last in the event with a time of 9.4 seconds. Two other cowboys failed to score.

Clark won $351.50 in the first round, $117.70 in the second round and $351.50 for second place average for a total of $820.70. Davis netted $234.33 for third place in the first go around and $234.34 for having the third place average over two nights.

Tie down roping individual action was just lovely for Madisonville’s Colby Lovell. Lovell not only turned in an 8.5 time to win this category, but teamed with Justin Lovell for first place in team roping.

Other times in tie down roping include: Clint Sorrell, Athens, 11.8; Bart Meek, Alvord, 12.5; Chris Graham, Troy, Ala., 15.6; Conrad Hagan, Buffalo, 20.4; Brandon Steed, Eustace, 17.9.

The Charles Ewalt Memorial Calf Scramble drew a throng of energetic youngsters 10 and under to nab prizes.

Action shifted to bareback riding, the first cowboy to compete, Bubba Hudson of Kaufman, rode national finals mount Prairie Bird to a 78-point score, best of the night. Lee Pedone of Detroit showed off the form which recently netted him first place in the Weatherford rodeo. Pedone had a 77 score to excite the crowd for his wild ride on three-time national finals horse Phoenix West. Austin Griffin of Alvord had a 72 on a re-ride.

Brady Bolton of Odessa won the saddle bronc action with an 84 tally on Cherokee Days. Australian cowboy Lance Kelly got a 71 score for riding Make Believe.

Top money winner in bareback action was Raymond Cooper with $760 while Pedone won $579; Bubba Hudson, $380 and Zach Dishman, $150.

In saddle broncs, Bolton won $836 for first; Jacob Crawley, $627; Justin Browning, $418 and Bryan Hammons, $209.

In team roping, the Lovell team of Justin Lovell of Grapeland and Colby Lovell of Madisonville had a 5.6 time for a 11.6 total and first place. The duo of Derrick Miller (Reeves, La.) and Donnie Savage (Athens), combined for a 6.2 time. Other times were: Scooter Nolen (Collinsville) and Steve Ross (Justin), 7.2; Josh Nugent and Coby Elliott (Daisetta), 17.9 following a penalty.

The Lovells netted $435.73 for the first go around; $326.80 for taking second on the second night and another $435.73 for being the overall winners, total winnings of $1,198.26. Tommy Eden and Wade Clayton took $326.80 for being second place on the first go around, plus $217.86 for being third on the second night and $326.80 for finishing second overall or a total payday of $871.46 for their stop in Jacksonville.

Cherokee County competitors in tie down roping had a better night than earlier in the rodeo. The team of Kevin Blackwell and Brad Turlington combined for a 7.7, the fastest of the event. Shawn Profili and Michael Joe Parsley had a violation and finished with a 13.7 time. Also competing, but not scoring were Stan Bauer and Tyler McKnight, Mike Stanley and McKnight.

Kaci Kizer zipped around the barrel racing course like a guided missile. The 16.53 time turned in by the Pine Bluff, Ark., cowgirl was first on Saturday and second overall in the event. Other scores were: Sheryl Boyd, Magnolia, 16.64; Suzanne Benton, Nacogdoches, 17.64; Laci Smith, Mullin, 20.89; Shannon Merworth-Buffe, Sidney, 21.85.

In prize money for the barrels, overall winner Kristen Adams won $698; Kizer, $607 and Michael-Anne Wilson, $515.99

Stoney LaRue, country singing sensation and his band, closed out the rodeo. Hundreds of fans filed in the arena for a rollicking concert which featured some of his top hits. LaRue performs his “Red Dirt Music” at more than 300 concert dates per year.