FORT WORTH, Texas (January 31, 2017) -- Arizona team ropers took center stage at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo on Tuesday.

With Erich Rogers from Round Rock heading, and Cory Petska, from Marana heeling, they are the most successful team here so far. Rogers and Petska stopped the clock in 5.3 on Monday night, then came back and shaved nearly a second off their time Tuesday afternoon. Their time of 4.4 jumped them to the overall lead with a total time of 9.7 seconds

Clayton Hass, from Weatherford, Texas, and John Robertson, from Poulson, Mont., are now in second with 10.5 seconds on two runs. Right behind them is another team from Monday and Tuesday, Dustin Bird from Cut Bank, Montana, and Russell Cardoza, from Terrebonne, Oregon who have a total of 10.6.

Rogers and Petska are both currently eighth in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings. The other two teams aren't in the top 50 but could easily move up with a win at Will Rogers Coliseum. There is a spread of just over two seconds among the top six teams here with 24 teams left to compete. Saturday night's championship finals may be the best team roping that has been held here since the event was added in 2006.

The first round of barrel racing is complete and Weatherford's Stevi Hillman finished at the top of the leaderboard. Riding her 10-year-old gelding Quatro Fame that she calls Truck, she stopped the clock in 16.48 seconds to win $5,100. She will get to run here again and will be a favorite to advance to the finals.


A Wright has left Fort Worth with a saddle bronc riding championship four out of the last six years and the Utah family hopes to make it five of seven. Jake Wright, who won the title here a year ago, competed in the first two performances and has been at the top of the leaderboard ever since. His older brother Cody has earned the title here three times--in 2014, 2013 and 2011.

The Wrights have dominated saddle bronc riding across the country and, in December, five of them competed in Las Vegas at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. On Tuesday night, two of them competed here and were successful.

Spencer Wright, the 2014 world champion, and his nephew Rusty Wright (Cody's oldest son) were in the field. Spencer scored 80.5 points and Rusty tallied 77. While neither of these scores were high enough to be placing in the first round of competition, they do give them an opportunity to move into the overall standings. Jake has a total of 168.5 points. The final spot to advance to Saturday night's finals is being held with a 154.5-point total. Rusty, who finished in second place behind his dad at Fort Worth in 2014, needs an 80-point or better ride and Spencer needs 75 or better to have a chance to compete in the finals here.

The 121st Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo continues Wednesday with rodeo performances at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

-Information Courtesy of Susan Kanode

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