Jeff Cavey Wins Saddle Bronc Riding at Frank Phillips
College Rodeo

PAMPA, TX - Jeff Cavey (Sr., Douglas, AZ/Odessa College) won the saddle bronc riding competition at the Frank Phillips College Rodeo, held in Pampa, Texas, April 17-19. With the win from Cavey, the Greyhounds received 70 team points and finished eighth in the final men’s team standings. Although several other Greyhounds qualified for the short go, Cavey was the only athlete on Eastern’s predetermined list of cowboys who could score points for the team.

Shannon Miller (Jr., Alamogordo NM/New Mexico JC) made the short go in bareback riding. Brad Good (Fr., Elida, NM/Elida HS) reached the short go in calf roping, while Dusty Higgins (So., Roswell, NM/New Mexico JC) qualified for the short go in Bull Riding. Chance Pettigrew (So., Clovis, NM/Melrose HS) made the short go in steer wrestling for the third rodeo in a row.

The Greyhounds were represented in team roping by Royce Lynch (So., Deming, NM/Deming HS), who teamed up with Chad Currington of Texas Tech University, and by Jared Fraze (Jr., Dora, NM/Lubbock Christian Univ.), who roped with Alex Muratori of Sul Ross State University.

Cavey received a 71 on his first ride in saddle bronc riding, then recorded the second best score in the short go with a 73, to give him a total of 143 points. He finished just above Bradley Harter of Tarleton State University, who scored 141 points.

In bareback riding, Miller stayed on for the required eight seconds to record a 71 in the long go. He scored a 69 in the short go for a total of 140 points. Zach Curran of Frank Phillips College won bareback riding with a total of 152 points (75-77). Miller placed seventh.

Good roped and tied his first calf in 11.5 seconds, and then clock in at 12.6 seconds in the short go, for a combined time of 24.1 seconds. Tony Sauter of Howard College claimed first in the event with times of 9.6 and 10.1 seconds (19.7 seconds overall). Good finished in sixth place.

Higgins scored a 71 on his first ride in bull riding. Higgins and sixth other cowboys failed to ride the full eight seconds in the short go, but based on his first-round score, Higgins tied for sixth place overall.

Pettigrew’s continued success in steer wrestling received another boost when he clocked in at 4.4 seconds for the fastest time in the long go at Frank Phillips. He struggled to a 9.3 in the short go and finished in seventh place with a combined time of 13.7 seconds. J.W. Todd from West Texas A&M University and Adam Gray of South Plains College tied for first, as both ran a 5.1 in the long go and a 4.7 in the short go, leaving both cowboys at 9.8 seconds overall.

Lynch and Currington completed their first run in team roping in 6.2 seconds, while Fraze and Muratori were timed at 6.5 seconds. Both teams qualified for the short go, but were unable to register a time in the finals. Overall, just four of ten pairs in the short go managed to finish their rides, with John Brunson of West Texas A&M and Derrick Elliott of Frank Phillips winning the event in a combined time of 11.9 seconds (6.2-5.7).

Two Zias made the short go in women’s competition. They registered 30 points to give ENMU fifth place in the team standings. Kristin Gendron (Jr., Templeton,CA/Templeton HS) represented the Zias in the short go of barrel racing. Kendra Jones (Jr., Sonora,TX/Odessa College) advanced to the short go in Goat Tying.

Gendron ran the three barrels in 17.77 seconds in the first round and 17.75 seconds in the short go. Her total time of 35.52 seconds tied for sixth place in the highly-competitive event. The top nine finishers in barrel racing were separated by just 1.07 seconds. Skye Holman of Tarleton State earned first place by running a 17.34 in the long go and a 17.23 in the short go for a combined time of 34.57 seconds.

Jones recorded a time of 9.6 seconds in the goat tying long go. She was timed at 9.9 seconds in the short go, and ended the competition with a total time of 19.5 seconds. She took fourth place in the event, which was won by Tarleton State’s Tibba Smith in a combined time of 18.2 seconds (8.7-9.5).

In break-away roping, Kashley Hughes of West Texas A&M was the champion. She clocked in at 3.0 seconds in the long go, then registered a time of 2.7 seconds in the short go. Her overall time was 5.7 seconds. Ashley Ryan of West Texas College was second in 6.0 seconds (3.2-2.8).

The men’s team title went to host Frank Phillips, with a score of 265 points. Vernon College was second with 205 points. Third place was won by West Texas A&M with 150 points, while Tarleton State claimed fourth with 135 points and West Texas College was fifth at 105 points. South Plains was sixth with 100 points, Howard College was seventh with 90 points and ENMU was eighth with 70 points. Odessa College and Texas Tech tied for ninth with 40 points.

In the women’s team standings, Tarleton State took first with 345 points. Vernon was second at 243 1/3 points. Odessa finished third with 60 points, New Mexico Junior College claimed fourth with 43 1/3 points and ENMU finishing fifth with 30 points.
The Greyhounds and Zias will return to action Apr. 24-26 at the Tarleton State University Rodeo. It will be Eastern’s last competition before the Conference Finals Rodeo, May 29-31.