Moses Lake Roundup features a who's who of world-ranked rodeo talent

MOSES LAKE — After seven decades of organizing one of the best rodeos in the country, the Moses Lake Roundup committee knows how to put on a class affair.

This year, they outdid themselves.

The 74th annual Moses Lake Roundup will not only be a class affair, it will be a world-class affair featuring 52 rough stock riders currently ranked in the top 50 in the Weather Guard PRCA World Standings. It’s not just the guys at No. 50 looking for a paycheck to help move up.

Obviously, schedules are subject to change, but the rough stock lineup includes Strong City, Okla., cowboy Sage Kimzey, who is currently the No. 1 bull rider in the world ($210,374), along with No. 5 Roscoe Jarboe of New Plymouth, Idaho, and Cole Melancon from Liberty, Texas, who comes into town sitting sixth in the standings. In fact, the schedule includes 27 of the top-ranked bull riders, including Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee, the defending bull riding champion and No. 6 guy in the world right now.

The saddle bronc lineup card is equally as impressive with 18 world-ranked riders scheduled to take a shot at the one-go money. Jacobs Crawley of Boerne, Texas was the top-ranked saddle bronc rider in the world when he rolled into town last year and he is again this year ($157,869). Jacobs Crawley and his brother Sterling (No. 10) are both scheduled to be up on Friday night.

“This rodeo is what the backbone of rodeo really is,” said Crawley, who won a Moses Lake Roundup buckle in 2013 and has been coming back ever since. “The fans come out and the people are hospitable that you’re in town. We get to do our job.

“This is what rodeo’s all about. We put our hearts in it every year. I got a Moses Lake buckle and it’s rodeo’s like this that keep me doin’ what I’m doin’.”

Jacobs Crawley ($262,620) finished second in the 2016 standings last year, less than $3,000 behind Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta. ($265,450). Columbia Basin rodeo fans will have a chance to see the best in the world take his best shot on a horse called “Wally” on Friday night.

The bareback competition features seven of the top riders in the world standings, including Clayton Biglow of Clements, Calif., who’s scheduled to be up on a National Finals Rodeo horse named “Big Easy,” on Thursday. The card also includes the No. 9 guy Bill Tutor of Huntsville, Texas on “Moonwalker.”

The world-class lineup isn’t just cowboys, it also features some of the best bucking stock the business has to offer. “Trip Wire,” is another one of stock contractor’s Mike Corey’s National Finals Rodeo horses. Gooding, Idaho, cowboy Kash (No. 43) drew the white and brown pinto and they’ll square off on Thursday night.

The world-class lineup doesn’t stop with the bucking stock, 33 steer wrestlers will get after it over the three-day rodeo, which gets underway Thursday night at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Five of the top 10 bull doggers are on the schedule, including No. 3 Tyler Pearson of Louisville, Miss., Olin Hannum of Malad, Idaho (No. 4), Tremonton, Utah, cowboy Baylor Roche (No. 6), Tanner Milan of Cochrane, Alberta (No. 9) and Sparta, Wisc. cowboy Nick Guy (No. 10).

The Columbia Basin will also be privy to talents of 19 of the best tie-down ropers in the PRCA, including Caleb Smidt of Bellville, Texas, who rolls into town with the No. 2 ranking and looking to get some Moses Lake money to help him on his way.

The pre-show begins at 6:30 p.m. each night and the rodeo action is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

2016 rodeo event winners

All-around - Shane Proctor, Coulee City

Bull riding - Shane Proctor, Coulee City

Bareback riding - Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif.

Saddle broncs - Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alberta

Steer wrestling - Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore.

Team roping - Riley Minor and Brady Minor, Ellensburg, (tie) Levi Simpson and Jeremy Buhler.

Tie-down roping - Cade Swor, Cory Solomon and Jake Pratt

Barrel racing - Callahan Crossley, Hermiston, Ore.

Rodney Harwood is a sports writer with the Columbia Basin Herald and can be reached at rharwood@columbiabasinherald.com