The fifth day of the 2021 World Cup Finals kicked off at 9am on 10/28/21. The John Deere Gator Specialty Ropings finished up, along with 9.5 Preliminary and 9.5 Shootout.
Starting off Day 5 was the 9.5 Preliminary. A high-paying roping that put $33,770 back into the top three teams pockets:
1st : Blake Mitchell & Wyatt Rita, $15,250
2nd: Mattox Moyer & Dace Morris, $10,350
3rd: Ben Butt & Grant Sippel, $8,170
Fast Time: Suzie Johnson & Ben Butt, $400
All the way from Hawaii and Wisconsin, this duo brought the heat for their runs. Mitchell said it is important for him to, “stay in postition and give them a good handle.” The duo had never met previous to the roping, but they sure work great together.
The 9.5 Shootout followed immediately after the 9.5 Preliminary. A total of $59,770 was paid back to these teams:
1st: Blake Mitchell & Wyatt Rita, $23,210
2nd: Dirk Henderson & Eric Hoelting, $16,710
3rd: Ben Scott & Ethan Claiborn, $11,950
4th: Philip Charlton & Jerod Struthers, $8,440
Fast Time: Kelsey Kaniho & Levi Rita, $800
Proof that these two brought the heat. Rita said putting in for the Preliminary with Mitchell was “the best investment of the week.” The duo walked away with a combined total of over $38K, new buckles and a new friend.
Following the 9.5 Shootout came the 9.5 40 & Over John Deere Specialty Roping. The top three teams earned a combined total of $27,500:
1st: Lynn Dale Toon & Gary Cripps, $12,240
2nd: Jeff Cargill & Steve Zumbrunn, $8,310
3rd: Robin Bland & James Andrews, $6,950
Fast Time: Donnie Schneider & Mark Smith, $400
Toon and Cripps “put the nail in the coffin” on this run. They have both put in the work to get them to this point, and it paid off for them. When asked about the roping fees, Toon said, “you get a lot for your return. These are really, really good ropings.”
Again, these ropers can become the High Point roper by placing in the top 20 and accumulating points. The first place team gets 20 points each, the second place team gets 19 points, and so on. The more times and the higher the ropers place in the top 20, the better their chances are at being the High Point Roper.
Winning a total of 40 points, the High Point Roper of the 9.5 40 & Over was Brad Thrash.
“I love these over 40, 50 and 60 ropings because it lets us old guys have a chance,” Thrash said. That is what Jeff Smith and 3 Point Productions is about – giving everyone a chance.
Finishing out the day and the John Deere Specialty Ropings was the 8.5 50 & Over. This roping put $33,630 back in these ropers pockets:
1st: Marty Howard & Mike Colby, $11,410
2nd: Cam Schneider & Terry Kinderknecht, $7,740
3rd: Dale Morrison & Rick Anderson, $6,480
4th: Donnie Schneider & Mark Smith, $4,540
5th: Andy Asch & Terry Kinderknecht, $3,460
Fast Time: Donnie Schneider & Mark Smith, $400
Finishing off the day, Howard and Colby got a rewarding win for themselves. Some advice from the header, Colby said, “just get [the rope] on its horns. Howard’s advice for being a heeler said, “look the steer over real good and finish out the run.” Both ends did their part to bring home a win.
The final High Point Roper of the week was Terry Kinderknecht. He racked up a total of 35 points.
Kinderknecht said the key to success was just to catch. He appreciated the setup and said drawing good cattle is what it took to win. Something Jeff Smith and 3 Point Productions prides themselves in is bringing in good cattle.
We want to thank Purina Animal Nutrition for being the Official Feed Sponsor of the 2021 World Cup Finals. Purina has over 125 years of expertise, research and experience in feeding some of the most competitive horses in the rodeo world.
These athletes had a great day of roping and still have plenty ahead of them at the Lazy E Arena for the World Cup Finals. Watch the event live by checking back to our Facebook Page each day for the updated link. To learn more about the finals, check out the details here.
