East Oregonian
HERMISTON — After Callahan Crossley was the only cowgirl to break 18 seconds in the barrel race in rodeo No. 1 on Friday and Saturday, it looked like circumstances would repeat in Rodeo No. 2 on Sunday.
But the third to last rider of the event, Terrebonne’s Stevie Rae Willis bumped the Hermiston girl down to second place. Still, her times of 17.979 and 17.992 seconds gave her the lowest aggregate time of the weekend at the Intermountain High School Rodeo at Farm-City Arena, crowning her the overall champion.
Along with the title, the Hermiston senior was also awarded a halter, an honorary prize in memory of Janice Davis, Crossley’s aunt.
Crossley’s second-place finish in the second rodeo of the Intermountain doubleheader was the closest any locals came to winning events after four cowboys and cowgirls were victorious in the first go.
Molly Hamilton of Pendleton finished just behind Crossley in third in the barrels.
Pendleton’s Cain Smith took a pair of second places in the bull riding and tie down roping events. His roping time of 10.81 seconds came in the final run of the rodeo and fell just short of the 10.76-mark Crane’s Nic Nyman put up.
In bull riding, Smith’s score of 72 landed in second behind Cody Hudson of Camas. Hudson dropped an 85 just two riders ahead of Smith, a sizeable score that boosted the latter boy’s energy.
“There’s a saying at some of the rodeos, ‘If the first one rides, everybody rides,’ ” Smith said. “So if you get one good bull ride in front of you, it just makes you want to ride up and compete.”
Michael Pederson of Hermiston finished third in the steer wrestling, while the team of Kaci Kamm and Jarred Livingston also took third in the team roping. Kamm is from Stanfield while Livingston hails from Pendleton.
Kamm also finished third in the girls cutting while her brother Koty did the same for the boys. Blake Greenup of Heppner wrapped up the Intermountain team’s third placers, hers coming in the goat tie.