Contact: Sarah Van Ert, Austin® 512.919.3000 phone 512.919.3005 fax [email protected] www.rodeoaustin.com

FIRST PLAYOFF ROUND TAKES PLACE AT RODEO AUSTIN

Austin, Texas, March 24, 2015 – Tonight Rodeo Austin kicks off the first playoff round of the Ride for the Brand Tournament. Ten competitors from the qualifying rounds in each event will ride for the chance to win a spot in the finals on March 28.

Saddle-bronc rider Clint Hopping will return tonight after placing second on March 15th in the second qualifying round.

“I like the format this year,” Hopping said. “Each round is a clean slate for each rider, a fair chance to win a check and I’m glad I made it to the playoffs.”

The next four days of rodeo will bring great competition as cowboys and cowgirls showcase their hard work while riding for the brand.

“I started out at smaller to work up to getting to big rodeos like this,” Hopping said. “This is my first time competing here at Rodeo Austin in saddle bronc. Walking in today to the semi-finals meant so much to me to be here on my own.”

Hopping will not advance to the finals, but that won’t keep him from holding his head high like a true cowboy.

“I rode good, I felt good, the horse bucked, the crowd cheered, Boyz II Men is playing and there was a great atmosphere,” Hopping said. “Because of the nature of this rodeo, its stature and the weight it carries in our sport I felt like a true bronc rider.”

Rodeo Austin is proud to support cowgirls and cowboys as they make a name for themselves in the great sport of rodeo.

Tonight’s first playoff round results are as follows:

Bareback Riding SCORE 1 Clint Laye 81 2 Zachariah Phillips 77 3 Richie Champion 77 3 Taylor Price 76 5 Winn Ratliff 74 6 Casey Breuer 73

7 Linden Woods 65 8 Sonny Taylor No Score

Steer Wrestling TIME 1 Chance Campbell 5.3 2 Casey Martin 5.3 3 Matt Cupp 6.9 4 Austin Courmier 8.4 5 Jake Rinehart 8.5 6 Cody Cabral No Time 7 Dean Stermer No Time 8 Cooper Shofner No Time 9 Jacob Elder No Time

Team Roping TIME 1 Landon McClaugherty 4.2 Justin Ambriz 2 Caleb Smidt 4.5 Mickey Gomez 3 Cory Kidd 10.8 Chase Tryan 4 Dylan Gordon 12.0 Gage Williams 5 Riley Minor No Time Brady Minor 6 Chuck Doebler No Time Hook LeDoux 7 J.B. James Jr. No Time Cesar de la Cruz 8 Bubba Buckaloo No Time Russell Cardoz 9 Travis Tryan No Time Dugan Kelly 10 Colby Lovell No Time Brock Hansen

Saddle Bronc Score 1 Andy Clarys 81 1 Colton Miller 80 3 Clay Elliott 80 3 Cody Rud 76 5 Dalton Davis 73 6 Allen Boore 71

7 Audy Reed 71 8 Clint Hopping 70 9 Bill Hammerness No Score 10 Tyrell Smith No Score

Tie Down Roping TIME 1 K.C. Miller 8.5 2 Robert Mathis 8.7 2 Ace Slone 8.8 4 Clint Nyegaard 9.2 5 Stetson Vest 10.7 6 Clint Singleton 17.9 7 Bradley Bynum No Score 8 Jordan Ketscher No Score 9 Clint Cooper No Score 10 Cimaron Boardman No Score

Barrel Racing TIME 1 Carley Richardson 15.32 2 Britany Diaz 15.33 3 Kyndal McCown 15.35 4 Christine Laughlin 15.55 5 Teresa Tuberville 20.42 6 Callie DuPerier 20.45 7 Fallon Taylor 20.52 8 Nicole Laurence 20.73 9 Cheyenne Kelly 21.10 10 Emily Efurd 25.81

Bull Riding SCORE 1 Brock Russell 0 2 Jay Turner 0 3 Kevin Hunter 0 4 John Mincey 0 5 Reid Barker 0 6 Chad German 0 7 Dalton Votaw 0 8 Josh Koschel 0 9 Jordan Hansen 0 10 Cody Campbell 0

Clint Hopping hangs on tight during the March 15th performance at Rodeo Austin. (Photo by Kirt Steinke)