By Kirk Copeland
Frontier Rodeo Media
(318) 525-8853
kirk@frontierrodeo.com

Friday, April 24th

(Corpus Christi, TX.) – Day three of the 24th Annual Buc Days PRCA Pro Rodeo brought thrills to the huge crowd at American Bank Center Saturday night in Corpus Christi, including an unprecedented ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Dirty Cop by five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Kanin Asay.

Not to be outshined, Isaac Diaz hopped aboard Frontier’s two-time bucking horse of the year Medicine Woman and grabbed a tie for the lead in saddle bronc, while Callie DuPerier, ranked fourth in the world, took over the top spot in barrel racing, and JoJo McLeod and Josh Patton took the aggregate lead in team roping during Saturday’s action.

Over 6,000 fans also packed the arena to watch top-ranked Bobby Mote ride two-time world champion bareback horse Full Baggage and second-ranked Tim O’Donnell take on Sonora to vault onto the leaderboard after Saturday’s results.

The Buc Days Rodeo, which is held in conjunction with the Buccaneers Days Festival in Corpus Christi, concludes Sunday afternoon starting at 2:30 p.m. at American Bank Center.

Asay, a two-time winner this year, ignited an already raucous crowd when he tamed Dirty Cop, a bull that had never given a clean ride in competition before Saturday.

“He was mean, no doubt about that,” said Asay. “He had some little tricks up his sleeve, and he did his best to throw me. I just felt really good tonight, and I was able to sense what he was going to do before he did it. It was a good ride, and I thank God for that, and for keeping me and all the riders safe this weekend.”

Asay overtakes Codrick Murphy, who put up an 84 on Flash Card Friday, for first overall going into the final day. Bart Miller moves into third overall with a ride of 82 on Silent Night.

Diaz, whose wife Britany holds the fourth overall time in barrel racing after a 13.74-second run Saturday, says he was ecstatic to hear he got the draw of Medicine Woman for the Buc Days event.

“I was on the phone with Britany when I got word of the draw, and I gave out a ‘whoop!’”, said Diaz, a Desdemona, Texas, native. “I told her, ‘I just got the best draw I could hope for’, and that was true. She’s an amazing horse, and she performed like the champion that she is.”

Diaz joins Jacobs Crawley, who rode Griz Thursday, at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 87. Zeke Thurston wowed the crowd with his 86 Saturday night aboad Time Out to sit in third place overall.

Mote and O’Connell each scored 85s to move into a tie for second overall after Saturday’s performances with Bill Tutor continuing to hold the overall lead with his 88 Thursday. O’Connell drew Sonora for his mount, while Mote rode Showstomper, a horse he says “molested” him the first time he ever rode him.

“He got me pretty good that first time,” said Mote, a four-time bareback world champion. “He just molested me that time. He’s a heck of a horse, but I was tied in good this time, and had a real good ride.”

DuPerier stormed into the overall lead in barrel racing Saturday with a ride of 13.65 seconds to overtake Hanna Forbes, who turned in a 13.67 Friday. Cassidy Kruse comes in at third with a 13.70 ride Thursday.

LeMond and Patton took over the lead in team roping average with a time of 5.8 seconds Saturday to give them an aggregate time of 10.6 after two rides. Blaine Vick and Twister Cain had the best performance time of Saturday's action with a 5.3. Caleb Mitchell and Steve Northcott sit in second in average with an aggregate time of 11.4, while Logan and Jordan Olson are third with an 11.6.

In Saturday’s steer wrestling, Blake Doyle had the best time at 5.6 seconds, but that was only good for sixth place overall. Riley Duvall and Justin Blain Davis continue to lead overall with times of 4.5 each, and Jacob Talley sits in third with a time of 4.

Kyle Dickens and Justin Macha snuck into the top five in tie-down roping with times of 9.3 Saturday, but Joseph Gernentz still leads overall with a time of 8.0. Clay Long is in second at 8.1 and Hunter Herrin rounds out the top three with an 8.8.