Taylor Langdon, and Louie, opened the new year with some fireworks.
“It’s a pretty good way to start 2018,” Langdon said with smile, clutching her gray horse by the reins just a few steps out into the chilly night back behind Ector County Coliseum.
“It was a lot of fun.”
Moments earlier on Saturday night, Langdon and Louie exploded down and out of the starting tunnel and onto the arena floor, twisting their way around three barrels and jetting back through a roaring coliseum to put on a spectacle of a show for fans during the final evening performance of the 2018 Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo.
Langdon, from Aubrey, raced through the finish line in 14.95 seconds on Saturday night to win the rodeo’s week-long barrel racing event, and highlight a sizzling final performance as the 2018 edition of the rodeo drew to a close.
Langdon netted $5,557.28 for her win, crowned along with the rest of the week’s winners by the end of Saturday night’s action.
She topped Leia Pluemer, from Bosque Farms, N.M., who had laid down a time of 15 seconds flat earlier in the week to hold firm to the top of the leaderboard — until Langdon’s run with Louie on Saturday.
For Langdon, who is just getting back on Louie after a few months apart due to injury, the win to open 2018 is particularly special.
“It’s huge,” Langdon said of the victory. “This is a new horse I bought at the end of last year. I was trying to get with him last year, and we had some health issues with him towards the end.
“This was virtually his first run back, and it’s sure good to know he’s healthy,” she smiled.
Jackie Ganter of Abilene finished third in 15.08. Another West Texan, Jill Wilson of Snyder, cracked the top 10 at 10th in 15.18.
For Langdon, and Louie, who pick up the schedule this month, the hope is the Sandhills in Odessa is a catapult to a big 2018.
“I hadn’t been to anything for the winter, so it’s just pretty exciting that he feels good again,” Langdon said.
>> WORTH THE TRIP: Luke Creasy, from Hobbs, N.M., made his short trip worthwhile on Saturday night, scoring an even 80 in bareback riding to take third in the overall, week-long standings.
Nobody topped the Frenchman Evan Jayne, who laid down a winning 84 earlier in the week, but Creasy’s ride marked one of the big moves made in the overall standings during Saturday night’s sixth and final rodeo performance.
Creasy netted $1,781.77 for his third-place finish.
>> BIG WINNERS: By the time the dust settled Saturday, J.W. Harris’ 88.5 from earlier in the week in bullriding stood firm atop the week’s standings, netting him $4,822.20. Harris is from Goldthwaite.
Marcos Costa, of Childress, won tie-down roping with an average time of 8.5 seconds, to take home $4,286.40.
Heith Allan DeMoss, from Heflin, La., and Brody Cress, of Hillsdale, Wyo., split the saddle bronc to each win $3,629.38.
Jan. 3-13
Ector County Coliseum
BAREBACK
1. Evan Jayne, France, 84 points, $3,144.30; 2. Kaycee Field, Spanish Fork, Utah, 82, $2,410.63; 3. Luke Creasy, Hobbs, N.M., 80, $1,781.77; 4. Zach Hibler, Wheeler, 79, $1,152.91; 5. Orin Larsen, Canada, 78, $733.67; 6. Logan Patterson, Kim, Colo., 77, $524.05; 7. Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La., 76, $419.24; 8. (tie) Jamie Howlett, Weatherford; and Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., 75, $157.21.
SADDLE BRONC
1. (tie) Heith Allan DeMoss, Heflin, La.; and Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo., 86 points, $3,629.38; 3. (tie) Taos Muncy, Coronad, N.M.; and Troy Crowsder, Whitewood, S.D., 84, $1,917.40; 5. Jacob Lewis, Stephenville, 83, $958.70; 6. (tie) Cort Scheer, Douglas, Wyo.; and Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, 81, $616.31; 8. Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, 80, $410.87.
BULL RIDING
1. J.W. Harris, Goldthwaite, 88.5 points, $4,822.20; 2. Ben Jones, Boyd, 85.5, $3,697.02; 3. Tyler Bingham, Honeville, Utah, 84.5, $2,732.58; 4. Jeff Askey, Athens, 83, $1,768.14; 5. Drew Antone, New Underwood, S.D., 81, $1,125.18; 6. Ednei Caminhas, Denton, 80.5, $803.70; 7. Jared Parsonage, Canada, 78.5, $642.96; 8. (tie) Casey White, Weiser, Idaho; Clayton Sellars, Fruitland Park, Fla.; and Riley Blankenship, Killdeer, N.D., 76, $160.74.
TIE DOWN ROPING
1. Marcos Costa, Childress, 8.5 seconds, $4,286.40; 2. (tie) Riley Pruitt, Gerig, Neb.; Clint Akins, Sanger; and J.D. McCuistion, Collinsville, 8.7, $3,384.00; 5. Taylor Smith, Hobbs, N.M., 8.8, $2,481.60; 6. (tie) Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla.; Ace Slone, Cuero; and King Pickett, Huntsville, 8.9, $1,579.20; 9. Hudson Wallace, George West, 9.0, $676.80; 10. Tyson Durfey, Weatherford, 9.2, $225.60.
STEER WRESTLING
1. Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah, 8.1 seconds aggregate, $2,802.87; 2. Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nev., 8.4, $2,437.28; 3. Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., 8.6, $2,071.69; 4. Tiley Duvall, Checotah, Okla., 8.7, $1,706.10; 5. Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kansas, 9.0, $1,340.50; 6. Jace Melvin, Bluff Dale, 9.9, $974.91; 7. (tie) Will Lummus, West Point, Miss.; and K.C. Jones, Decatur, 10.0, $426.52.
TEAM ROPING
1. Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M., 8.5 seconds aggregate, $3,368.08; 2. Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla., Reagan Ward, Edmond, Okla., 8.6, $2,928.77; 3. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo., 8.7, $2,489.45; 4. Dustin Egusquiza, Mariana, Fla., Kory Koontz, Stephenville, 9.0, $1,610.82; 6. Laramie Allen, Llano, Ross Ashford, Lott, 9.7, $1,171.50; 7. JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Randon Adams, Logandale, Nev., 10.0, $732.19; 8. (tie) Paul David Tierney, Oklahoma City, Okla., Tanner Braden, Dewey, Okla.; and Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., Junior Nogueira, Brazil, 10.2, $146.43.
BARREL RACING
1. Taylor Langdon, Aubrey, 14.95 seconds, $5,557.28; 2. Leia Pluemer, Bosque Farms, N.M., 15.00, $4,445.82; 3. Jackie Ganter, Abilene, 15.08, $3,612.23; 4. Ivy Hurst, Springer, Okla., 15.10, $2,778.64; 5. (tie) Bobbi Grann, Sheyenne, N.D.; and Tammy Fischer, Ledbetter, 15.14, $1,945.04; 7. (tie) Shaylee Self, Dublin; Kellie Collier, Hereford; and Brooke Rix, San Antonio, 15.17, $1,250.38; 10. Jill Wilson, Snyder, 15.18, $972.52.
