Veterans and Newcomers Take Early Season Lead

Pro Roughstock Series Event Wows the Crowd in Mesquite, TX

Saturday night's final round of the Pro Roughstock Series Resistol Invitational in Mesquite, TX, provided edge of your seat excitement and razor-thin margins of victory in two of the three events.

Taking the early season lead in the bareback competition is three-time series defending champion Scott Montague of Rapid City, SD. Scott, like many of the PRS riders, struggled to make airline connections into Dallas after Friday afternoon severe weather closed DFW airport for several hours. He was able to arrive late Friday night and rode twice during Saturday's final round, recording back-top-back 82's to take the average title.His lead is just a single point however over PRS veteran rider Kelly Timberman of Mills, Wyoming. Timberman had an excellent weekend with scores of 83 on Smith Pro Rodeo's Memphis King on Friday, and 80 points on Frontier's Full Baggage Saturday night to arrive at 163 total points.

In saddle bronc competition the early season race is as tight as ever with a tie for the top spot. The average winners in Mesquite were three-time past Pro Roughstock Champion Jake Costello of Newell, SD, and PRS veteran rider Shane Moran of Great Falls, MT. Moran displayed a precise riding style and spur stroke during a picture-perfect ride on Frontier Rodeo's Medicine Woman to a sparkling 85-point total. Costello meanwhile took control of Powder River Rodeo's spectacular Paper Roses tallying an 80. That combined with his first round total of 83 gave him 155 total points, tied with Moran.

In bull riding the highlight of the night was Gillette, Wyoming's Bobby Welsh who rode Smith Pro Rodeo's fiercesome bull, Cape Fear to an 86-point performance, bringing the Texas crowd to its feet. However, it was New Mexico's Chon Miranda, a newcomer to the tour in 2010, who was the stickiest rider of the weekend. He was the only cowboy to ride two-head and now holds the early season average lead after riding Frontier's Sponge Bob to an 76 on Saturday night. Miranda's 155 points easily outdistance the competition as his nearest rival is Welsh with 86 points.

The Pro Roughstock Series tour continues in June with a stop in suburban Albuquerque at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, NM, on June 18 and 19. The Profesisonal Roughstock Tour features the sport of rodeo's top animal athletes against the world's top cowboys in bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding. The event is action-filled and fast paced. It is produced by Marvin Garrett Roughstock Series, LLC.