Doescher Gets Round 2, Rookie Wakefield Pulls Ahead in CTEC 2023 Average Race
Cody Doescher wins Round 2 of the 2023 Cinch Timed Event Championship, as Riley Wakefield pulls ahead in the average.
Cody Doescher Heeling
Cody Doescher James Phifer Photo

Oklahoma’s Cody Doescher got the go-round win in Round 2 of the 2023 Cinch Timed Event Championship, while Nebraska’s 26-year-old Cinch Timed Event Championship Rookie Riley Wakefield now has the lead on 10 steers with an aggregate time of 121.5 seconds at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma, March 3.

This is 33-year-old Doescher’s second consecutive Round 2 win at the CTEC. He won the same round with a 51.3 on five in 2022, speeding up with a 48.9 on five in 2023. In his 10th CTEC, Doescher moved to seventh in the average with a time of 146.3 on 10 head.

“I drew pretty good,” Doescher, who rode Adam Hubbler’s head horse and his heel-horse mare, Ginger, said. “My team roping steers were both pretty strong. But that’s OK—here, most of them are pretty strong. Douglas (Rich) did a great job on both sides, cleaned them up when I was heading and did a great job heading for me.”

Doescher’s calf took off more than he thought he would in the calf roping, but he hung on the end of his rope and took the tie great to let him be 12.9 on that run. That run came with the help of Kyle Myer’s Casino, an 8-year-old tie-down horse that’s been to the horse shows but hasn’t had much experience on big stages.

“He’s a great horse, and he’s really easy but has all the stuff too to make everything work,” Doescher said. “Big stop, and he lets me get off. I’m not a calf roper, so I don’t get off real fast. He’s really honest. He hasn’t seen anything this big, but he’s worked great so far.”

In the steer wrestling, David Reager’s horse and hazing skills fit Doescher just right to overcome a little late start.

“I missed the barrier just a tick in the bull dogging,” Doescher said. “But my horse worked great as always. Coop (David Reagor), my hazer, did a great job hazing.”

In the steer roping, Doescher drew the steer Russell Cardoza used in Round 1 for the win in the go.

“I knew he was good, so I just went ahead and tried to make a normal run instead of trying to be so safe,” Doescher explained. “I let my horse take care of it, and he did. His name is Holyfield. I bought him in 2019 when I was roping with Spencer Mitchell as a backup heel horse, and he’s a little strong, and I needed a steer horse. Me and Blake Deckard and Jason Stockton made him a steer horse, and he’s turned into a great one for me.

Doescher—who got hurt in the 2020 CTEC and needed knee surgery that COVID delayed—hasn’t been rodeoing full-time since. He’s built a business as a ringman for auto and horse auctions, as well as a family, so the CTEC is his time to shine.

“I work two car auctions a week, and I have a horse sale every weekend,” Doescher said. “I haven’t gotten into the building rodeos, and I’ve been so busy I haven’t made an attempt to get in. I have three kids and a wife to support. It’s hard to go chase it when you don’t get into the buildings. But this event stands out and speaks for itself. You can’t make it mean anymore than it does. It’s the most prestigious event in the sport of rodeo, and for me, the payout is life-changing. But it’s more enjoyable now. It’s not such a job anymore. I get to get ready, and I get to celebrate with my family.”

Average Race

In the average race, Wakefield is 8.6 seconds off the pace Erich Rogers set by the second round in 2022 when he won the $100,000 paycheck. Wakefield, wearing the No.6. back number, subbed in for Haven Meged two weeks ago.

Aggregate After Round 2 (on 10 head)

  1. Riley Wakefield 121.5 seconds
  2. Cole Patterson 129.8 seconds
  3. Russell Cardoza 132.7 seconds
  4. Lane Karney 138.1 seconds
  5. Erich Rogers 141.8 seconds
  6. Justin Thigpen 144.9 seconds
  7. Cody Doescher 146.3 seconds
  8. Marcus Theriot 150.6 seconds
  9. KC Jones 156.7 seconds
  10. Kyle Lockett 158.6 seconds
  11. Nelson Wyatt 165. seconds
  12. Taylor Santos 171.6 seconds
  13. Clayton Hass 174.9 seconds
  14. Paul David Tierney 176.4
  15. Cody Cabral 178.6 seconds
  16. Colby Lovell 178.8 seconds
  17. Seth Hall 190.0 seconds
  18. Kolton Schmidt 193.6 seconds
  19. Jess Tierney 236.4 seconds
  20. Roger Nonella 243.7 seconds
SHARE THIS STORY
CATEGORIES
TAGS
Related Articles
Paul David Tierney
Full Interview: Paul David Tierney's $388.5K Cinch Timed Event Championship Career
Ketch Kelton heeling at Jr. Ironman
Ketch Again
Déjà vu: Ketch Kelton Bags Second Jr. Ironman Championship and $21,750
Paul David Tierney Cinch Timed Event
3X
Paul David Tierney Gets Third Cinch Timed Event Championship Title 10 Years After First
Thomas Smith, Blane Cox, Paul David Tierney Cinch Timed Event Championship
All Comes Down to This
Veteran Paul David Tierney, Last-Minute Fill-In Thomas Smith Neck & Neck Entering Round 5 of Cinch Timed Event Championship
Top Horse Cinch Timed Event
We Need YOU
VOTE HERE: Who's the AQHA's Top Horse of the 2024 Cinch Timed Event Championship?