In the last few weeks of PRCA Pro Rodeo’s regular season Oregon’s Jason Stewart and Calgary Smith have launched to second in the Columbia River circuit standings, challenging Riley and Brady Minor for their No. 1 positions. 

Stewart and Smith added $8,788 to their earnings after winning the Pendleton (Oregon) Round-Up, putting Stewart at $14,910.31 and Smith at $16,167.32 in total season earnings. 

“I think I was like sixth and Jason was 11th,” Smith said. “We needed to do good there or at Othello (Washington, PRCA Rodeo) in order to make sure we both made it. Once we did good at Pendleton we turned out of Othello and just hung out with our family after the short round. It helped me get a spot guaranteed for the permit finals, too.”

Stewart and Smith came back sixth in the final round against a long list of tough competitors and knocked down a quick 4.8-second run to move them into first in the average. 

“We came back and was sixth callback,” Smith said. “When we knew what steer we had I called Jason when I looked at it and we just started laughing because we knew if we could do our job things were going to work out alright and it did. I was more nervous watching everyone else go than I was to rope. My short round steer was probably the calmest steer that I ran all week. After sitting there watching everyone was telling me good job after I went. I was like, ‘well, it’s not over yet we still have five more to go.’ I just had to sit there and patiently wait.”

They started out the week tying Blake Teixeira and Jordan Ketscher and Erich Rogers and Paden Bray for eighth in the first round with a 5.8-second run, worth $136 a man.

“We have a pretty good run down, and that was our plan just to stick with our run,” Smith said. “Our first steer was really good—just made a good run. Our second one was pretty strong and we ran him a ways out there and was 6.5 and was too long to place.”

With just a few weeks left in the season Stewart and Smith can breathe easy they anticipate their circuit finals.

“It’s still pretty awesome to think about and look at all the pictures and videos,” Smith said. “We’re going to another rodeo this weekend and I went to a jackpot yesterday so I’m trying to focus on all that and not just live in the past, honestly.”

PRCA Circuit Leaders as of August 28, 2019:

Badlands: Jon Peterson, $13,070.03; Trae Smith, $11,980.00

California: Spencer Mitchell, $20,596.71; Nano Garza, $26,188.52

Columbia River: Riley Minor, $19,846.59; Brady Minor, $19,846.59

First Frontier: Kyle Letzelter, $8,320.98; Casey Cox, $8,320.98

Great Lakes: Coy Rahlmann, $18,811.41; Ryan Von Ahn, $23,450.23

Maple Leaf: Clay Ullery, $18,041.76; Riley Warren, $18,041.81

Montana: Travis Tryan, $14,890.17; Justin Viles, $14,890.17

Mountain States: Tate Kirchenschlager, $14,085.94; Brock Hanson, $13,085.16

Prairie: Coleman Proctor, $18,955.28; Dawson McMaster, $13,816.93

Southeastern: Jacob Dagenhart, $13,835.19; Heath Williams, $16,117.13

Texas: Manny Egusquiza Jr., $18,547.95; Paul Eaves, $19,682.20

Turquoise: Derrick Begay, $11,878.23; Seth Hall , $12,856.38

Wilderness: Zane Barnson, $21,837.46; Olin Pulham, $21,837.46

Mexico: Jorge Hawkins, $2,885.11; Daniel Sanchez, $2,885.08

PRCA Pro Rodeo Results: 

Coarsegold, Calif. 1. C.J. DeForest Jr./Andy Holcomb, 5.2 seconds, $988 each; 2. Tanner Kent/Joseph Shawnego, 5.7, $818; 3. Blake Hirdes/Cody Cowden, 5.8, $647; 4. Garrett Boekenoogen/Justin Farr, 6.4, $477; 5. Seth Mielke/John Wiersma, 6.9, $307; 6. Paul Mullins/Rhett Kennedy, 7.7, $170.

Marysville, Calif. 1. Colton Farquer/Ryle Smith, 10.2 seconds, $398 each; no other qualified runs.

Santa Ynez, Calif. 1. Clay Ruiz/Brent Lockett, 5.3 seconds, $1,261 each; 2. C.J. DeForest Jr./Andy Holcomb, 5.5, $1,043; 3. Ryan Reed/Wyatt Hansen, 6.1, $826; 4. C.R. Wilken/Monty Joe Petska, 6.3, $609; 5. Blaine Linaweaver/Wade Hooker, 6.5, $391; 6. Cutter Machado/Bob Brown, 8.0, $217.

Albuquerque, N.M. 1. Spencer Mitchell/Cody Doescher, 3.7 seconds, $4,510 each; 2. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 3.8, $4,035; 3. Charly Crawford/Logan Medlin, 3.9, $3,560; 4. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Jake Cooper/Caleb Anderson, 4.1, $2,848 each; 6. Clayton Van Aken/Trey Yates, 4.4, $2,136; 7. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.8, $1,661; 8. Garett Chick/Ross Ashford, 4.9, $1,187; 9. Clayton Hass/Walt Woodard, 5.1, $712; 10. Britt Smith/Jake Smith, 5.3, $237.

Burden, Kan. 1. Jesse Stipes/Cody Heflin, 6.5 seconds, $893 each; 2. Brice Boatright/Braden Harmon, 6.6, $670; 3. Gage Blair/J.R. Williams, 8.0, $447; 4. Brett Christensen/Chase Boekhaus, 8.2, $223.

Woodstown Pilesgrove, N.J. 1. Kyle Letzelter/Casey Cox, 6.6 seconds, $902 each; 2. Jose Mota/Scot Brown, 9.2, $677; 3. Lavern King/J.R. Wenger, 9.7, $451; no other qualified runs.

Olds, Alberta 1. Trey Gallais/Travis Gallais, 4.7 seconds, $1,649 each; 2. Kal Fuller/Kasper Roy, 4.9, $1,434; 3. (tie) Jesse Popescul/Stacy Cornet and Wyatt Hayes/Wyatt Eirikson, 5.1, $1,111each; 5. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 5.2, $788; 6. Brett Buss/Klay Whyte, 5.6, $573; 7. Roland McFadden/Devin Wigemyr, 5.8, $358; 8. Justin McCarroll/Brett McCarroll, 5.9, $143.

Forrest City, Ark. 1. Brant Spurgin/Gabe Gwaltney, 6.6 seconds, $504 each; 2. Reno Gonzales/Joey Sonnier, 6.8, $378; 3. Keith Hanna/Corey Barnett, 12.3, $252; no other qualified runs.

Hot Springs, Ark. 1. Gavin Foster/Chuck Butler, 5.8 seconds, $621 each; 2. Reno Gonzales/Joey Sonnier, 8.1, $466; 3. Will Clark/Tanner Ward, 8.2, $310; 4. Cody Gornto/Troy Weekley Jr., 12.4, $155.

Gordon, Neb. 1. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 6.6 seconds, $698 each; 2. Paul Beckett/JC Flake, 7.9, $524; 3. Ty Blasingame/T.J. Watts, 11.5, $349; 4. Zane Murphy/Jud Jackson, 12.4, $175.

Sioux Falls, S.D. 1. Cody Hilzendeger/Cash Hetzel, 4.9 seconds, $1,908 each; 2. Cooper White/Jerren Johnson, 5.3, $1,659; 3. (tie) Cameron Irwin/Rory Brown and Jr. Dees/Matt Zancanella, 5.5, $1,286 each; 5. Turner Harris/Levi Tyan, 5.8, $913; 6. Tucker Dale/Jesse Dale, 6.0, $664; 7. Shaw Loiseau/Ty Talsma, 6.2, $415; 8. Eli Lord/J.W. Beck, 6.5, $166.

Othello, Wash. 1. Cody Barney/Daniel Holland, 6.5 seconds, $1,043 each; 2. Ryan Readmond/Zalin Arritola, 6.6, $863; 3. Jack Fischer/Joey Bergevin, 6.7, $683; 4. Jake Stanley/Bucky Campbell, 10.0, $503; 5. Tyler Smith/Andy Carlson, 10.8, $324; 6. Justin Marcus/Tee Jay Brown, 14.0, $180.

Pendleton, Ore. First round: 1. Colton Campbell/Dalton Pearce, 4.7 seconds, $4,694 each; 2. Tanner Baldwin/Nano Garza, 5.1, $4,082; 3. Kal Fuller/Kasper Roy, 5.4, $3,470; 4. (tie) Britt Smith/Jake Smith and Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 5.5, $2,551 each; 6. (tie) Billy Bob Brown/Evan Arnold and J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 5.7, $1,327 each; 8. (tie) Blake Teixeira/Jordan Ketscher, Jason Stewart/Calgary Smith and Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 5.8, $136 each. Second round: 1. Lane Ivy/Cesar de la Cruz, 4.6 seconds, $4,694 each; 2. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 4.7, $4,082; 3. Bubba Buckaloo/Cole Davison, 5.4, $3,470; 4. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 5.6, $2,857; 5. Dustin Egusquiza/Jake Long, 5.7, $2,245; 6. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.9, $1,633; 7. (tie) Brandon Beers/Justin Davis and Blake Teixeira/Jordan Ketscher, 6.0, $714 each. Finals: 1. Jason Stewart/Calgary Smith, 4.8 seconds, $1,610 each; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Cole Davison, 5.7, $1,332; 3. Blake Teixeira/Jordan Ketscher, 5.9, $1,055; 4. Tanner Baldwin/Nano Garza, 7.0, $777; 5. Dustin Egusquiza/Jake Long, 7.2, $500; 6. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 10.2, $278. Average: 1. Jason Stewart/Calgary Smith, 17.1 seconds on three head, $7,042 each; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Cole Davison, 17.5, $6,123; 3. Blake Teixeira/Jordan Ketscher, 17.7, $5,205; 4. Dustin Egusquiza/Jake Long, 19.2, $4,286; 5. Tanner Baldwin/Nano Garza, 19.8, $3,368; 6. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 24.1, $2,449; 7. Britt Smith/Jake Smith, 26.5, $1,531; 8. Clay Ruiz/Brent Lockett, 30.5, $612.

Abilene, Texas First round: 1. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.3 seconds, $1,025 each; 2. Luke Brown/Paul Eaves, 4.8, $769; 3. J.B. James Jr/Brock Hanson, 5.4, $513; 4. Twister Vinson/Ben Gambrell, 5.5, $256. Second round: 1. Tanner Tomlinson/Coleby Payne, 4.4 seconds, $1,025 each; 2. Colby Lovell/Corey Hendrick, 5.7, $769; 3. Stratton Lopez/Matt Schieck, 6.0, $513; 4. Luke Brown/Paul Eaves, 6.3, $256. Average: 1. Luke Brown/Paul Eaves, 11.1 seconds on two head, $1,538 each; 2. Twister Vinson/Ben Gambrell, 13.1, $1,154; 3. C.R. Bradley/Chuck Butler, 13.9, $769; 4. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 14.7, $385.

Socorro, N.M. 1. Robert Ansley/Paul Gutierrez, 5.5 seconds, $369 each; 2. Lee Kiehne/Ryon Tittel, 6.5, $276; 3. Trey Blackmore/Seth Hall, 9.2, $184; 4. Shay Johnson/Robert Thompson, 12.8, $92.

Socorro, N.M. 1. Robert Ansley/Paul Gutierrez, 6.2 seconds, $446 each; 2. Jesse Clark/Shank Edwards, 6.8, $335; 3. Lee Kiehne/Ryon Tittel, 11.4, $223; 4. Shay Johnson/Robert Thompson, 11.7, $112.

Socorro, N.M. 1. Lee Kiehne/Ryon Tittel, 6.2 seconds, $252 each; 2. Robert Ansley/Paul Gutierrez, 8.4, $189; no other qualified runs.