When asked how it feels to have won Albuquerque, New Mexico, Spencer Mitchell had one, quick answer.
“I ain’t as broke as I was last week,” Mitchell said.
When they needed it most, Mitchell and Cody Doescher blasted a run at the New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo to better their chances at qualifying for this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo after adding $4,510 to each man’s earnings.
[LISTEN: The Score: Season 2, Episode 1 with Spencer Mitchell]
“Counting Albuquerque, I had six rodeos left,” Mitchell said. “It was basically a long shot, but I pretty much told myself before I came out there was that I was going to finish the year out and not even worry about what happens. I just need to go rope and if it works, it works and if not, then just finish out what I started.”
Sitting 18th in the PRCA world standings with $62,580.49, Mitchell is no stranger to the bubble position.
“As far as the world standings, I’ve been in this spot about four or five times before,” Mitchell admitted. “Really, this is probably the clearest my head’s been going into it. Before I would get down about making it and whatever else. Now I am just going to go rope the rest of the year and see what happens. I’m just going to finish as strong as I can.”
[READ MORE: Rebuilding in 2019 with Spencer Mitchell]
With just five rodeos left, the one and only game plan that Mitchell can come up with to battle it out for his shot at the 2019 NFR is to win. His partner, Doescher, is just a bit farther out of the top 15 at 23rd, with $52,419.76.
“I pretty much just have to win first,” Mitchell said. “I have five rodeos left and depending on what everyone else does, I plan on trying to win first at every one of them.”
Mitchell is also leading the California circuit standings with $20,596.71.
[READ MORE: Bubble Boy Spencer Mitchel Swinging for the Fences]
Top 20 Headers:
1. Clay Smith, $145,866.03
2. Kaleb Driggers, $113,040.73
3. Clay Tryan, $103,164.76
4. Ty Blasingame, $101,396.11
5. Coleman Proctor, $95,056.73
6. Riley Minor, $97,648.95
7. Cody Snow, $92,472.04
8. Chad Masters, $92,264.81
9. Brenten Hall, $86,345.09
10. Luke Brown, $84,939.19
11. Matt Sherwood, $74,119.92
12. Jake Cooper, $72,389.60
13. Tyler Wade, $71,435.99
14. Tate Kirchenschlager, $71,434.79
15. Erich Rogers, $71,422.23
16. Dustin Egusquiza, $70,995.67
17. Tanner Baldwin, $64,007.72
18. Spencer Mitchell, $62,580.49
19. Paul David Tierney, $61,944.22
20. Nelson Wyatt, $60,958.38
Top 20 Heelers:
1. Junior Nogueira, $113,040.73
2. Jake Long, $106,896.49
3. Ryan Motes, $106,243.85
4. Jade Corkill, $103,991.74
5. Travis Graves, $103,164.76
6. Brady Minor, $97,648.95
7. Kyle Lockett, $94,329.86
8. Joseph Harrison, $93,352.94
9. Paul Eaves, $88,994.63
10. Chase Tryan, $86,345.09
11. Wesley Thorp, $84,714.51
12. Hunter Koch, $84,307.07
13. Caleb Anderson, $72,389.60
14. Tyler Worley, $69,766.29
15. Cole Davison, $68,987.08
16. Nano Garza, $66,195.35
17. Paden Bray, $64,437.47
18. Billie Jack Saebens, $62,216.19
19. Levi Lord, $62,095.08
20. Tanner Braden, $59,195.07
Full 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.