Kersh bulldogs lead in Dodge

Darcy Kersh fancies himself an all-around cowboy. He rides broncs, wrestles steers and ties down calves.

His focus this year, though, has been on bulldogging, where he sits 43rd in the world standings with two months remaining in the ProRodeo regular season. He had biceps surgery and didn’t actually start his season until mid-April, so the $35,533 he’s collected has come in the last three-plus months.

“Because of that surgery, I’m pretty far behind, but I feel like it’s been pretty good this season since I’ve come back,” said Kersh, 27, originally of Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia, but now living in Stephenville, Texas. “I’ve had a couple of weeks that were a little slow, but I feel like I’ve been winning pretty consistently everywhere that I’ve gone.”

All he wants is a chance. That’s all every contestant at Dodge City Roundup Rodeo wants. He got his first opportunity July 29 and made the most of it. He grappled his first steer to the ground in 4.3 seconds in the morning edition, then stopped the clock in 4.8 seconds in the evening performance. His two-run cumulative time of 9.1 seconds pushed him to the steer wrestling lead at Roundup Arena and gives him a shot to return for Championship Sunday, which will feature the top contestants in each event from the preliminary days of competition.

“This is the best rodeo of the week,” he said of Roundup. “Dodge is a great place to come.”

Riding Swamper, a horse owned by fellow steer wrestler Winsten McGraw, may have been the ace Kersh needed up his sleeve.

“He’s an outstanding horse,” Kersh said. I’ve been lucky to ride him on a number of occasions. It’s just awesome to be able to get on a horse like that. All you’ve got to do is just focus on bulldogging, because a horse like that is going to leave and run, do their job. All you’ve got to think about is just making the best run each time.”

Because of a family “thing” he has going on, he’ll make his way to another destination without stopping to bulldog anywhere else, but he hopes to return to southwest Kansas in four days.

“I had to change things up, so this is the only rodeo I’m going to this week,” Kersh said. “I figured I’d trade around and go to the best one. I’m not going to say I’m safe to make the short round, but I think I’m in a good spot. I made two good runs on the cows I had, and that’s what I’m always focused on doing.”

Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Dodge City, Kan. July 30-Aug. 3 

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Lane McGehee, 84.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Dirty South; 2. Roedy Farrell, 83.5; 3. Andy Gingerich, 81.5; 4. Gauge McBride, 81; 5. Tucker Carricato, 76; 6. Connor Griffith, 72; 7. Ethan Crouch, 71; 8. Carson Hildre, 69.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Kall Mayfield, 4.1 seconds; 2. Darcy Kersh, 4.3; 3. Dalton Massey, 4.5; 4. Landris White, 4.9; 5. Boyd Sawyer, 6.5; 6. Trevor Meier, 6.7; 7. Mike McGinn, 7.9; 8. Garrett Oates, 8.7. Second round leaders: 1. Boyd Sawyer, 3.8 seconds; 2. Emmett Edler, 4.2; 3. Mike McGinn, 4.6; 4. Darcy Kersh, 4.8; 5. Kall Mayfield, 5.1; 6. Wade Steffen, 5.3; 7. Nathan Duvall, 6.8; 8. Dynamo Musil, 10.3. Average leaders: 1. Darcy Kersh, 9.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Kall Mayfield, 9.2; 3. Boyd Sawyer, 10.3; 4. Mike McGinn,

12.5; 5. Nathan Duvall, 16.6; 6. Emmett Edler, 19.6; 7. Dynamo Musil, 20.6; 8. Winsten McGraw, 60.8; 9. Dalton Massey, 4.5 seconds on one run; 10. Landris White, 4.9; 11. Wade Steffen, 5.3; 12. Trevor Meier, 6.7.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Dawson Graham/Dillion Graham, 5.4 seconds; 2. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 5.9; 3. Coy Rahlmann/Logan Medlin, 6.2; 4. Brandon Farris/Braden Harmon, 6.4; 5. Blaine Turner/Scout McElroy, 7.8; 6. Wheston Jones/Cordell Collins, 10.9; 7. Corben Culley/Bryce Graves, 11.7; 8. Brent Mibb/Chet Weitz, 12.0.. Second round leaders: 1. Cole Eiguren/Dylan Hancock, 5.3 seconds; 2. Kellan Johnson/Trae Smith, 5.5; 3. Brandon Farris/Braden Harmon, 6.0; 4. Baylor Pool/Trigger Hargrove, 6.5; 5. Cyle Denison/Braylon Tryan, 9.1; 6. Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cos, 9.8; 7. Blaine Turner/Scout McElroy, 9.9; 8. Coy Rahlmann/Logan Medlin, 10.5. Average leaders: 1. Brandon Farris/Braden Harmon, 12.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Coy Rahlmann/Logan Medlin, 16.7; 3. Blaine Turner/Scout McElroy, 17.7; 4. Cole Eiguren, 5.3 seconds on one run; 5. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 5.4; 6. Kellan Johnson/Trae Smith, 5.5; 7. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 5.9; 8. Baylor Pool/Trigger Hargrove, 6.5; 9. Cyle Denison/Braylon Tryan, 9.1; 10. Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox, 9.8; 11. Wheston Jones/Cordell Collins, 10.9; 12. Corben Culley/Bryce Graves, 11.7.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) Brody Cress, on Double J Rodeo’s Weekend Fling, and Mitchie Story on Double J Rodeo’s Jerry’s Justice, 84.5 points; 3. Blake Steuck, 84; 4. Waitley Sharon, 82; 5. Regan Lyons, 80; 6. Wyatt Lavergne, 78.5; 7. Joe Macqueen, 76; 8. Will Pollock, 75.

Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 2.4 seconds; 2. Clare Burcalow, 3.1; 3. Jade Mitchell, 3.3; 4. (tie) Erin Johnson and Josey Murphy, 3.5; 6. Karrigan Graves, 3.7; 7. Kirby Rawlinson, 3.8; 8. (tie) Mable McAbee and Kimberly Williams, 4.8. Second round leaders: 1. Suzanne Williams, 1.9 seconds; 2. Kiley Slavin, 2.6; 3. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 3.4; 4. Kimberly Williams, 3.5; 5. Jade Mitchell, 4.4; 6. Karrigan Graves, 4.7; 7. Josey Murphy, 4.8; 8. Sage Dunlap, 5.2. Average leaders: 1. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 5.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Jade Mitchell, 7.7; 3. (tie) Kimberly Williams and Josey Murphy, 8.3; 5. Karrigan Graves, 8.4; 6. Suzanne Williams, 14.0; 7. Kirby Rawlinson, 17.1; 8. Summer Williams, 17.4; 9. Kiley Slavin, 2.6 seconds on one run; 10. Clare Burcalow, 3.1; 11. Erin Johnson, 3.5; 12. Mable McAbee, 4.8.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Semaj Collins Jr., 8.1 seconds; 2. Shad Mayfield, 8.2; 3. Haven Meged, 8.9; 4. Cole Clemons, 10.0; 5. Zack Jongbloed, 10.1; 6. Dylan Hancock, 10.2; 7. Colton Suther, 10.3; 8. Riley Pruitt, 11.1. Second round leaders: 1. Shad Mayfield, 9.1 seconds; 2. Kason Dyer, 9.3; 3. Dylan Hancock, 10; 4. Haven Meged, 10.4; 5. Semaj Collins, 12.2; 6. Dillon Grote, 12.5; 7. Chance Oftedahl, 13.2; 8. Cole Eiguren, 18.1. Average leaders: 1. Shad Mayfield, 17.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Haven Meged, 19.3; 3. Dylan Hancock, 20.2; 4. Semaj Collins, 20.3; 5. Dillon Grote, 24.8; 6. Chance Oftedahl, 28.6; 7. Zack Jongbloed, 31.4; 8. Colton Suther, 32.1; 9. Jett Barrett, 33.7; 10. Kason Dyer, 9.3 seconds on one run; 11. Cole Clemons, 10.0; 12. Riley Pruitt, 11.1.

Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Loralee Ward, 17.01 seconds; 2. Piper Cordes, 17.31; 3. Acey Pinkston, 17.44; 4. Keylee Zancanella, 17.63; 5. Blake Molle, 17.69; 6. Kallie Gates, 17.86; 7. Makayla Coffelt, 18.09; 8. Ginger Greene, 18.27; 9. Macie Morris, 18.82; 10. J.J. Baldwin, 21.31. Second round leaders: 1. Piper Cordes, 17.17 seconds; 2. Loralee Ward, 17.30; 3. Blake Molle, 17.39; 4. Acey Pinkston, 17.,42; 5. Kallie Gates, 17.68; 6. J.J. Baldwin, 17.84; 7. Alex Odle, 18.00; 8. Makayla Coffelt, 18.20; 9. Ginger Greene, 23.26; 10. Keylee Zancanella, 25.19. Average leaders: 1. Loralee Ward, 34.31 seconds on two runs; 2. Piper Cordes, 34.48; 3. Acey Pinkston, 34.86; 4. Blake Molle, 35.08; 5. Kallie Gatres, 35.54; 6. Makayla Coffelt, 36.29; 7. J.J. Baldwin, 39.15; 8. Alex Odle, 40.58; 9. Ginger Greene, 41.63; 10. Keylee Zancanella, 42.82.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Hudson Bolton, 89.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Riser; 2. Luke Mackey, 87; 3. Macate Trammell, 84.5; no other qualified rides.