SAN ANGELO, TX – Leighton Berry has plenty of accolades under his belt.
He’s a four-time qualifier to the National Finals Rodeo. He’s won the Texas Circuit and most of the major rodeos in the Lone Star State, including the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. On Saturday, he returned to Tom Green County with his sights set on winning the bareback riding title again.
“San Angelo has always been good to me,” said Berry, 27, of Weatherford. “To tell you the truth, I’ve always been fond of this exact performance, the Saturday matinee.
“The main reason why I started entering for this performance was that it’s three and a half hours from my house. I can leave at 8 in the morning, be down here, ride, and then be home for dinner. Every year that I’ve been in this (performance), I’ve always had (a horse) that got me back to the short round.”
He did that again and more. He ignited CRC Roofers Coliseum with a 92-point ride on Korkow Rodeo’s Tator Tot to take the first-round lead in bareback riding.
“Last year, my good friend, Cole Reiner, had Tator Tot, and it was all Korkow’s A-string horses, so we entered the same to see if that would happen this year,” said Berry, who last won San Angelo in 2023. “I didn’t necessary know that Korkow horses were going to be in this (performance) again, but when you’ve been doing something for a couple of years and have had success, you just want to keep doing it.
“I’ve done well on Korkow horses, Pete Carr horses and Macza horses. Every time I’m in this matinee, luck always seems to shift my way, and I pluck a good one to get back.”
Tator Tot was more than a spud for Berry.
“I put my thumb on that horse about two years ago when I first started to see her come around,” Berry said. “Korkow horses tend to be the type that the more they get bucked, the better they get. Every time I saw that horse in person, it just seemed like she got a little bit better.”
Tator Tot was first selected to buck at the NFR in 2024 and promptly guided Rocker Steiner to the sixth-round victory with an 89-point performance. She was 6 years old at the time. Now two years older, her maturity shined Saturday in guiding Berry back to town for Championship Friday, which will feature the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary performances battling for titles.
“Anytime you can draw one like that, whether it’s the 10th round at the NFR or the long round at San Angelo, it just gets your motor going,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about that horse all week and what it might feel like. She exceeded my expectations by a mile.
“I think she knows whenever the stakes are up, and I think she feels the energy from that coliseum. I’ve always said that San Angelo gives me similar vibes to the NFR, but the fans down here are big, true rodeo fans, and they understand the game. They know when they watch a good ride, so when you feel people get on their feet and start making some noise for you, it means something a little different here.”
The team roping duo of Mason's Truman Magnus and Turkey's Jace Bland clocked a time of 4.5 seconds in the Saturday night performance to settle into sixth place.
In bull riding, Florida's Clayton Sellars scored an 83.5 in Saturday's matinee performance to move into second place. Kaufman cowboy Kaiden Loud scored an 83 on Saturday night to jump into third. Idaho's Tristen Hutchings still leads the pack after an 87 on Friday.
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 92 points on Korkow Rodeo’s Tator Tot; 2. Cole Reiner, 88.5; 3. (tie) Jayco Roper and Cooper Cooke, 86; 5. Kade Berry, 85.5; 6. (tie) Taylor Broussard and Cole Hollen, 84.5; 8. Keenan Hayes, 83.5; 9. Toby Deudney, 83; 10. (tie) Ethan Mazurenko and Daxtyn Feild, 82; 12. Carson Hildre, 80.
Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Tory Johnson, 4.4 seconds; 2. Jacob Daniell, 4.6; 3. Tristan Martin, 4.7; 4. Tony Aska, 4.8; 5. Gavin Soileau, 5.2; 6. Seth Peterson, 5.3; 7. Logan Kenline, 5.8; 8. James Mann, 5.9. Average leaders: 1. Grant Peterson, 15.7 seconds on three runs; 2. Tony Aska, 16.4; 3. Ty Allred, 17.5; 4. Tyke Kipp, 21.0; 5. Cody Harmon, 24.2; 6. Peter Haas, 28.0; 7. Logan Kenline, 28.3; 8. James Mann, 31.0; 9. Tory Johnson, 36.9; 10. Colin Fox, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 11. Cody Devers, 8.4; 12. Jacob Daniell, 8.5.
Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Cory Solomon, 8.5 seconds; 2. Brodey Clemons, 8.7; 3. Quade Hiatt, 9.1; 4. (tie) Beau Cooper and Sam Lewis, 9.2; 6. Joel Harris, 9.4; 7. Zaine Mikita, 10.1; 8. Tom Simpson, 10.3. Average leaders: 1. Beau Cooper, 26.2 seconds on three runs; 2. Joel Harris, 27.3; 3. Sam Lewis, 27.5; 4. Cole Clemons, 28.2; 5. Colton Suther, 28.8; 6. Brodey Clemons, 28.9; 7. Cory Solomon, 29.3; 8. Zack Jongbloed, 34.5; 9. Hunter Herrin, 39.2; 10. Ty Harris, 41.9; 11. Quade Hiatt, 42.2; 12. Semaj Collins, 45.3.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Zeke Thurston, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Uptuck; 2. (tie) Mitchie Story and Damian Brfennan, 87 points; 4. Lefty Holman, 86; 5. Kolby Wanchuk, 85.5; 6. Kade Bruno, 85; 7. Ryder Sanford, 84; 8. (tie) Darcy Radel, Wyatt Casper, Kole Ashbacher and Rusty Wright, 83.5; 12. (tie) Cooper Lane and Dawson Hay, 81.
Breakaway roping: Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Hailey Hall and Millie Greenwood, 2.1 seconds; 3. Amy Ohrt, 2.3; 4. Karrigan Graves, 2.9; 5. Rylee George, 3.2; 6. Haiden Thompson, 3.3; 7. Erin Johnson, 3.8; 8. Jimmie Smith, 3.9; 9. Peggy Garman, 11.8; 10. Keylie Tatum, 12.1; 11. Timber Allenbrand, 12.3; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Amy Ohrt, 5.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Haiden Thompson, 5.4; 3. Rylee George, 5.7; 4. Karrigan Graves, 6.0; 5. Rin Johnson, 8.8; 6. Hailey Hall, 14.1; 7. Millie Greenwood, 14.4; 8. Peggy Garman, 14.5; 9. Keylie Tatum, 15.3; 10. Jimmie Smith, 16.1; 11. Timber Allenbrand, 25.0; 12. Danielle Lowman, 1.9 seconds on one run.
Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Tanner Tomlinson/Coleby Payne, 3.7 seconds; 2. Chad Masters/Jace Helton, 3.8; 3. Kavis Drake/Denim Ross, 4.1; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 4.2; 5. Mason Appleton/Sid Sporer, 4.4; 6. Jace Bland/Truman Magnus, 4.5; 7. (tie) Riley Kittle/Cole Curry and Zane Huffman/Kole Roberts, 5.4. Average leaders: 1. Ketch Kelton/Paden Bray, 14.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Kavis Drake/Denim Ross, 18.9; 3. Riley Kittle/Cole Curry, 20.8; 4. Seth Hall/Nicky Northcott, 24.7; 5. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 8.7 seconds on two runs; 6. (tie) Chad Masters/Jace Helton and J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 9.1; 8. Stefan Ramone/Kelby Frizzell, 9.3; 9. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 9.5; 10. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 9.7; 11. Mason Appleton/Sid Sporer, 9.9; 12. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 10.2.
Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Morgan Bagnell, 14.50 seconds; 2. Morgan Brown, 14.51; 3. Katelyn Scott, 14.53; 4. Lindsay Sears, 14.56; 5. Julie Plourde, 14.57; 6. (tie) Savannah Shumpert and Alex Odle, 14.62; 8. (tie) Lindsey McCuistion and Ashley Castleberry, 14.64; 10. McLayne Roebuck, 14.66. Average leaders: 1. Lindsay Sears, 30.52 seconds on two runs; 2. Julie Plourde, 30.54; 3. Ashley Castleberry, 30.63; 4. Katelyn Scott, 30.75; 5. Savannah Shumpert, 30.79; 6. Morgan Bagnell, 30.88; 7. Alex Odle, 30.99; 8. McLayne Roebuck, 31.10; 9. Lindsey McCuistion, 31.11; 10. Morgan Brown, 31.12; 11. Maylee McCrary, 31.39; 12. Erica Klein, 31.41.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Tristen Hutchings, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Ringo; 2. Clayton Sellars, 83.5; 3. Kaiden Loud, 83; 4. Brad Moreno, 78.5; no other qualified rides.
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