Rodeo Rundown
While the fall is a time when many are slowing down, rodeo athletes are facing some of the most critical months of the rodeo year. With the regular season coming to an end on September 30th, all rodeo contestants who are within reach of the National Finals Rodeo are trying to make the most of every opportunity.
Team SUCCEED athletes are capitalizing on every run and they aren’t slowing down. Many of SUCCEED’s team members have had big wins recently. Our top three money earners for August are Michelle Alley, Haven Meged, and Zack Jongbloed. They have all surpassed $10,000 in winnings this month and the month isn’t over yet!
Michelle Alley leads the pack with over $18,000 won in August. What might be even more impressive is that she has won all of this on a four year old mare named Lipstick N Stilettos, fondly referred to as “Stiletto”. Michelle has accomplished on Stiletto what most consider bucket list wins like the prestigious Caldwell Night Rodeo. At this rodeo alone Michelle walked away with over $10,000. Stiletto is out of Michelle’s great horse Seis Caress, better known as “Saucy”, by RR Mistakelly. Although Michelle is 35th in the world standings for Barrel Racing, she could still make the NFR. It’s a long shot but with the amount of money still left on the table and the consistency and blazing-fast times this team is showing, it is not impossible. What Michelle has accomplished on such a young mare is amazing. It can take some horses years to win at rodeos and handle all the elements life on the road throws at them. Michelle and Stiletto are a true-blue rodeo team.
The Calf Ropers
Our next highest money earner is a 26 year old who is already considered a seasoned veteran of the game – Haven Meged. Haven is a five-time NFR qualifier and World Champion. He has been on a rampage this month bringing in over $17,000 to date. Havens biggest win of the month came from Canby, Oregon where he placed in both rounds and won the average with over $7,000 total. He also won the first round of the Caldwell Night Rodeo for an additional $3,000 and picked up a nice third-place check at Gooding Idaho for $4,000. Picking up checks in Baker Montana, Billings Montana, and Kalispell Montana gives Haven the second most in earnings for Team SUCCEED.
The third highest money earner is Zack Jongbloed. With nearly $25,000 won in the last few weeks, Zack has moved into the Top 15 for another trip to the lights of Las Vegas. In the first week of August Zack won three rodeos alone and placed at two others. Now in the second half of this month, Zack won the Caldwell Night Rodeo for over $9,000. He also won checks at Gooding Idaho, and Moses Lake Washington. Zack is currently 13th in the World and climbing. The amount of money that is up for grabs has major implications on World Standings and Zack has made the most of it.
Honorable Mentions Across the Board
For the first year ever, Team SUCCEED has athletes in all events and we are so proud of our well-rounded team! In August our team won money in every event, and we are excited to cheer them on for the rest of the season.
Team ropers Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp had an outstanding August winning over $10,000 each. This duo of young team ropers is no stranger to the pressure of rodeo or the NFR. With 14 NFR qualifications between the two of them, they are seasoned pros and know how to rise to the occasion. The reigning World Champions both currently sit third in the World Standings and are well on their way to another trip to Las Vegas.
World Champion Breakaway Roper Shelby Boisjoli-Meged is as consistent as always bringing in just over $6,000 for the month. She is currently fourth in the World and is quickly becoming one of the greats of Breakaway Roping! Shelby’s biggest win of the month thus far came from Caldwell, Idaho where she placed in the second round as well as the average. Shelby and husband, Haven Meged, make a great duo for Team SUCCEED.
Steer Wrestler Dirk Tavenner and his wife Courtney welcomed their first child into the world this year which kept Dirk home a little more than in past years. Nevertheless, he is always a force to be reckoned with. Dirk was able to capitalize at two major Northwest rodeos, Caldwell and Gooding Idaho. The Idaho native took advantage of the big money to be won in his home state.
The newest addition to Team SUCCEED is World Champion Steer Wrestler Ty Erickson. Ty is currently 7th in the World and continues to add to his season’s earnings with wins in Gooding Idaho, Moses Lake Washington, and Kalispell Montana. With $1.7 million in career earnings, Ty is no stranger to the winner’s circle.
Team SUCCEED has had an outstanding month in August this far. We look forward to cheering the team on through the rest of this season and into the new year which starts October 1st. When one season ends another begins and we can’t wait to see what this talented team accomplishes! With lots of major rodeos still to go, we could still see major shakeups to the World Standings. This is the kind of pressure every athlete thrives on, and we wish everyone luck in finishing strong!
