Shayne and Shane lead headers after two events

The Crossfire Roping Club kicked off it’s season, last Wednesday at the Trafton Rodeo Arena.

The six week event features headers and heelers from all around Phillips County.

Though event one was supposed to start last Wednesday, June, 18, it was rained out.

Therefore, the club hosted both events one and two last Wednesday.

Through those two events the top three headers are Shayne Bishop, who has 29 points, Shane Anderson with 27 and Matt Simonson, with 19 points.

Top three heelers include Ken Salveson, who was 24, Shon Simonson with 21 and Kolby Messerly with 15.

Amongst the heelers, is Tanner Kelly, a local loan officer trainee at First State Bank of Malta.

Experience has nothing to do with how well a roper will do on any given night.

Kelly is a 14 year veteran at the sport, but he was having a rough night.

“It’s definitely been better, that’s for sure,” said Kelly, who had yet to post a decent time, near the end of the first event.

He was having a rough time connecting with other riders, that night, in heading and heeling.

“I prefer heeling, but I can do both,” said Kelly. “That was the first event I did , so I grew accustomed to it.”

He is in his third year as a header. Apparently, Kelly had a rough patch in heeling, which encouraged him to try heading for the first time.

“I went back to heeling and it’s been better ever since,” he said.

Don’t be fooled, Kelly is no slouch. His latest buckle earned was during last year’s winter series.

This was his first time roping in the summer series and being outdoor, it will be a slight adjustment for him.

“It’s kind of a different setup, but I like it,” said Kelly.

Unlike many other ropers in the club, Kelly is not from around here. He is originally from Stanford, Montana.

He went to school in Dillon for four years, while participating in rodeos.

He went back home for a year and a half, and moved to Malta for the job he now holds at FSB-Malta.

“Once I got up here I discovered that (Phillips County is a roping community) and that’s a big plus,” said Kelly, who hopes to work and rope here permanently after his evaluation.

He rides Wiley, a 17 year old horse, who he’s had since his seventh grade year.

“He’s kind of a Coyote himself,” he told the PCN.

The top three All Girl riders include Justinn Marshall who had 15 points, Macey Cox with 13 and Jessie Orahood with 11.

Orahood would be a contradiction to most people in the world.

She is an 18 year old, newly graduated ex-cheerleader, who attended Malta High.

Often mistaken for being dainty, preppy and ditsy, cheerleaders get a bad rap.

This one should get some respect.

She has been roping since her freshman year, and does it well.

Like Kelly, Orahood also prefers to heel.

“It’s a fun sport to do,” Orahood said. “What really got me doing it is branding.. At brandings, I heel a lot, and I had a friend ask me to heel for him one day.”

She participated at many high school rodeos and even won a couple of times, she hope to do the same at the summer series.

Orahood is a second generation rodeoer. Her father rode saddle bronc and her mother was a barrel racer.

She is a first generation roper, because neither parent roped.

Orahood typically rides her horse Colonel, but last week, due to Colonel being used by her sister Billie, who is at Nationals junior high goat tying in Idaho, so she rode her backup Spiderman.

Orahood plans on going to Glendive for college, where she got a scholarship for goat tying, breakaway and team roping.

The top five all around ropers include, Tyler Simonson 23 (39% Heading), Logan Lund 20 (40% Heading), Lonnie Kaufman 13 (46% Heading), Tanner Anderson 12 (42% Heading), and Jesse Simonson 9 (44% Heading).

Matt Simonson came close to taking the lead in the “All Around” category, but he only had 34% of his total in heeling. To qualify for the “All Around” category a rider must have 35% of total points in heading or heeling.

The top ten headers thus far, are:

1 Shayne Bishop 29

2 Shane Anderson 27

3 Matt Simonson 19

4 Justinn Marshall 15

5 Jace Bishop 13

6 Ross Salsbery 12

7 Macey Cox 11

8 Jett Anderson 10

9 Tyler Simonson 9

10 Logan Lund 8

The top ten heelers so far, are:

1 Ken Salveson 24

2 Shon Simonson 21

3 Kolby Messerly 15

4 Tyler Simonson 14

5 Pat Olson 13

6 Logan Lund 12

7 Dennis Oxarart 12

8 Jessie Orahood 11

9 Cole Hould 11

10 Matt Simonson 10

The next event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9 at 6 p.m.