– Paul Harder

– The Observer

UNION After losing four rounds in two days, the bull riders fought back at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show Sunday.

Through four rounds spanning Friday and Saturday, only Charlie Barker managed to hold on for eight seconds.

He said the size of the event makes it worth coming to.

"This is an amazing rodeo," Barker said. "Every thing about it is first class. Plus it doesn’t hurt that it’s in my circuit, and it pays good. It’s a credit to the stock that’s here for only one rider holding on. These are tough bulls."

Barker took home $450 worth of day money for his ride. His score earned him second place overall, which gave Barker another $1,191.

Barker said there is not a lot to think about during the ride.

"The only thing to concentrate on before I nod my head is holding on," Barker said. "On my ride, the bull started jumping and turned back at the end. I don’t think until the whistle blows."

La Grande native Kyler Braseth went down in the second go on Saturday. Braseth won the bull riding in 2006.

Zeb Lanham, a two-time Wranglers National Rodeo participant, showed fans in Union what Championship Sunday is all about.

Lanham, from Sweet, Idaho, took first place with a 77-point ride. He took home $1,572 for his eight-second effort.

Lanham said it wasn’t the cash he was after.

"I wanted to win the belt buckle," Lanham said. "Most rodeos don’t offer riders the chance to win a buckle. It may seem silly, but it’s what I want."

After bringing home first place from the EOLS bull riding competition in 2004, Lanham said it was nice to get the top spot back in the family.

His brother Tylee Lanham won the event in 2005. Tylee finished third with a ride of 70 points to bring home $857.

Zeb said it is an exciting opportunity to get the title back in the family.

"It’s not very often brothers get a chance like this," Lanham said. "Now it puts the pressure back on (Tylee) to win next year."

Mother Nature created a mess most contestants had trouble dealing with Sunday. The muddy arena made for slippery conditions.

With the calves’ and steers’ hooves stuck in the mud, ropers had trouble looping ropes around them.

Matt Shiozawa’s 8.9 second time in the tie down roping held on through Sunday to net him $1,653. Shiozawa took home the title of All-Around Cowboy despite not placing in the team roping.

Barrel racing was scratched from the Sunday’s day sheet, leaving Vicki Solmonsen and Audrey Ridgeway in a tie for first place with a time of 17.28 seconds.

It was a weekend for brothers in the team roping event. Brother duos took home three of the top four spots. Jay and Randon Adams took home $1,061 apiece for their first-place finish.

Josi Young won the bareback riding with a score of 82.

Shawn Moorehead finished first in saddle bronc riding after scoring 81 points on his ride.

Tim Sorey and Marty Jones won the first and second goes, respectively, in steer roping. John Alps won the average with a time of 33.7 seconds. Alps was the lone roper to get two steers.

Gabe Ledoux took first with a time of 4.7 seconds in steer wrestling.

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Eastern Oregon Livestock Show

At Union

Final Standings

Bareback riding

1. Josi Young, 82, $1,426; 2. Jess Davis, 80, $1,080; 3. Noah Bayes, 78, $648; 3. James Sursa, 78, $648; 5. Kirk Giovanini, 77, $302; 6. Paul Jones, 76; $108; 6. Dustin Mulroney, 76, $108.

Tie down roping

1. Matt Shiozawa, 8.9, $1,653; 2. Blair Burk, 9.2, $1,368; 3. Jake Hannum, 10.1, $1,083; 4. Duke Williams, 10.5, $655; 4. Brett Hale, 10.5, $655; 6. Will Casey, 10.6, $285.

Saddle bronc riding

1. Shawn Morehead, 81, $1,379; 2. Kayle Gray, 79, $1,045; 3. Ryan MacKenzie, 77, $752; 4. Jerad McFarlane, 75, $501.60; 5. Jake Hayworth, 74, $250; 5. Jeb Knox, 74, $250.

Steer wrestling

1. Gabe Ledoux, 4.7, $1,673; 2. Cash Myers, 5.4, $1,385; 3. Trevor Knowles, 5.7, $807; 3. Brad McGilchrist, 5.7, $807; 3. Bill Bugehig, 5.7, $807; 6. Luke Brauquino, 6.2, $288.

Team roping

1. Jay Adams/Randon Adams, 5.5, $1,061; 2. Josh Bruce/Ryan Stewart, 5.8, $961; 3. Riley Minor/Brady Miner, 6.0, $760; 4. Jake Cooper/Jimmie Cooper, 6.1, $560; 5. Kyle Schorovsky/Shawn Brown, 6.3, $360; 6. Tom Roberts/B.J. Roberts, 7.0, $200.

Barrel racing

1. Vicki Solmonsen, 17.28; $1,250; 1. Audrey Ridgeway, 17.28; $1,250; 3. Brenda Mays, 17.43, $961; 4. Tracy Kenyon, 17.50, $833; 5. Kelli Kamm, 17.51, $641; 6. Jayna Kent-Issac, 17.57, $448; 6. Kim Kammenzind, 17.57, $448; 8. Kali Parker, 17.59, $256; 9. Barb West, 17.61, 192; 10. Katie Qualls, 17.64, $128.

Bull Riding

1. Zeb Lanham, 77, $1,572; 2. Charlie Barker, $1,191; 3. Tylee Lanham, 70, 857; 4. Sev Carden, 52, 571.

Steer roping

First go

1. Tom Sorey, 12.6, $1,013; 2. Cody Lee, 12.7, $759; 3. Fred Brown, 15.2, $506; 4. Mike Beers, 18.7, $253.

Second go

1. Marty Jones, 13.2, $1,013; 2. John Alps, 13.4, $759; 3. Joe Bartlett, 14.6; $506; 4. Dave Clark, 16.9, $253.

Average

1. John Alps, 33.7, $1,013; 2. Tom Sorey, 12.6/1, $759; 3. Cody Lee, 12.7/1, $506; 4. Marty Jones, 13.2/1, 253.

All-Around cowboy

Matt Shiozawa.