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Clayton Foltyn won the Seminole Hard Rock, presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, Reno (Nev.) Xtreme Bulls event June 17 at the Reno Livestock Events Center. Foltyn scored 90.5 points on Growney Brothers’ Necessary Evil to clinch the victory.

Foltyn tallies win with his mom in the stands

By Bob Welch/Special to ProRodeo.com

For the seventh consecutive year the Seminole Hard Rock Xtreme Bulls Tour, presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, rolled into Reno. And for the second time in three years, Clayton Foltyn kicked off the “Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West” with an Xtreme Bulls victory on June 17 at the Reno Livestock Events Center.

Foltyn rode two bulls for 172.5 points to win $10,857. The win should boost him into the top 15 in the PRCA World Standings. Foltyn was in 26th place in the June 14 world standings with $21,291.

The first round began without two-time and reigning World Champion Bull Rider J.W. Harris. Although he entered the Reno Xtreme Bulls, he withdrew before competition because a bull fell with him and smashed against his torso at an earlier rodeo. While no bones were broken, his lung was nicked and the Justin Sportsmedicine team described the injury as a painful one. In fact, Dr. Tandy Freeman advised Harris to sit out the next three weeks.

His absence opened the door for a bevy of bull riders eager to knock him off his throne. Jesse Bail got things started with an 85, Chance Smart hustled for an 86 and Chad Denton looked in control with an 86.5, but it was Steve Woolsey who bested the bunch with an 87 on Growney Brothers Rodeo’s Touch of Class.

Meanwhile, Foltyn scored an 82 on Western Rodeo’s Easy Money.

“He was good enough to get me in the short round so it worked out good,” Foltyn said.

In the finals, Foltyn drew Growney’s Necessary Evil. The six bull riders prior to him—including 2004 World Champion Dustin Elliott – were bucked off, but Foltyn was on his game. It might have helped that his mother, Carola, and his girlfriend were in the stands.

“My mom’s a flight attendant and she worked the flight on the way out here and then had a 20-hour layover so it worked out good,” Foltyn said. “She probably comes to more than most moms.”

In fact, Carola has been attending Reno with Clayton for as long as he’s entered and specifically arranges her flights for Southwest Airlines to watch her son. And he gave her quite a show aboard the Growney bull that breeder and herd manager Don Kish raised.

“It was just a good bull, one that you want to come get on every time,” he said. “It was one of Don Kish’s and it was just like a Don Kish bull, spun real fast and got it on and it worked out good.”

It was a classic Foltyn ride, controlled and pretty for the first four seconds and then edge-of-your-seat suspense for last half. In fact, there was a question as to whether he made the whistle. The announcers called an 82—which didn’t seem too unfair.

The next rider, Chris Roundy, scored a 77. Shortly after his ride, Foltyn’s score was corrected to a 90.5—giving a little higher rise to the El Campo, Texas, cowboy’s signature sly grin. A grin rodeo fans missed last year as Foltyn recovered from injuries.

Bail and Smart bucked off and Chad Denton rode Major Shock of the Big Bend string for 85 points, but it left him one point shy of Foltyn. Then, Woolsey bucked off to secure the title for Foltyn.

“I had a rough winter, but I have more money won this time of year than I ever have before,” he said.

When he last won the event in 2008, he was unable to parlay the payday into a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo berth. This year, he’s hoping for a different end to the season.

The Reno Xtreme Bulls stop is the sixth of nine. Only the Cody, Wyo., (July 5) and Bremerton, Wash., (Aug. 29) events remain prior to the Xtreme Bulls season finale, set for Sept. 4 in Ellensburg, Wash., where a national champion will be crowned.

The Reno Xtreme Bulls event will be televised at 11 p.m. (ET) July 10 on ESPN2. Go to the Xtreme Bulls page for additional re-air dates, Xtreme Bull standings and results from previous events.

Reno, Nev.: Xtreme Bulls, June 17

First round: 1. Steve Woolsey, 87 points on Growney Rodeo’s Touch Of Class, $4,230; 2. Chad Denton, 86.5, $3,243; 3. Chance Smart, 86, $2,397; 4. Jesse Bail, 85, $1,551; 5. Chris Roundy, 83.5, $987; 6. Clayton Foltyn, 82, $705; 7. Wesley Silcox, 80.5, $564; 8. (tie) Dustin Elliott and D.J. Domangue, 79, $212 each. Second round: 1, Clayton Foltyn, 90.5 points on Growney Rodeo’s Necessary Evil, $3,102; 2. Chad Denton, 85, $2,350; 3. Chris Roundy, 77, $1,692; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. Clayton Foltyn, 172.5 points on two head, $7,050; 2. Chad Denton, 171.5, $5,405; 3. Chris Roundy, 160.5, $3,995; 4. Steve Woolsey, 87 points on one, $2,585; 5. Chance Smart, 86, $1,645; 6. Jesse Bail, 85, $1,175; 7. Wesley Silcox, 80.5, $940; 8. (tie) Dustin Elliott and D.J. Domangue, 79, $353 each.
Total payoff: $40,000. Stock contractors: Flying U Rodeo. Rodeo secretary: Cindy Rosser. Officials: Butch Kirby, Harry Rose, Chuck Hoss and Terry Carlon. Announcers: Bob Tallman and Wayne Brooks. Specialty acts: Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls and the Texas Thunder Priefert Draft Horse Hitch. Clowns/bullfighters: Eric Layton and Tim O’Connor. Barrelman: Troy Lerwill.