Central Oregonian

Cardoza wins all-around at Circuit Finals

Terrebonne cowboy earns $7,288 with places in team roping, tie-down roping, and steer roping

Lon Austin

November 08, 2012

With a total payout of $108,273, the Columbia River Circuit Finals is serious business.

With the circuit’s top 12 money winners in each event competing in three go-rounds over two days, there was a lot on the line last Friday and Saturday at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds. Not only was there a lot of cash available, but year-end winners in each event became eligible for next spring’s National Circuit Rodeo Finals in Oklahoma City.

When the dust settled at the end of the two days, Terrebonne’s Russell Cardoza was the big winner. Cardoza earned $7,288 with places in team roping, tie-down roping, and steer roping. Cardoza, a heeler, and roping partner Spencer Mitchell won the team roping average with a time of 15.3 seconds for three head. The duo placed in all three rounds of the event. Cardoza also won the average in steer roping with a time of 50.4 seconds for three head.

Redmond’s Steven Peebles also had a big rodeo, placing in all three rounds of bareback riding with scores of 85, 80, and 84 for his three rides. His score of 249 for three head was good enough to beat second-place Bobby Mote by three points. Prineville’s Jason Havens also had a solid performance in the event. Havens tied for third in the second go-round and tied for second in the third go-round to take fourth in the average.

Four other Prineville cowboys also placed at the event.

Team ropers Brandon Beers and Cully Stafford won the second round with a time of 4.5 seconds, while Charly Crawford and his partner Jim Ross Cooper took fourth in the third go-round of the event.

The final Prineville cowboy to place was Sean Santucci, who took third in the second round of steer wrestling with a time of 4.1 seconds.

Nic Hamm won the average in steer wrestling with a time of 14.6 seconds for three head. Bryan Martinat and Ben Londo tied for the average in saddle bronc riding with 230 points while Cheyne Olney won the bull riding with 159 points on two head.

Other average winners were Jared Ferguson (tie-down roping), and Viki Friedrich (barrel racing).

The circuit finals were the final rodeo of the year prior to the National Finals Rodeo, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nev. in early December.