RodeoHouston crowns Super Shootout champions

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2013 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 10, 2013)  Four competitors emerged as champions on Saturday afternoon in the Super Shootout: North American Champions at Rodeo Houston.

All the competitors in the Super Shootout were invited to compete as a result of winning the championships in their respective event at various rodeos around North America.

The invited athletes competed in bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding and saddle bronc riding.

The rodeos where they were selected from include

Casey Colletti, of Pueblo, CO, won the bareback riding title. He was added to the competition with a last-minute invitation on Thursday and stated his surprise on his win in the post-event press conference:

“It’s just awesome. There are not many guys who can come in at the last minute and win it. It’s just phenomenal.”

Colletti scored 86.5 points in the first round and 87.5 points in the shoot-out for the championship. He was competing for the Cheyenne Frontier Days team.

In barrel racing, Mary Walker, of Ennis, TX, scored 14.5 seconds on the first round and 14.4 seconds in the second round, for an aggregate time of 28.9 seconds, to win the event.

She stated in the post-event press conference:

“I live three hours from Houston in Ennis so this is almost like a hometown rodeo to me,” Walker said. “We have a lot of family and friends here, so that makes this rodeo that much more exciting.”

Walker has won the 2012 Champion Barrel Racer at Cheyenne Frontier Days and the All-American Finals. 

She was also the 2012 World Champion Barrel Racer and 2012 Top Gun Award winner.

Wesley Silcox took top honors in the bull riding with an aggregate score of 178.5  He scored 86.5 in the first round and 92.0 in the second round for the championship

He was quoted in the post-event press conference, stating:

“When you’re here riding for that much money in front of that many people, you’re on top of the world after a win like that.”

The Santaquin, UT native won the bull riding  at Rodeo Austin to qualify for Houston.

In saddle bronc riding, Cody Wright returned the site of his qualifying win to win the Super Shootout with a score of 88.0 in round one and 89.5 in the shoot out round to win the title.

He won $50,000 in last year’s BP Super Series when he captured the title at Rodeo Houston

Each of the four champions took home a belt buckle and $25,000 in prize money.

The fifth round of the Super Series kicks off on Sunday afternoon and will continue through Tuesday, March 12.