A Texas cowboy won the bull riding for the 2017 Inter-State Fair and Rodeo.
The 26 bull riders competing at the LJ Jenkins Bull Riding in Coffeyville on Tuesday night were each given two bulls to ride, and the only man to make qualified rides on both of his bulls was Juan Alonzo, of Weslaco, Texas.
The 27 year-old-cowboy scored 80.5 points on his first ride and 84.5 on his second to win the average with a combined score of 164.5 points on two head.
Alonzo has been riding professionally for the past three years, after serving in the U.S. Army for five years. Four of those years he was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and for twelve months he was deployed to Iraq.
Alonzo also competes in the Championship Bull Riding (CBR), where he finished thirteenth at the CBR Finals in Cheyenne, Wyo. last month.
He suffered an injury in Cheyenne, getting bucked off a bull and landing on his elbow, which irritated a previous injury to his shoulder. Doctors wanted to do surgery, but Alonzo laid off of it, letting it rest, and it is recovering.
He was grateful for his two qualified rides. “I got by both of my bulls, and it felt great. It felt great because I did what I came here to do. I was blessed.”
The number two cowboy was Ezekiel Mitchel, who scored 88 points on his first ride but got bucked off his second ride.
Cherokee Casino was the major sponsor of the night’s bull riding.
The emphasis at the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo shifts to rodeo for the next four nights of grandstand entertainment. Nearly 200 cowboys and cowgirls will compete over the next four days. Tickets range in price from $15 to $30 and are available at the gate and online at FairandRodeo.com. For a complete fair schedule, visit the website (FairandRodeo.com).
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Cutline: Juan Alonzo is the champion of the 2017 Inter-State Fair’s bull riding. The Weslaco, Texas man was the only cowboy to make two qualified rides. Photo by Ruth Nicolaus.
Results, Bull Riding, Inter-State Fair and Rodeo August 15, 2017
Average (highest score on two head)
- Juan Alonzo, Weslaco, Texas 164.5 points on two head
- Ezekiel Mitchel, 88 points on 1 head
- Wyatt Calvert, 85.5 points on 1 head
- Matt Palmer, 82.5 points on 1 head
- Kade Alberty, 82 points on 1 head
- Trey West, 80 points on 1 head.
