UW’s Colton Farrow Rides ‘Freaky Deaky’ to Fourth-Place Finish

CASPER -- Freaky Deaky proved to be a "picture-perfect horse."

Wyoming's Colton Farrow rode the stocky, yet notoriously high-scoring bucker, to an 81.5-point ride in Sunday night's opening performance of the College National Finals Rodeo, forcing a two-way tie for the fourth spot in the nation.

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The junior from Greybull is hopeful that quick start serves as a tone setter in Casper.

“Eighty-one points is a good start to the week," Farrow said. "I need to keep piling up the points the rest of the week to win. My success is knowing that I’m working hard.”

Farrow, who failed to qualify for the championship round inside the Ford Wyoming Center last June, finished second in the Central Rocky Mountain Region this spring, racking up 1,025 points, just 95 behind Cinch Kiger of Chadron College.

Farrow entered the Oil City on a hot streak, winning the final two rodeos of the regular season across town at Casper College and the home Laramie River Rendezvous. He also grabbed a second-place finish at Laramie County Community College and Gillette during the fall portion of the schedule.

“He had a good horse and made a great ride," Wyoming head coach Seth Glause said on Sunday. "He just needs to keep it rolling this week."

Farrow's next opportunity will come Tuesday. He was one of five UW competitors to hit the dirt Sunday night in what's referred to as “Broncs, Bulls and Breakaway” -- featuring all roughstock riders and women’s breakaway ropers.

Teammate Traven Sharon, of Ordway, Colo., later in the evening, followed up with a 74-point saddle bronc ride to register points in the first of his three guaranteed rides this week. He is sitting 13th after round one of competition.

“Traven finishes strong. He had a great spur out and just set his rein down. He finished aggressive,” Glause says. “He has a good horse for his second one. He will come back ready to ride on his next two.”

Sharon competes again during Tuesday’s slack round and will open his second event, tie-down roping, in Monday and Tuesday’s slack.

The third UW Cowboy to compete during Sunday’s performance was Sheridan bull rider Aidan Sawyer, who was unsuccessful on his first attempt after being thrown early in the ride. He competes again during Monday’s slack.

Two UW Cowgirls also were up in the breakaway portion of Sunday’s matinee performance, but both suffered tough opening rounds.

Josie Mousel, of Colman, S.D., and Olivia Lay, of Elbert, Colo., both came up short in the opening round.

“Olivia and Josie came up with empty loops in their first round, but there is a lot of rodeo left and points to capture,” UW Assistant Coach Jacey Hupp says. “They are in good spirits and will return with a vengeance in round two.”

Lay has her second breakaway roping run during Monday’s slack session, and Mousel is up again during Tuesday’s final slack round.

Sixteen UW qualifiers are all scheduled to compete in the two slack rounds over the next couple of days, and all have the opportunity to be under the arena’s lights for an evening performance beginning Tuesday evening and stretching into Friday, June 19.

The top 12 men’s and women’s qualifiers from three complete rounds of competition move onto Saturday’s championship round. All night performances begin at 7 p.m. at the Ford Wyoming Center.

* A UW press release contributed to this report

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