PENDLETON — Tegan Smith has competed at the Pendleton Round-Up before, but he’s never left town with a paycheck.

That’s about to change after Smith turned in an 89-point ride on Flirtacious in the saddle bronc event on the first day of the Pendleton Round-Up on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

“That was a great horse and I’m happy I got to draw it,” Smith said. “She does her part so you can do yours. I’d never been on her before, but I’d get on her again.”

In 2019, Smith’s traveling partner Colt Gordon won the saddle bronc title, while Smith didn’t make the finals.

“It was horrible,” Smith said. “An 89 is a good score to get going into the finals.”

Smith, whose score was two points better than Gordon’s on the day, needs every last penny these next two weeks. He is sitting 16th in the world standings and is looking to make his first National Finals Rodeo.

“A win here would go a long way,” he said.

Bull riding

It was the who’s who of bull riding Wednesday afternoon, with the lineup full of men who competed in the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale the previous night.

Boudreaux Campbell is looking to hold onto his spot in the world standings for a fifth trip to the NFR. He is sitting 13th, but there’s nothing wrong with a little insurance money.

Campbell turned in an 88.5-point ride on Bouchon to take the early lead in the event. Roscoe Jarboe was right behind with an 86 on Last Cigarette.

“I’ve seen him before and I knew he was going to be a really good bull,” Campbell said. “I’m glad I was able to capitalize on it. I’ve never really done good here before — this kinda makes up for it. This is a big week for me. I won a bunch of money at Happy Canyon (Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale), and I placed high today.”

Campbell will compete in Utah and North Dakota before he returns to Pendleton for Saturday’s championship round.

“I don’t mind a return trip,” he said. “This is an iconic rodeo. In this arena and on grass, as a bull rider, there is no better feeling.”

Bareback

In his Pendleton Round-Up debut, Spur Lacasse made quite the entrance with an 84-point ride on Dirty Harry. He shared the first-day lead with Chad Rutherford, who earned an 84 on his re-ride.

“This is my first time in Pendleton,” Lacasse said. “My dad Roger competed here in the late 1990s. I heard it was a blast. I just got here, so I’ll let you know in a couple of days.

While Lacasse isn’t in the NFR talks, Rutherford is. He is ranked 21st, less than $7,000 out of 15th. A win in Pendleton would go a long way in getting him to his second NFR.

Tie-down roping

Times were on the slow side on the afternoon, but Shane Hanchey, the No. 1 man in the world standings, was able to rise to the top with a 9.6-second run that put him fourth in the second round and third in the average at 19.9.

Hanchey, who won the Pendleton Round-Up title in 2017, is headed to his 12th NFR. He won a world title in 2013.

Jake Pratt leads the second round with a time of 8.1 seconds, while Zack Jongbloed leads the average (18.5).

Steer wrestling

Only four men turned in times on their runs, with Newt Novich having the hot run of 4.7 seconds. Jule Hazen added a 5.1-second run, but the positive results belonged to the steers on this day.

Sorry, make that five men turned in a time, but Whiplash Grimshaw’s time of 28.9 seconds leaves him out of the title talks.

Tristan Martin leads the average with a time of 11.3 seconds.

Team roping

Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin had the hot run of 4.7 seconds, which moved them into second place in the second round. They also are fifth in the average with a time of 12.4 second on two.

Cory Kidd and Ryan Motes led the average with a time of 9.8 seconds on two runs.

Jason Stewart, who was one half of the winning team at Pendleton in 2019, is sixth in the average with Jace Helton with a time of 12.6 seconds.

Steer roping

Scott Snedecor, who won Pendleton titles in 2013 and 2008, leads the event with a time of 27.8 seconds on two runs. He had matching runs of 13.9 seconds, with the second coming Wednesday afternoon.

At present, he leads the next man, Vin Fisher, by 8 seconds in the average. Fisher had a time of 20.9 seconds during Wednesday’s performance.

Barrel racing

The first lady out — Amanda Welsh — had a time of 28.82 seconds over the longest barrel racing course in ProRodeo events.

Welsh ranks fourth overall, with Lisa Lockhart holding the lead with a time of 28.60 seconds.

Hermiston’s Mary Thomas is fifth overall with a time of 28.91 seconds.

Josie Goodrich of Hermiston, riding on her permit and in her first Pendleton Round-Up, turned in a time of 29.85 seconds — fourth best in the performance.