Gold Medals Handed Out in Salt Lake City to Close the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo

SALT LAKE CITY (July 24, 2023) – The 2023 Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo presented by Zions Bank came to a close on Pioneer Day in Utah. The Monday night crowd was treated to an NFR caliber performance as it was great action from start to finish.

            Nothing is sweeter than Gold in the world of rodeo whether it be a gold buckle for world champions at season end or gold medals at the Only Gold Medal Rodeo in the World in the heart of Salt Lake City.

            For two-time world champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi she continues to add to her legacy and tonight she added a Gold Medal to her collection. Just this summer she has won Reno, Calgary and now the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo to extend her lead in the WPRA World Standings. Pozzi Tonozzi of Lampasas, Texas was the last barrel racer on the cloverleaf pattern and stopped the clock in a quick 16.79 seconds to earn her first gold medal.

            “There are no words to describe what I am feeling right now,” stated Pozzi Tonozzi just after coming off the medal stand. “This is definitely an exciting time for me.”

            Pozzi Tonozzi has been riding a horse she calls Benny to all these wins and it is owned by Busby Quarter Horses.

            “I am so thankful for this horse. I have never felt a horse like this before and how he goes around the barrels. I am thankful for the Busby’s, my husband and my daughter. This is so awesome.”

            Jordon Brigs, who won Gold in 2022 finished silver in a time of 16.91 seconds and Rachelle Riggers landed on the medal stand for the first time with a 17.19.

            Tie-down roper Shane Hanchey defended his title and became the first back-to-back gold medal winner in tie-down roping in Salt Lake City. He stopped the clock in 7.9 seconds to easily sail to the top of the leaderboard and medal stand. Kincade Henry was second in a time of 8.3 and Reid Zapalac won bronze in 8.4 seconds.

            The saddle bronc riding was one for the history books. Canadian Zeke Thurston added another gold medal to his collection posting a 92.5-point ride aboard Andrews Rodeo’s All or Nothin’. He was definitely riding for all or nothing on Monday night. Stetson Wright and Sterling Crawley tied for second but the tie breaker for the silver went to Wright due to the semifinal round score. This was Stetson’s first medal and probably won’t be his last. Wright and Crawley tallied 91 points on C5 Rodeo’s Storm Warning and Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetic’s The Black Tie.

            It was all Idaho medal stand in the steer wrestling with Dirk Tavenner taking the gold in 3.5 seconds, Stetson Jorgensen with the silver and Riley Reiss with the bronze.

            Justine Doka finished atop the medal stand in the breakaway roping with a time of 2.0 seconds, Zoie Bedke took silver in 2.3 seconds and Erin Johnson won bronze in 2.4 seconds.

            Cole Reiner was the top bareback rider with an 88.5-point ride on Sankey Rodeo’s Shoutin’ Shoes to win gold and a paycheck totaling $10,000. Orin Larsen added a silver medal to his collection with an 87.5 on C5 Rodeo’s Black Feathers and Sam Peterson took bronze with an 87 on Sankey Rodeo’s Bronc Riding Nation.

            Brentan Hall and Paden Bray were the gold medalists in the team roping with a 3.9-second run. Ty Arnold and Kaden Profili was silver after stopping the clock in 4.0 and Marcus Theriot and Cole Curry rounded out the medal stand with bronze in 4.8 seconds.

            The Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo presented by Zions Bank, is held at the $17.5 million state-of-the-art Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairpark, custom designed and built for rodeo. The venue—an outdoor arena located in the heart of Salt Lake City—features over 10,000 stadium-style seats.

            For only the eighth time in the history of rodeo, riders had an opportunity to compete for Gold, Silver or Bronze Medals. The first two times were in conjunction with the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary (1988) and Salt Lake City (2002), when rodeo was part of the Cultural Olympiad and the other five times being 2017-2023. This will be the fourth time for breakaway ropers as their event was added to the roster in 2019. The medals that will be awarded at the Utah Days of '47 Rodeo will be produced by OC Tanner, the same company that made the Olympic medals for the champions of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

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Results: - Performance 5 – July 24, 2023

Bareback riding: 1. Cole Reiner, Buffalo, WY, 88.5 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Shoutin’ Shoes, $10,000; 2. Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, Canada, 87.5 on C5 Rodeo’s Black Feathers, $7,000; 3. Sam Peterson, Helena, MT, 87 on Andrews Rodeo’s Bronc Riding Nation, $4,500; 4. Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 86.5 on Sankey Rodeo’s MLW’s Irish Eyes, $2,000

Gold Medalist: Cole Reiner

Silver Medalist: Orin Larsen

Bronze Medalist: Sam Petersen

Steer wrestling: 1. (tie) Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, ID, and Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, ID, 3.5 seconds, $8,500 each; 3. Riley Reiss, Manning, ID, 3.6, $4,500; 4. Mike McGinn, Haines, OR, 4.4, $2,000.

Gold Medalist: Dirk Tavenner

Silver Medalist: Stetson Jorgensen

Bronze Medalist: Riley Reiss

*Tie-breaker for gold fastest times in semifinal round

Team roping: 1. Brentan Hall, Jay, OK/Paden, Bray, Stephenville, TX, 3.9 seconds, $10,000; 2. Ty Arnold, Midway, TX/Kaden Profili, Jacksonville, TX, 4.0, $7,000; 3. Marcus Theriot, Lumberton, MS/Cole Curry, Liberty, MS, 4.8, $4,500; 4. Brian Winn, Anabella, UT/Matt Liston, Salina, UT, 14.4, $2,000.

Gold Medalist: Paden Bray and Brenten Hall

Silver Medalist: Ty Arnold and Kaden Profili

Bronze Medalist: Marcus Theriot and Cole Curry

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Zeke Thurston. Big Valley, AB, 92.5 points on Andrews Rodeo’s All or Nothin’, $10,000; 2. (tie) Stetson Wright, Milford, UT, on C5 Rodeo’s Storm Warning, and Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, TX, Sankey Pro Rodeo’s & Phenom Gentics Black Tie, 91, $5,750; 4. Damian Brennan, Injune, Australia, 87.5 points on C5 Rodeo’s Kitty Whistle, $2,000

Gold Medalist: Zeke Thurston

Silver Medalist: Stetson Wright

Bronze Medalist: Sterling Crawley

Tie-down roping: 1. Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, LA, 7.9 seconds, $10,000; 2. Kincade Henry, Mount Pleasant, TX, 8.3, $7,000; 3. Reid Zapalac, Bangs, TX, 8.4, $4,500; 4. (tie) Nilton Braga, Brazil and Richard Newton, Portales, NM. 8.9, $1,250 each

Gold Medalist: Shane Hanchey

Silver Medalist: Kincade Henry

Bronze Medalist: Reid Zapalac

Breakaway roping: 1. Justine Doka, Fountain Hills, AZ, 2.0 seconds, $10,000; 2. Zoie Bedke, Oakley, ID, 2.3, $7,000; 3. Erin Johnson, Fowler, CO, 2.4, $4,500; 4. Braylee Shepherd, Nephi, UT, 2.6 $2,000

Gold Medalist: Justine Doka

Silver Medalist: Zoie Bedke

Bronze Medalist: Erin Johnson

Barrel racing: 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, TX, 16.79 seconds, $10,000; 2. Jordon Briggs, Tolar, TX, 16.91, $7,000; 3. Rachelle Riggers, Lewiston, ID, 17.19, $4,500; 4. Preslie Reid, San Angelo, TX, 17.21, $2,000.

Gold Medalist: Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi

Silver Medalist: Jordon Briggs

Bronze Medalist: Rachelle Riggers

Bull riding: 1. Trey Benton III, Richard, TX, 90 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Arctic Assassin, $10,000; 2. (tie) Tristen Hutchings, Monteview, ID, on Andrews Rodeo’s Miller Time, and JB Mauney, Stephenville, TX, on Macza’s Red Lipstick, 86.5, $5,750; 4. Jacauy Hale, Ganado, AZ, 84 on Sankey Rodeo’s Cash In King, $2,000

Gold Medalist: Trey Benton III

Silver Medalist: Tristen Hutchings

Bronze Medalist: JB Mauney

*Tiebreaker for silver went to Tristen due to semifinal round score