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Phoenix, Ariz. was taken over by the cowboys and cowgirls for the last three days. Eight of the best in the world came to town to compete at the Hondo Rodeo Fest inside of Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The purse was more than $1 million dollars and had everything contestants and fans could wish for. Through two rounds, the competition has been incredible.
If you are just catching up to the Hondo Rodeo Fest, here are some of the details. It is three rounds with the same eight contestants taking the stage each night.
Each round paid four places:
- $12,000 for 1st
- $7,500 for 2nd
- $3,500 for 3rd
- $1,500 for 4th
The average will pay just two places:
- $20,000 for 1st
- $12,500 for 2nd
On top of this incredible payout, there will be one contestant ride away with The Maverick Award which is a $50,000 bonus. This will be awarded to the cowboy or cowgirl who wins the most money throughout the three days of competition.
Coming into the final night the leaders of the average are:
- Bareback Riding - Jacob Lees
- Steer Wrestling - Stetson Jorgensen
- Team Roping - Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins
- Saddle Bronc Riding - Brody Cress and Ryder Wright
- Tie-Down Roping - Shane Hanchey
- Breakaway Roping - Josie Conner
- Barrel Racing - Lisa Lockhart
- Bull Riding - Cooper James
When the round is complete tonight, each of the average winners will walk away with $20,000 and it is almost guaranteed that someone who wins the average will also win the Maverick Award.
Fans will leave tonight after watching a star-studded lineup in the rodeo arena that is jam packed with World Champions and multiple time National Finals Rodeo contestants. They also will get to take in the concert after the rodeo when Old Dominion and the Zac Brown Band will grace the center stage.
Phoenix, Ariz. is the place to be on this incredible weekend. Both fans and contestants alike have expressed their incredible appreciation for this production.
Stay tuned to Rodeo on SI for all of the final results.
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Steve Spurrier has two endorsements for next Florida HC
Steve Spurrier is a legend for the Florida Gators. Known as "the head ball coach" down in SEC-land, Spurrier was a star both as a player and as a coach for Florida. Heck, the dang field in Gainesville is named after him. That means what he says about the Florida program carries a lot of weight, and he recently revealed that he believes there are only two people who would live up to the expectations and be a great fit for the Gators as they look to replace fired head coach Billy Napier sooner rather than later. “I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier recently said, according to Daniel Hager of On3. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.” The Gators are currently making a full-court press for Lane Kiffin, but they're not alone in their pursuit in the Ole Miss head coach. While the Gators reportedly flew members of Kiffin's family down to Gainesville to check things out recently, the LSU Tigers also pulled the same trick — hoping to get Kiffin to ultimatly come down to Baton Rouge. LSU is probably Florida's biggest competitor for Kiffin right now, but there's also Ole Miss to consider. It's not like the Rebels are going to let a coach who has led them to a 54-19 record over the past six seasons go without a fight. Kiffin would absolutely be a home-run hire for the Gators, though. He's a high-level recruiter and a high-level offensive mind in the SEC. Those are two things that the Gators desperately need in the wake of the middling Napier era. Not only that, but Kiffin has ties to the state. He was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19. Eli Drinkwitz an interesting option for Florida if it can't land Lane Kiffin Drinkwitz is another interesting option, though. You'll also notice that there's a trend here for Florida, and that's going after established SEC head coaches. Napier had come from the Sun Belt conference. Drinkwitz has made Missouri a tough out in the SEC and he's won a ton of football games. His overall record at Mizzou is 45-27, though his record in big games does leave a little to be desired. He's 7-14 against ranked opponents and 0-7 against top-10 teams. Still, Drinkwitz is a young coach at just 42, so the upside is there. He's a big personality who does well on the recruiting trail, and he could do a lot of good things with the firepower of the Florida Gators behind him. There are other options out there for Florida. Washington head coach Jedd Fisch is a Florida alumnus, for instance. If Spurrier has narrowed it down to Kiffin and Drinkwitz in his mind, though, you can bet those in power at Florida are likely thinking the same thing.
Former Heisman winner has bold take on James Franklin, Virginia Tech
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One coach makes sense for LSU if Lane Kiffin doesn't flip to Tigers
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