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Show Fiesta Days 2009 14 Local cowboys look to SF rodeo Jeril Bills STAFF WRITER This year's Fiesta Days PRCA Rodeo, as usual, features a number of talented locals, including Clint Robinson, ranked #3 all-around and #2 in calf roping in the world; as well as Steve Woolsey, the #3 bull-rider in the PRCA; and Kaycee Feild, the #4 bareback rider. Wesley Silcox, also from the area, is ranked #23 in bull riding. Jessy Davis, last year's bareback winner, just returned from an injury that kept him out for six months. He said it's difficult, but there's still time to catch up. "I didn't think it would be this hard, but I guess six months is a long time," he said. Davis has participated in the Fiesta Days Rodeo for four or five years now. He likes riding in his hometown rodeo, he said, because "the crowd really gets behind you ... people in that town really make it happen." He said it was "pretty dang neat," winning the rodeo last year. "My traveling partner, he was the one that won it before, and he rubbed it in my face ... so I just had to get him back," Davis said. Steve Woolsey will be competing in his fifth Fiesta Days Rodeo. He's been around rodeo his whole life, and when he was 18, he reached his dream of competing in the PRCA. "That's what I wanted to do my whole life," he said. Of his rodeo career, he said there have been ups and downs, but he's been "pretty successful overall." Considering that career includes Rookie of the Year honors, as well as a record for highest winnings for a rookie, and current success that sees him near the top of PRCA bull riding standings, "pretty successful" is an understatement. Of the local cowboys at this year's rodeo, it appears that Clint Robinson is having the best season so far. As of July 3, 2009 he was ranked third in the world in the all-around, and second in calf-roping. He said he's participated in the Fiesta Days rodeo for the last three or four years, and won calf rop- Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News WILD RIDE: Salem's Jessy Davis won the bareback portion of last year's Fiesta Days rodeo. The local cowboy will be back to defend his title this year. ing and team roping in 2006. He said he thinks he'll win calf roping again this year. Like Woolsey, Robinson grew up around rodeo. His first year in the PRCA, he missed the cut for the National Finals Rodeo by just a couple hundred dollars. He missed the cut his second year, too. He said missing those cuts was the low point of his rodeo career. But the disappointment motivated him to work harder, and he tried to figure out what mistakes he'd made those first two years and how he could avoid them. The next year, he made the NFR cut. Now he is second in the world in his main event. The Fiesta Days Rodeo takes place July 22-25 at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds. For ticket information, visit www.spanishfork.org. |