Bart Bonfantini and Rick Fausone Strike at #10.5 Reno Invitational

By Kendra Santos Consistency was king for California cowboys Bart Bonfantini and Rick Fausone, who took the victory lap at the Wrangler BFI #10.5 Reno Invitational presented by YETI today at the Reno Livestock Events Center after roping four steers in 42.60 seconds. Produce shipper Bonfantini and farrier Fausone were 10.38, 10.47, 10.93 and 10.82 seconds on their four steers to seal the $36,000 deal and finish first in the 51-team field. The #10.5 featured an 85-percent payback and a boatload of prizes, including Browning Rifles, Gist Buckles, Bullkelp Bedrolls, Resistol Hats, Best Ever Saddle Pads and YETI cups to ...Read More

Jones and Felton Take $50,000 #12.5 Desert Showdown Title

By Kendra Santos Like a lot of the ropers entered in today’s Wrangler BFI Reno #12.5 Desert Showdown presented by YETI, Trenton Jones and Casey Felton are working people who rope for fun. They roped four steers in 31.52 seconds to take the #12.5 title today in the Reno Livestock Events Center. The $50,000 this team took home is not only a personal career best for both, but the kind of money it takes them months to make at their day jobs.    “It takes me almost a year to make this much money working,” said Felton of his $25,000 ...Read More

BFI Reno 12.5 Desert Showdown Results

Average Results Trenton Jones and Casey Felton, 31.52 on 4, $50,000; 2. Brad Carpenter and Richard Albisu, 33.32 on 4, $35,000; 3. Tony Steele and Chad Steele, 34.36 on 4, $24,000; 4. Shawn Sullivan and Nathan Singletary, 34.60 on 4, $20,000; 5. Brad Carpenter and Marlow Eldridge, 35.06 on 4, $16,000; 6. Gus King and Jason A Eiguren, 37.24 on 4, $12,500; 7. Kersti Passig and Jake Ward, 37.62 on 4, $10,500; 8. Jason Jones and Richard Eiguren, 38.06 on 4, $9,000; 9. Brooke Wilson and Greg Zwernemann, 40.54 on 4, $8,000; 10. Emily Gately and Reno Stoebner, 41.21 on ...Read More

Fun Faces in the #12.5 Desert Showdown Cowboy Crowd in Reno

By Kendra Santos In a 152-team field full of all varieties of recreational ropers—including moms, dads, grandparents and sponsors who make their livings outside of the arena and rope because they love it—it was fun to also see a few faces in the crowd from all corners of the rodeo world. Clayton Biglow’s best known as a bareback rider, Tyler Pearson’s a world-class bulldogger and Richard Eiguren made his mark as a professional header. But Biglow’s heading, and Pearson and Eiguren are heeling here in the Reno Livestock Events Center today at the Wrangler BFI Reno #12.5 Desert Showdown presented ...Read More

Canada’s Schmidt and California’s Cox Strike for $100,000 at 2021 Reno Open

Roping for big money on a Monday has been part of the rich Reno Rodeo week tradition since the Bob Feist Invitational Team Roping Classic moved to the Silver State nearly four decades ago in 1984. When COVID-19 shut Reno down in 2020, the BFI moved to the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma. But back by popular demand in 2021, the producers of the BFI brought the BFI Reno Championship presented by Wild Rag Vodka to town. Canadian-born Kolton Schmidt and California-native Wyatt Cox roped six steers in 40.27 seconds to hit the $100,000 jackpot here in the Reno ...Read More

BFI Reno Open Championship Results

Average Results Kolton Schmidt and Wyatt Cox, 40.27 on 6, $100,000; 2. Brenten Hall and Chase Tryan, 41.57 on 6, $55,000; 3. Colby Lovell and Paul Eaves, 42.16 on 6, $37,000; 4. John Henry Gaona and Trevor Nowlin, 42.35 on 6, $23,000; 5.Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp, 43.01 on 6, $18,000; 6. Tyler Wade and Trey Yates, 43.64 on 6, $14,000; 7. Clint Summers and Ross Ashford, 44.95 on 6, $11,000; 8. Levi Simpson and Tyler Worley, 46.11 on 6, $10,000; 9. Dillon Holyfield and Breck S Ward, 46.46 on 6, $8,000; 10. Rhett Andeerson and Cullen Teller, 46.91 on ...Read More

Past BFI Champs Patrick Smith and Kory Koontz Are Here for the Money at Reno Open

By Kendra Santos Patrick Smith and Kory Koontz have celebrated some of the most memorable moments of their cowboy careers right here in the Reno Livestock Events Center. They’re both on the back side of 40, so have seen more of their rodeo careers in the rearview mirror than is yet in front of them in that windshield. So what brings this pair of past BFI champs to the BFI Reno Championship presented by Wild Rag Vodka? That’s easy—today’s winning team will skip town $100,000 richer. Patrick—who’s 41 and pulling pipes for 2020 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year Tanner ...Read More

About Junior Nogueira and Colter Todd Teaming up at the Reno Open: It’s a God Thing

By Kendra Santos On the ranch or in the arena, Colter Todd is as cowboy as they come. He shocked a lot of people when he rode quietly away from his rodeo career after roping at three straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeos from 2006-08. Those people don’t know Colter Todd. There’s a ton of buzz today in the Reno Livestock Events Center about how exactly Colter came to be heading for Junior Nogueira here at the BFI Reno Championship presented by Wild Rag Vodka. Their 6.37-second run, which was third in Round 1, kicked the roping rumor mill into high ...Read More

Duty and Eldridge Prepare For The Big Dance

If you think you can hang with the big boys on the big stage, then the Hooey Jr BFI Open roping is definitely the place to test your mettle.    “We set this roping up exactly like The Feist.” tells BFI Owner Daren Peterson. “The goal here is to let these talented kids feel the same pressures in the same exact setup as the BFI. This just prepares them for when they make the jump and enter on Monday.”   The Priefert boxes were set at 16ft 10 inches deep and Lee Legacy ran the rope barrier off of an ...Read More

Utah Claims BFI Reno Hooey Jr 10.5

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and that definitely is the case when it comes to the 2021 BFI Reno Championships! It has been a long two years away from the Reno-Sparks Livestock Event Center and it was great to see the first steer run down the arena under the new lights and over the fresh sand.    The week kicked off with the Hooey Jr BFI 10.5 roping. The horses were a little fresh when they cracked the Priefert at 9 am and announcer Ferron Lucerro had some fun with the youth competitors, reminding them to maybe take a ...Read More