After Six-Week Hiatus, Berry Shows No Rust with Clovis Victory

It was a situation that could have intimidated a lesser cowboy. But Leighton Berry tried his best to treat it like any other ride. 

The Clovis (Calif.) Rodeo was his first time back on a horse in six weeks after sustaining an injury at RodeoHouston in mid-March. It was also his first ride using a new rigging after his broke in Houston. 

His opponent in the return – C5 Rodeo’s Virgil, one of the most well-regarded bareback horses of all time. It’s an animal known for big scores, having just helped R.C. Landingham reset the Red Bluff Round-Up record last weekend with a 92.5. It’s also a horse Berry has never personally faced. 

No pressure. 

“I had some odds stacked against me a little bit. I had a broken rigging in Houston, and I ended up having to crack a brand new one out on him, which is a lot of times something you want to try to avoid if you can, but I really didn’t have a choice,” Berry said with a laugh. “Brand new rigging, fresh off six weeks and obviously having the best bucking horse of all time, you’re going in there with a cool, calm, collected mind like it’s just another bucking horse, but really and truly he’s just a whole other beast. He’s a battleship man. He’s different from any other horse you’ve ever been on.”

Once the chute gate opened, those “odds” never stood a chance. The Weatherford, Texas, native posted an 88.5-point effort on Virgil to capture the Clovis title and earn $10,913, proving once again why he is regarded as one of the best bareback competitors riding today. 

Despite a six-week gap between competitions, Berry will likely find himself right back where he was prior to injury – on top of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s World Standings. Even with no rides since RodeoHouston, Berry only fell to second in the standings, less than $1,000 back of Coop Cooke. Berry already has $77,138 to his credit this year, not including money from Clovis. 

It’s an unlikely outcome after what could have been a much worse situation. In Houston, Berry’s rigging broke late in the competition, forcing him to borrow one from a fellow competitor. Each rigging is custom-fitted to a cowboy’s needs based on their height, arm length and riding style. Even with a piece not made for him, Berry ended up winning the finals and a pile of money for the second straight year – but it came at a cost. 

During the ride, he suffered a lower body injury that required significant recovery time. While he was able to avoid surgery, Berry also had to keep off horses for as long as possible while his body healed. He did trial runs on his new rigging over the last few weeks using his spur board and a bucking machine, but no amount of ground work is equal to the real thing. 

Still, everything came together for a strong outing in his return. And make no mistake, Berry is already thinking about the next time he is fortunate enough to cross paths with Virgil. With a little time to get his rigging fully set up, a future rematch would definitely be something he’d like to see. 

“I can’t wait to have him again because I know I can ride him better. I know I can get into the 90s on him for sure,” Berry said. “But just to be able to say I accomplished a goal of getting on him and winning a rodeo, and one as cool as Clovis too, is pretty special.”

Clayton Hass won the steer wrestling average with an aggregate total of 23.1 seconds on four head. In all, he earned $11,464 at the rodeo. He also secured all-around cowboy honors after competing in team roping as well. 

The team roping duo of Korbin Rice and Caleb Hendrix posted an aggregate time of 32.3 seconds on four head. The duo each captured $10,794 in earnings. 

Saddle bronc riders Kade Bruno and Ryder Wright each posted 88-point rides to tie for the victory and earn $8,839 each. Bruno rode Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Monster while Wright faced Burch Rodeo’s Lyin’ Lunatic. 

Marty Yates won tie-down roping with an aggregate time of 42.4 seconds on four head, beating Hunter Herrin by a tenth of a second (42.5). Yates earned $9,907 in total. 

Wenda Johnson finished her three barrel racing runs in an aggregate time of 50.83 seconds to win the average and earn $8,450. 

Bull riders Chase Dougherty and Deklan Garland each rode for 88.5 points to tie for the championship and earn $8,893 each. Dougherty rode Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Big Salty while Garland faced Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Stand By Me.