BADLANDS’ BEST: Champs crowned in Minot at Circuit Finals Rodeo
MINOT, N.D. (October 12, 2025) – The veteran bareback rider showed up and showed the young guys how it was done.
Shane O’Connell celebrated his 30th birthday on Oct. 12 at the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in Minot, N.D. and won the average at the rodeo, riding three horses for a combined 251 points.
“It’s pretty cool to still be riding bucking horses and doing what I love,” he said.
There’s a twelve-year age difference between O’Connell and Carson Hildre, the bareback riding year-end champion.
“I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a little bit of pressure with that,” O’Connell said, of the 12-year-age difference. Hildre “has a lot of years to come back here and do some winning.”
O’Connell has qualified for the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo ten times and winning the finals has been one of his goals.
“It’s been on my bucket list for a few years now.”
O’Connell left Minot and headed straight to Las Vegas to the Indian National Finals Rodeo.
“Hopefully today sparked something inside me to keep it rolling, to have a good October and have a good winter.”
Things are looking good not only in rodeo but on the O’Connell ranch, 30 miles north of Wall. “The grass is tall, the cows are looking good, and calf prices are high. And the cash (winnings from rodeo) are good, too.
“I’m glad I brought my riding pants this weekend.”
It was Carson Hildre’s first trip to the Badlands Circuit Finals, and he came away with the year-end title.
A first-year college student at Clarendon (Texas) College, he won second place in two of three performances to finish the year with more than $26,000 in season earnings.
In the breakaway roping, Taylor Engesser finished as average champion, with a combined time of 6.4 seconds on three head.
This year’s finals “was kind of a dream come true,” she said. “I was really fortunate to get here, and my horse Booger is just one in a million. And to get to do this with your sister is a hard one to beat.” Engesser’s sister Rickie Fanning also competed at this year’s circuit finals rodeo.
Sloan Anderson, Whitehorse, S.D., won the year-end title.
Molly Otto, Grand Forks, N.D., won the average title with a total of 41.02 seconds on three runs.
She was aboard a five-year-old mare, Dashin On Fire “Mesa,” a futurity horse owned by Katie and Dustin Lindahl.
“She’s just an amazing horse,” Otto said. The horse won the Badlands Barrel Horse Rising Star award.
Barrel racer legend Lisa Lockhart won the year-end title.
Steer wrestler Scott Kleeman capped off a good year.
The Killdeer, N.D. man came into the finals in first place and won first in the Sunday round (4.0 seconds) to win second in the average (15.6 seconds on three head).
He rode a ten-year-old gray mare named Rassie Mae who was raised by his in-laws, Hollis and Karen Treeby.
“She’s just been good,” he said. “She tries hard. She tries as hard as anything I’ve ever bulldogged on.” Rassie was voted as the Badlands Circuit Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year.
“This has been probably the best year I’ve ever had,” Kleeman said. “I attribute that to the guys I’ve been traveling with: Rope (Smith), Riley (Reiss), and Cameron (Morman.) And I have probably the best set of horses I’ve had in my career.”
Rope Smith, Killdeer, N.D., won the average championship.
In the bull riding, Jeff Bertus had the year-end title sewn up before the circuit finals rodeo even began.
The Avon, S.D. cowboy, who is 33 years old, came into the finals with over $47,000 in season earnings, more than $25,000 ahead of the number two man, Brody Nelson.
“This was one of the best years I’ve had,” he said. “It was a blast, traveling with Brody (Nelson) and Wade Berg. We kept spurring each other on to make each other better.”
Bertus rode one of three bulls, winning second place in the second round.
“It wasn’t exactly the finals I was hoping for, but I was thankful to get one rode.”
This was the fourteenth circuit finals he has qualified for, and he’s not looking to quit. “I’m still having a blast doing it. I’d like to keep going,” he said. “That’s what I’m feeling right now.”
Jestyn Woodward, Custer, S.D., was the only man to ride three bulls; he won the average title (256.5 points on three head).
Other 2025 champions include team ropers Logan Olson, Flandreau, S.D. and Jade Nelson, Midland, S.D. (average champions); Guy Howell, Belle Fourche, S.D. and Logan Schliinz, Whitewood, S.D. (year-end champions); saddle bronc rider Easton West, New Underwood, S.D. (average champion) and Cash Wilson, Wall, S.D. (year-end champion); tie-down roper JT Adamson, Cody, Neb. (average champion) and Myles Kenzy, Iona, S.D. (year-end champion).
The Badlands All-Around of the Year title went to Myles Kenzy. Thayne Elshere won the Circuit Finals All-Around title.
Both year-end and average champions will represent the RAM Badlands Circuit at the NFR Open, held in Colorado Springs in July 2026. In the event that the same person has won both titles, the second person in the year-end race qualifies for the NFR Open.
–Badlands Circuit Finals
Year end and average winners for the Badlands Circuit
All-around Champion: Myles Kenzy, Iona, SD
All-around champion for the Finals: Thayne Elshere, Sturgis, SD
Bareback riding
Bareback Riding Year End Champion: Carson Hildre, Velva, ND
Bareback Riding Average Champion: Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, SD
3rd round results:
1. (tie) Ben Kramer, Max, ND 84.5 points on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Hanna Bear and Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, ND 84.5 points on Sutton Rodeo’s Chucking Rubbies; 3. Carson Hildre, Velva, ND 84; 4. (tie) Jamie Howlett, Roma, Queensland; Kyle Bloomquist, Raymond, MN and Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, SD 83.5 each.
Average results:
1. Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, SD 250 points on 3 head; 2. Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, ND 249; 3. Carson Hildre, Velva, ND 247.5; 4. Ben Kramer, Max, ND 246.50.
Steer Wrestling
Steer Wrestling Year End Champion: Scott Kleeman, Killdeer, ND
Steer Wrestling Average Champion: Rope Smith, Killdeer, ND
3rd round results:
1. Scott Kleeman, Killdeer, ND 4.0 seconds; 2. Jace Christiansen, Flandreau, SD 4.4; 3. Wynn Schaack, Wall, SD 4.6; 4. Rope Smith, Killdeer, ND 5.0.
Average results:
1. Rope Smith, Killdeer, ND 15.6 seconds on 3 head; 2. Scott Kleeman, Killdeer, ND 15.9; 3. Taz Olson, Prairie City, SD 16.2; 4. Chance Grill, Mitchell, SD 16.8.
Team Roping
Team Roping Year End Champion Header: Guy Howell, Belle Fourche, SD
Heeler: Logan Schliinz, Whitewood, SD
Team Roping Average Champion Header: Logan Olson, Flandreau, SD
Heeler: Jade Nelson, Midland, SD
3rd round results:
1. Sage Burress, Isabel, SD/Tyan Johnson, Sisseton, SD 5.0 seconds; 2. Blair Lammers, Hartford, SD/Tel Sorenson, Watford City, ND 5.2; 3. Braden Pirrung, Hartford, SD/Riley Curuchet, Kaycee, WY 5.5; 4. Logan Olson, Flandreau, SD/Jade Nelson, Midland, SD 5.7.
Average results:
1. Logan Olson, Flandreau, SD/Jade Nelson, Midland, SD 15.6 seconds on 3 runs; 2. Blair Lammers, Hartford, SD/Tel Sorenson, Watford City, ND 20.3; 3. Lance Knutson, Flandreau, SD/Dylan Hart, Flandreau, SD 25.3; 4. Bodie Mattson, Sturgis, SD/Tucker White, Hershey, NE 14.3 on 2 runs.
Saddle Bronc Riding
Saddle Bronc Year End Champion: Cash Wilson, Wall, SD
Saddle Bronc Average Champion: Easton West, New Underwood, SD
3rd round results:
1. (tie) Easton West, New Underwood, SD 85 points on Muddy Creek Pro Rodeo’s Final Portrait and Thayne Elshere, Sturgis, SD 85 points on Korkow Rodeo’s LA Color; 3. Cash Wilson, Wall, SD 83.5; 4. Christopher Nelson, Lake Andes, SD 82.
Average results:
1. Easton West, New Underwood, SD 256.5 points on 3 head; 2. (tie) Thayne Elshere, Sturgis, SD and John Thelen, Pierre, SD 242.5 each; 4. Cash Wilson, Wall, SD 241.5.
Breakaway Roping
Breakaway Roping Year End Champion: Sloan Anderson, Whitehorse, SD
Breakaway Roping Average Champion: Taylor Engesser, Spearfish, SD
3rd round results:
1. Taylor Engesser, Spearfish, SD 1.8 seconds; 2. Samantha Fulton, Miller, SD 2.1; 3. (tie) Sawyer Gilbert, Buffalo, SD and Sloan Anderson, Whitehorse, SD 2.3 each.
Average results:
1. Taylor Engesser, Spearfish, SD 6.4 seconds on 3 runs; 2. Sloan Anderson, Whitehorse, SD 6.7; 3. Samantha Fulton, Miller, SD 4.5 on 2 runs; 4. Makayla Wray, Ord, NE 5.5.
Tie-down Roping
Tie Down Roping Year End Champion: Myles Kenzy, Iona, SD
Tie Down Roping Average Champion: JT Adamson, Cody, NE
3rd round results:
1. JT Adamson, Cody, NE 8.1 seconds; 2. Ty Moser, Volga, SD 8.8; 3. Dalton Porch, Kadoka, SD 8.9; 4. Brock Belkham, Flandreau, SD 9.5.
Average results:
1. JT Adamson, Cody, NE 27.9 seconds on 3 runs; 2. Dalton Porch, Kadoka, SD 29.1; 3. Winston Brown, Piedmont, SD 29.6; 4. Jason Schaffer, Broadus, MT 32.2.
Barrel Racing
Barrel Racing Year End Champion: Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, SD
Barrel Racing Average Champion: Molly Otto, Grand Forks, ND
3rd round results:
1. Molly Otto, Grand Forks, ND 13.45 seconds; 2. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, SD 13.46; 3. Piper Cordes, Wall, SD 13.49; 4. Raelin Jurgens, Parker, SD 13.55.
Average results:
1. Molly Otto, Grand Forks, ND 41.02 on 3 runs; 2. Emilee Pauley, Wall, SD 41.03; 3. Raelin Jurgens, Parker, SD 41.25; 4. Jessica Routier, Buffalo, SD 42.40.
Bull Riding
Bull Riding Year End Champion: Jeff Bertus, Avon, SD
Bull Riding Average Champion: Jestyn Woodward, Custer, SD
3rd round results:
1. Stran Smith, Bear Creek, SD 86 points on Sutton Rodeo’s Party Bus; 2. Thayne Elshere, Sturgis, SD 85; 3. (tie) Riley Shippy, Colome, SD and Jestyn Woodward, Custer, SD 83 each.
Average results:
1. Jestyn Woodward, Custer, SD 256.5 points on 3 head; 2. Thayne Elshere, Sturgis, SD 167 on 2 head; 3. Stran Smith, Bear Creek, SD 165.5; 4. Matthew Fenton, Rapid City, SD 162.
** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit http://www.ProRodeo.com.
