While our Rodeo Round Up team is in Las Vegas, over the past three years we have been given the opportunity to spend our first three days over at the Orleans Hotel and Casino covering another huge rodeo event. The Boyd Gaming Cinch Chute Out has been going on for three years strong featuring some of the best professional rodeo athletes from the past, present and future. This is a special event that gives the fans something to watch LIVE at a fraction of the price for a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo ticket.
Not only is it some of the best professional rodeo action you can watch, many have deemed it a “Mini-NFR” with the contestants and livestock that you can see throughout the three days of competition. This year 18 different stock contractors made their way to the Orleans along with 64 of the top rodeo athletes in the world. Included are numerous world champions, veterans of the sport and those that were sitting in the 16th through 20th spots in the world standings.
Fred Whitfield Competes At The Cinch Chute Out
Photo Credit: Avid Visual Imagery/Phillip Kitts
One of those veteran athletes is non-other than Fred Whitfield who always brings the crowd to their feet when his name is called. After stepping away from the rodeo arena full-time he decided to, once again, accept the Boyd Gaming Cinch Chute Out’s invitation to come back and compete for the $10,000 first place prize money. It is always fun watching him “raise the roof” after dominating runs down on the arena floor and this year those fans in attendance would get to see that once again.
In the format here earlier this week, each cowboy or cowgirl would have 2 rides or runs guaranteed before the first cuts would happen. The “Chute Out” format allows eight contestants to compete in two qualifying runs to narrow the top six down to move forward. Whitfield would do just that and just miss out on advancing to the final three after a 10.94 second run in the first bracket of the chute out, missing the opportunity to advance by a mere .20 seconds. I was able to catch up with Fred Whitfield earlier in the day to see what he had to say about the event and what he has been up to since leaving the rodeo arena on a full-time basis …… check out what he has to say below!
Wade Sundell Dominates In 2017
Photo Credit: Avid Visual Imagery/Phillip Kitts
When looking at the list of the 64 contestants competing here this year at the Boyd Gaming Cinch Chute out anyone can quickly pick out their favorites that they would like to see win. Without a shadow of a doubt, 90 percent of those will gravitate towards one name in the saddle bronc riding event if he is listed. That man would be a Boxholm, Iowa cowboy that is also known as “The Wild Man” Wade Sundell. His in-arena celebrations will raise the energy level on any building he is competing in without question and he did that here again this year in 2017!
In round one Sundell would make a rookie mistake that would do nothing more than fire this cowboy up for his round two performance. Double grabbing is rein at 7.94 seconds gave him a no score and left the crowd in total shock. After that, he would come back and win round two with a huge ride that would advance him to the Chute Out round where everyone started with a clean slate. After all was said and done, Sundell would be crowned the 2017 Boyd Gaming Cinch Chute Out Saddle Bronc Riding Champion! I was able to catch up with him following his winning ride to see how he was going to spend his money, see what he had to say below!
One again, this year was another fantastic event that the Orleans Hotel and Casino, Boyd Gaming and Cinch put on for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo fans here in Las Vegas! The entire Rodeo Round Up team was honored to be asked to cover this event for another year and look forward to doing it once again in 2018. You all can get ahead of the game and like the Cinch Chute Out facebook page for your first chance at buying tickets for the 2018 run and get a plan together to come out to Las Vegas to enjoy the fun and excitement for yourselves!
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