Bukidnon cowboys rule Zubiri rodeo

CEBU, Philippines - The Libona Rodeo Team of Bukidnon bested the rest of the country’s top cowboys to bag the overall championship of the 2nd Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri National Rodeo Cup Finals at the Cebu Province Rodeo Center located at the back of Parkmall in north reclamation area.

The LGU Libona Rodeo Team reigned supreme with 27 points.

The Bukidnon bets really made a mark in this year’s competition as they occupied the top three spots. Kalasungay Wranglers of Malaybalay, Bukidnon snatched the second place honors with 22 points, while the Wagling Ranch of Impasug-ong and the Zubros Brothers of Maramag were tied for third with identical 18 points.

“We have an advantage over our opponents from the all over the country because we came from one of the country’s cattle producing province, Bukidnon. We have no problem with our practices because we have some game animals to practice on with the availability of the cattle,” said Maryo Okinlay, president of the Filipinas Rodeo Federation, Inc. (FRFI) and former mayor of Impasug-ong.

“Another factor for our victory is that our players were really are determined to win the game and bring back fame and honor to Libona, Bukidnon,” he added.

The Libona stalwarts earned three points for finishing third in the non-cattle event–Load Carrying and poured in seven points after dominating the Tug-Of-War.

In the cattle event, the Libona mainstays earned five points for placing second in the One-Man Play Bull Riding event with time of one minute and 3.70 seconds. They also topped the Rope and Tie event with a 1:15.64 clocking and raked in five more points in the 4-man play Carambola event.

Kalasungay Wranglers, on the other hand, took the title in one of the strenuous event, the Carambola and placed second in Load Carrying, Tug-Of-War and in the One-Man Play Rope & Tie Event.

Wagling Ranch, for its part, topped the Bull Riding event, placed second both in the Two-Man Play Team Roping and Steer/Calf Undecorating and third in Carambola event.

The Zubros brothers dominated the Load Carrying event, second in the Lassoing on Foot and third in the Tug-Of-War and Bull Riding events.

Basta NegOr Team of Negros Oriental earned 10 points after topping the Team Roping Event and won the third place in the Rope and Tie event, while Vaqueros Bravos scored seven points for topping the Lassoing on Foot.

Cebu’s West Roc Vaqueros I ruled the Steer/Calf Undercorating, but earned no point together with fellow Cebu squads West Roc Vaqueros II, Benguent State University Highlanders, and VSU Arev Rodeo squad. -  THE FREEMAN