Popko wins go-round at CJRA finals, finishes third for year

Kerry Popko incurred five-second penalties in two of the three Pole Bending go-rounds at the California Junior Rodeo Association finals November 24-26 at the Riverside Rancheros arena, but she won the second go-round and still finished fourth in the average to end up third in the final season standings.

“It was really disappointing,” Popko said. “I guess I didn’t concentrate hard enough. I didn’t push myself as much as I should have.”

Popko had entered the CJRA finals second in the Pole Bending standings, and since she started the rodeo only 59 points behind first-place Rio Clawson she had a chance of finishing the year as the event champion. “I was wanting to take first place instead of staying in second,” Popko said.

Popko feels that perhaps she was too aggressive in her quest to overtake Clawson, which cost her the second-place season finish. “When I do bad I don’t like figuring out what if,” she said. “What happens you’ve just got to go with. There’s no looking back.”

Despite knocking down a pole in the first go-round and incurring a five-second penalty, Popko still finished sixth in the first day’s performance. The Fallbrook rider kept all of the poles upright during her second run, and her time of 20.92 seconds was the top time of that go-round.

“Third go I ran the exact same time but hit a pole,” said Popko, whose 25.92-second time including the five-second penalty gave her sixth in the final go-round.

Carollann Scott, who had been third in the season standings prior to the CJRA finals, won the average and overtook Popko in the standings. “She just kept her poles up and was really consistent,” Popko said of Scott.

Popko finished the season 69 points behind Scott. Former Bonsall resident Destri Devenport was fourth in the final season Pole Bending standings.

Devenport, who lived in Bonsall from 1998 to 2003, won the CJRA year-end Senior Girls division All-Around championship. Devenport won the year-end Breakaway Roping championship while finishing fourth in Goat Tying and Barrel Racing as well as Pole Bending, fifth in Ribbon Roping, and tenth in Team Roping. Devenport also won the Breakaway Roping average at the CJRA finals.

Macy Devenport finished second in the Junior Girls division All-Around standings and was second in Barrel Racing, third in Pole Bending, fourth in Goat Tying and Ribbon Roping, fifth in Breakaway Roping, and tenth in Team Roping.