AUSTIN RECAP DEVENPORT GETS IT DONE AT AUSTIN By Josie Fladager D estri Devenport proved to be the best inside Travis County Expo Center at Rodeo Austin in 2022. Riding SR Industry Titan, simply known as “Titan,” in the tournament style format in which times and placing advanced one forward,
evenport won the qualifying round in a time of 15.35 to easily advance to the Playoff round. While she didn’t place in the money in the playoff round she advanced off a tiebreaker to the final round where she once again took the top honor in a time of 15.31 seconds, the fastest of this year’s rodeo. Her total winnings of $13,642 took her from 104th in the WPRA Pro Rodeo Standings to inside the top 20 in late March. Going into this rodeo season, the Escondido, California native had some solid goals in mind. Devenport had never hauled very hard in the winter months before, but had an idea of what she needed to do to put her on track for her first NFR qualification. She wanted to have $20,000 won going into the spring and summer rodeos. However, a hit barrel at Odessa to have won the rodeo and qualified for Houston, among some other hardships, made it appear as if this goal was not going to be met as winter rodeos came to a close. As spring came closer, Titan, a 9-year-old stallion, made his way to the breeding barn. A couple weeks before Austin, Devenport made the call to Titan’s owners, Nick and Tom Wylie, to sell them on taking Titan to one of the last major rodeos of the winter. “I called the owners and said, ‘Here’s the deal, this is what it is going to pay and I’m on a mission. Winter didn’t go well. We need to win this rodeo,’ ” Devenport recalled saying.
seconds just edging 15-time Wrangler NFR qualifier Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi with a 15.39. After a competitive second round, Devenport found herself in a three-way tie with Margo Crowther and Sissy Winn. Having had the fastest time from the first round, Devenport won the tiebreaker to move onto the final round of eight. She and Titan took advantage of the opportunity, rounding the cloverleaf pattern in the fastest time of the rodeo, 15.31 seconds, a tenth of a second ahead of Pozzi Tonozzi once again. Devenport came out of the alley smiling as bright as her sparkly shirts and tack. With her mission accomplished, she was now set up much better than before to move into spring and summer rodeos. “[Titan] has been such a good horse to me and I knew that I could count on him when I was on a mission for Austin. I knew that I could count on Titan to understand what winning that rodeo meant,” she noted. For now, Titan is back at the breeding barn until the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. Devenport has Buddy Rose, the horse on which she won Ellensburg in 2019, for this spring. The year is far from over and Devenport is looking forward to what the rest of the season has to offer. “Ultimately my goal for the rest of the year is to do the best that I can. [I want to] keep Titan and Buddy healthy and happy and able to win and keep climbing in the standings,” she explained. Gunning for the National Finals Rodeo this year more than she ever has before, Devenport is pumped up and ready to keep her momentum going. “It’s going to be a tough season, so hopefully we can have a good spring and summer and do everything we can to try to make the finals and be in the top 15 come October 1st!” Destri Devenport started the year with a goal of having $20,000 won at the winter rodeos going into the spring and summer rodeos with hopes of setting herself up for her first NFR qualification by season end. Things hadn’t gone quite as planned so she knew she had to go all in at RodeoAustin to have a chance at the goal. Luckily for Devenport she also had the support of Titan’s owners Nick and Tom Wylie. Titan, a 9-year old stallion, was at the breeding shed but the owners said go get him and see what you can do in Austin. The duo got the win stopping the clock in the final round in a time of 15.31 seconds. Photo by Peggy Gander
The Wylie’s response: “Go get him.” Having never ran at Austin, Devenport did not know exactly what to expect from the rodeo’s format, but knew she was confident in the sorrel, blaze faced stallion. Titan has a stellar track record for pens like Rodeo Austin, having won over $200,000 at large indoor races before. The duo came in hot and won the first round with a time of 15.35 Destri Devenport was grinning from ear to ear in the winner’s circle at RodeoAustin not only because she had won the prestigious rodeo for first time in her career but for also keeping her hopes alive for a 2022 NFR qualification. Photo by Peggy Gander
22 WPRA NEWS MAY 2022
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