LAKE HAVASU CITY — It was a standing room only crowd that opened the Lake Havasu City Fairgrounds Saturday, to watch Day 1 of the 7th annual National Senior Pro Rodeo Southwest Circuit.

David Bell/News-Herald Photo. Julius Begay holds on tight to Stormy during Bull Riding competition at the 7th annual National Senior Pro Rodeo at the Lake Havasu Fairgrounds at SARA Park Saturday. Begay scored an 80 on the ride; good for first place after the first day of competition.

And the crowd saw an athletic performance that will be tough to beat today. The final rider in the day’s final event, Julius Begay, of Ship Rock, N.M., scored an 80 riding Stormy in the Bull Riding competition Saturday.

“Every time I go to a rodeo I don’t know the bull. So I slide on and try to figure out what to do to get open,” Begay said after his ride. “I used to think about that a lot when I was younger. But I’ve been in rodeo for 29 years and now, it just comes naturally.”

Begay’s ride came just after Shawn Bowman, of Ely, Nev., scored a 74 riding the bull Painted Desert.

The Bull Riding capped a day of nine events broken down into different age divisions — ages 40-50, 50-60, 60-plus and 68-plus — for all but the rough stock events.

The other rough stock event — Bareback Riding — saw Kenny Heinze, of Cory, Colo., take first with a score of 72.

“I had a nice horse,” he said. “It’s half you and half the horse out there. And without that, you don’t get a nice ride.”

In Tie Down Roping 40, Brian Arave finished first in a time of 15.8 seconds, Jerry Martin was first in the 50 division with a time of 12.4, Arnie Johnson took first in the 60 class with a time of 10.9 and it was David Martin first with a time of 11.9 in 68-plus.

Gary Baugh was the men’s Breakaway winner Saturday with a time of 2.5 while the women’s winner was Leigh Ann Billingsly with a time of 2.9.

In Barrel Racing 40, Mary Roberts was first with a time of 18.39, Velma Price too the 50 division with a time of 21.51 and Susan Edwards was first in 60-plus with a time of 18.41.

In team Roping 40, Bud Fenster and Steve Hunt was first with a time of 16.3, Doyle Gellerman and Fred Davis grabbed first in the 50 class with a time of 7.1 and Don Holland and Steve Grandov took first in 60-plus in 14.1.

In Ribbon Roping 40, Brian Arave teamed with Mary Roberts to give each their second first place finish of the day with a time of 21.2. In the 50 division it was Doyle Atkin and Kathryn Flundra in a time of 21.5 taking first and the 60-plus win went to the husband and wife team of Bill and Pam Reeder with a time of 12.8.

The season opening first day of the Senior Pro Rodeo circuit, and the youth Little Delbert Days events in the morning, were the first events staged at the new Lake Havasu City Fairgrounds at SARA Park. And the crowd filled the grandstand and spilled over to stand along the fences at the end of the arena.

“We are just thrilled with the packed house,” said Lake Havasu City’s Joe Archie, a member of the Senior Rodeo governing board. “The new facility is great and I’ve been hearing nothing but positive comments all day from the cowboys.”

The fairgrounds is the result of volunteer labor from the Friends of the Fair and donations of manpower and equipment from Dub Campbell and Campbell Redi-Mix.

A Friends of the Fair fundraiser will take place from noon to midnight Feb. 13, during the Western Arizona Pyrotechnics Association’s Winterblast fireworks convention. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to continue the development the fairgrounds.

You may contact the reporter at dbell@havasunews.com.