Monthly Archives: December 2010

1. Ethen Thouvenell, 3.7 seconds, $17,512 2. Dean Gorsuch, 3.8, $13,840 3. Cody Cassidy, 3.9, $10,451 4. Trevor Knowles, 4.1, $7,344 5. Dane Hanna, 4.3, $4,519 6. Nick Guy, 4.4, $2,825

LAS VEGAS – A year ago, Justin McDaniel was in so much pain at the halfway point of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, he couldn’t sit. Still, the Porum, Okla., cowboy gritted his teeth to finish the 10-round championship. Fast forward to 2010, where McDaniel has placed in four straight go-rounds and pocketed $29,234 – not too shabby for five days of work on the nastiest horses in ProRodeo. On Monday night during the fifth go-round in the Thomas & Mack Center, McDaniel spurred the Classic Pro Rodeo horse Good Time Charlie for 85 points, which was good enough for fifth place and a check worth $4,519. “I’m feeling great,” said McDaniel, the 2008 bareback riding world champion. “I should’ve ridden that horse a little better, but I feel really good.” McDaniel earned the right to compete in Las Vegas with a spectacular end to the 2010 regular season, which saw him earn $81,850 in less than four months – injuries that mounted in 2009 added up to a back injury that required surgery in February and left him on the shelf for six months. “The reality is I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have the support from my friends and my sponsors this season,” McDaniel said, noting his relationship with Ariat, WW Livestock Systems, Carr Pro Rodeo and James Hodge Ford in Muskogee, Okla. “They gave me the support I needed when I couldn’t compete, and then they were there for me when I could. “That helped me a lot with my confidence. Jack Hodge isn’t just a sponsor but also a friend, who was there with me every day in my rehab. He motivated me and ran every mile with me. That means more to me than he knows.” The payoff is coming at ProRodeo’s grand finale. McDaniel has ridden five horses for a cumulative score of 420 points, giving the cowboy the lead in the all-important average race where the winner earns $44,910 at the conclusion of the NFR. McDaniel is ahead of the No. 2 man, world standings leader Steven Dent of Mullen, Neb., by just a point. “I don’t even think about that,” he said. “My goal is to win every round, and I haven’t won one yet. I think I can ride better than I’m doing. It’s been a great week, but there’s always room for improvement.” Spoken like a champion.

Only three bull riders rode the qualifying eight seconds during the “eliminator” round Monday night, with two-time reigning world champion J.W. Harris leading the way with an 89-point ride on Burch Rodeo’s Velvet Revolver. Clayton Williams finished second with an 85.5, and Corey Navarre’s 84 was third. Harris pocketed $17,512 for the victory, while Williams added $13,840 and Navarre $10,451. But the Wrangler NFR pays six places, so what happens to the rest of that money? While the place money counts toward the world standings, the three bull riders split the remainder of the go-round prize pool, which was just less than $5,000 each. Anybody else want to make a $5,000 in one night?

1. J.W. Harris, 89 points on Burch Rodeo’s Velvet Revolver, $17,512 2. Clayton Williams, 85.5 on Silverado Rodeos’ Black Mamba, $13,840 3. Corey Navarre, 84 on Bar T Rodeo’s Butch, $10,451 NO OTHER QUALIFIED RIDES

1. Lisa Lockhart, 13.62 seconds, $17,512 2. Jill Moody, 13.63, $13,840 3. Sherry Cervi, 13.70, $10,451 4. Benette Barrington, 13.79, $7,344 5. Brenda Mays, 13.84, $4,519 6. Sydni Blanchard, 13.86, $2,835

1. Trevor Brazile and Cody Ohl, 6.9 seconds, $15,676 3. Stran Smith, 7.4, $10,450 4. Jerrad Hofstetter, 7.5, $7,344 5. Fred Whitfield, 7.6, $4,519 6. Shane Hanchey, 7.8, $2,825

Much is made of D.V. Fennell’s age, but the reality is, the cowboy is in the best shape of his life. Still, he locks his hand into a rigging that’s strapped tightly to the best bareback horses. On Sunday night, Fennell suffered a pinch nerve in his neck, something that comes with the yanking every bareback rider takes on the backs of these tremendous bucking beasts. There’s a reason why they wear neck rolls that make NFL linebackers jealous. When I visited with D.V. before Monday’s fifth go-round, he was feeling better. But, he said, “I’m about to aggrivate it again.” D.V. bucked off Sankey Rodeo’s Gus, and he felt the burning sensation down his left arm. But it was better, he said. At least that’s what he told Dr. Tandy Freeman with the Justin Sportmedicine Team.

1. Jesse Wright, 89.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Lunitic Fringe, $17,512 2. Cody DeMoss, 88.5 on Frontier Rodeo’s Medicine Woman, $13,840 3. Cort Scheer, 86 on Powder River Rodeo’s Miss Congeniality, $10,451 4. Heith DeMoss, 85.5 on Smith, Harper & Morgan’s Painted Feather, $7,344 5. J.J. Elshere, 85 on Franklin Rodeo’s Blue Too, $4,519 6. Wade Sundell, 84 on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Resistol Top Hat, $2,825

1. Will Lowe, 87 points on Kesler Rodeo’s Street Dance, $17,512 2. Kelly Timberman on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Forward Motion and Jason Havens on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deuces Night, 86, $12,145 4. Wes Stevenson, 85.5 on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Scarlet’s Web, $7,344 5. Justin McDaniel, 85 on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie, $4,519 6. Bobby Mote, 83 on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Fancy Free, $2,825

Everybody who has packed inside the Thomas & Mack Center tonight could see the best bareback horses in the business, and they felt them, too. It’s almost too difficult to describe when Steven Dent and Top Flight banged into the fence less than five feet away from me just minutes ago. There’s a lot of power in those kinds of animals, and it’s always awesome to watch. It’s also awesome to hear.

It’s been 14 years since Angie Meadors last played on the biggest stage in ProRodeo. Check out the quote in there about the differences from 1996-2010. It’s quite fitting. http://www.wpra.com/nfr_results_stories04.asp

LAS VEGAS – Ask any cowboy about the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and they’ll tell you about competing for world championships on the biggest name in rodeo. They’ll also tell you about big money and the best chance to make it. Justin McDaniel of Porum, Okla., knows that as well as anybody. Two seasons ago, the 24-year-old bareback rider won $126,292 inside the Thomas & Mack Center en route to the 2008 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association bareback riding world championship. Through four go-rounds of ProRodeo’s championship event, McDaniel has earned $24,714, which is the fourth best earnings of all bareback riders. This is his time to make a significant living, and he knows it. Of course, it helps that he added another $3,672 on Sunday night with his 85-point ride on J Bar J Rodeo’s Bar Bandit, which tied McDaniel with another world champion, 2004 winner Kelly Timberman of Mills, Wyo. “That’s a good horse,” McDaniel said. “I didn’t get a good start, and after he went down the gate, he turned out pretty good. Luckily enough he was nice enough that I was able to get back into position and ride him pretty good.” McDaniel is in contention for his second world championship with six rounds remaining. He sits seventh in the world standings with $106,565, trailing leader Steven Dent by about $63,000. But that ground can be made up quickly with go-round winners earning $17,512 per night and nearly $45,000 going to each average winner, the contestants in each event with the best cumulative time or score through all 10 go-rounds. All this comes after the cowboy underwent back surgery this past February and didn’t compete from last December until early June this year. He entered the NFR with just less than $82,000 in earnings, something he picked up in less than four months. With the best bucking horses in Las Vegas for this competition, McDaniel said he’s had a lot of help staying healthy. “The Justin Sportsmedicine Team has been great,” he said. “I’ve had the chiropractor, Shawn Scott, work on me and keep my hips lined out. That’s really helped me out this week, but the Justin guys have helped me all year long. It’s great to have them with us all year, and they’ve been great this week, for sure.”

1. Kanin Asay, 88.5 points on Four L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Foolish Pride, $17,512 2. Cody Whitney, 87.5, Four L & Diamond S. Rodeo’s Mission Accomplished, $13,840 3. Bobby Welsh, 87, Four Star Rodeo’s Punchline, $10,450 4. Wesley Silcox on Diamond G Rodeo’s Komatsu Kitty and Clayton Williams on Silverado Rodeos’ Prime Suspect, 82, $5,931

1. Angie Meadors, 14.68 seconds, $17,512 2. Sydni Blanchard and Kelli Tolbert, 13.69, $12,145 4. Lindsay Sears, Lisa Lockhart and Christina Richman, 13.78, $4,896.

1. Cody Ohl and Clint Cooper, 7.1 seconds, $15,676 3. Stran SMith, 7.2, $10,450 4. Scott Kormos, 7.7, $7,344 5. Joseph Parsons, 8.4, $4,519 6. Jerrad Hofstetter, 8.5, $2,824

1. Wade Sundell, 85 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Party Shop, $17,512 2. Cody Wright on Cervi’s Street Smart and Jeff Willert on Frontier Rodeo’s Let ‘Er Rip, 84.5, $12,145 4. Jesse Wright, 81 on Calgary Stampede’s Gross Beetle, $7,344 5. J.J. Elshere, 79.5 Flying 5 Rodeo’s Broken Saddles, $ $4,519 6. Bradley Harter, 78.5 on Calgary Stampede’s Majestic Rocket, $2,825

1. Brady Tryan/Jake Long, 3.5 seconds, $17,512 2. Derrick  Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, 3.7, $13,840 3. Turtle Powell/Broc Cresta, 3.8, $10,451 4. Travis Tryan/Rich Skelton, 3.9, $7,344 5. Britt Williams/Bobby Harris, 4.0, $4,519 6. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.3, $2,825

1. Kaycee Feild, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Outa Sight, $17,512 2. Steven Peebles on Andrews Rodeo’s Cool Spot and Clint Cannon on Three Hills Rodeo’s Peaches & Cream, 86.5, $12,145 4. Steven Dent, 86 on Sankey Rodeo’s Broadway, $7,344 5. Kelly Timberman on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Satin Sheets and Justin McDaniel on J Bar J Inc’s Bar Bandit, 85, $3,672.

Everyone in rodeo knows Cody Whitney as a fun-loving cowboy. He smiles. A lot. And he likes to play pranks and tricks and keep everybody else smiling, too. The two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier is having a much better 2010 championship. Last year he earned just $17,416, less than a go-round winner earns this year. Through three rounds, Whitney has ridden all his bulls and had two second-place finishes. So far, he’s earned $27,680. Not too shabby.

1. Matt Reeves, 3.4 seconds, $17,512 2. Wade Sumpter, 3.6, $13,840 3. Ethen Thouvenell and Josh Peek, 3.9, $8,897 5. Nick Guy, 4.1, $4,519 6. Todd Suhn, 4.2, $2,825

Trell Etbauer is in Las Vegas tonight, even though he didn’t qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He’s here to receive his Linderman Award, given to the cowboy who excells in roughstock and timed events. While the all-around goes to the contestant who earns the most money in multiple events, the Liniderman is a better reflection of cowboy because winners must compete in at least three events on each end of the arena. Trell, the son of two-time world champion bronc rider Robert Etbauer, rides broncs, ropes calves and wrestles steers. Etbauer finished 20th in the all-around world standings, but he hopes to earn a spot in this field in all three events. That’s just the way winners think.

1. Cody Wright, 88 points on Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Spanish Pair, $17,512 2. Jesse Wright, 87.5 on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Sundance, $13,840 3. Wade Sundell, 84 on Calgary Stampede’s Luxurious Bubbles, $10,451 4. Scott Miller, 80 on Harvey Northcott Rodeo’s Get Smart, $7,344 5. Cody DeMoss, 79.5 on Three Hills Rodeo’s Prom Nite, $4,519 6. J.J. Elshere, 78.5 on Sankey Rodeo’s Soduku, $2,825