Monthly Archives: December 2012

I must apologize. I haven’t been around much the last week, but there’s a good reason why. It’s been an OUTSTANDING year for me, for Rodeo Media Relations and for TwisTED Rodeo. The 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo was an awesome way for me to close out this tremendous year, and I’ve been beyond blessed to be associated with so many great people involved in our wonderful sport. Primarily, none of this is possible without the undying and loving support of my wife, Lynette, and our girls, Laney and Channing. I’ve been away from home more this year than any other, and that is, by far, the toughest piece of the puzzle that is my life. One of the true blessings – and one of the true testament of God’s timing – is that my business took off at the same time our youngest moved into preschool; I have served the role of Daddy Daycare since her birth four years ago, a job I have cherished. But that leads me to another blessing, my mother- and father-in-law, Rose and Raymond, who jump in and help us out each and every time we need it. There is no way we could do any of this without them and all they do for us and for our girls, who adore spending nights with Grandma and Grandpa. For three years, I’ve served as media director for Dallas-based Carr Pro Rodeo; more importantly, I have a true friend in Pete Carr. Not only has he offered me an opportunity to work with one of the great stock firms in the sport, but he has helped expand the role and reach of Rodeo Media Relations. You will find many great people in our sport, but rare is it that you will find a stock contractor who has been that progressive. I’ve worked with Robert Simpson and the others at the Lazy E Arena for more than a decade, and it’s an honor every time I walk into that hallowed building or prepare items for any Lazy E-produced event. The first rodeo I worked after the development of Rodeo Media Relations was the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo, and it will always hold a special place in my heart – it’s also the place I met my wife, who volunteered for the committee for several years. I can’t say 2012 was all gravy, though. My father died in October at the age of 80. He was ready to go, and I take great comfort in that and the care that he received daily from my sister, Shelly, and her family. Dad sparked my interest in rodeo four decades ago, when we made the annual trip to his childhood home and took in the Woodward (Okla.) Elks Rodeo. Little did I know then that this sport would take such a strong hold of my passions, but I’m thankful it did. My dad died knowing I was doing what I love and that my passions burn for many wonderful things, not the least of which is telling stories about the people who make this sport possible and promoting rodeo to the world. It’s not close to the most important part of my being. No, God always comes first, followed closely by Lynette, Laney and Channing. But just beyond those most special to me always will be the relationships, those of my extended family and my friends, some of whom are much closer than blood relatives will ever know. They are who have made me what I am, and I hope and pray I can only do them justice. My vacation began a few days after the NFR’s 10th go-round. My final feature is on the wonderful story of world champion Mary Walker, who overcame major challenges – of losing her only son to a car wreck and rehabilitating her body after an injury that left her in a wheelchair for months – to win the coveted gold buckle. I cried with her, and I laughed with her, and I wrote from my heart. I think that’s a pretty good way to wrap an awesome 2012. I hope you have an amazing Christmas and new year.

The money is getting better in professional rodeo. This season, 11 contestants finished the campaign with more than $200,000 in earnings, and not all were world champions. Yes, there were plenty – all-around Trevor Brazile, bareback rider Kaycee Feild, saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright, tie-down roper Tuf Cooper, barrel racer Mary Walker and bull rider Cody Teel – but that’s just about half of the top money-earners. Also in the mix were bareback riders Bobby Mote (who finished third in that event and second in the all-around) and Will Lowe; saddle bronc riders Cody DeMoss and Cody Wright; barrel racer Carlee Pierce; and bull rider J.W. Harris. A decade ago, there were seven men who finished with $200,000 or more: saddle bronc riders Glen O’Neill and Dan Mortensen; tie-down ropers Fred Whitfield and Blair Burk; and all-around cowboys Brazile (who won his first of 17 gold buckles that year), Jesse Bail and Cash Myers. It’s awesome that rodeo is making strides, but these great contestants, especially the elite, need a chance to make more money every given year. We need more sponsorships, more fans and more growth to show the world what a great product we have. We need to get the storylines out even more and push for a greater response. The cowboys and cowgirls deserve it. So does anyone else who loves this sport.

LAS VEGAS – Ryan Jarrett put a nice finishing touch to his sixth trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Jarrett, the 2005 all-around world champion from Comanche, Okla., roped and tied his calf in 7.5 seconds to place fourth in the final go-round of the 2012 season. That $7,656 check, combined with the $11,484 he earned for placing in the average with the sixth best 10-round cumulative time, pushed Jarrett’s earnings to more than $51,000 at this year’s NFR. “I had a really good calf in the last round,” said Jarrett, who grew up near Summerville, Ga. “I couldn’t complain about what all I had drawn all week. I had lots of chances to win money, and on a couple of them, I didn’t take advantage on it. “I could’ve been a little faster in the round and made a few thousand more. You always want to do better, but I’ll take that.” Jarrett finished eighth in the tie-down roping world standings with $125,849. He placed in four rounds, including a share of the sixth-round win with his good friend and traveling partner, Clint Robinson of Spanish Fork, Utah. “Splitting the go-round win with my traveling partner was probably my biggest highlight this week,” Jarrett said. He has seven qualifications to the NFR, six in tie-down roping and once in steer wrestling. He competed in both events in that magical 2005 season; he’s the only cowboy to have interrupted Trevor Brazile’s run of 10 all-around titles. It’s rare that cowboys qualify for the championship in multiple events, and proof came this year when Brazile missed the NFR in tie-down roping for the first time since 1999. “It’s really hard to make it in two events,” Jarrett said. “To even do well in two events, it takes focus. Sometimes it gets in the way; sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes I go take one job and a time and complete them.” During the regular season, he won six tie-down roping titles and three all-round crowns. Still, he continues to be one of the top ropers in the business, only missing the finals twice – he suffered a torn knee ligament in 2007 and finished the 16th in the standings a year later, one spot out of qualifying for the NFR. “It takes a little luck to make it, but more so, you have to take advantage of the moments,” Jarrett said.

LAS VEGAS – It was an emotional conclusion to the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for steer wrestler Bray Armes. In his first qualification to ProRodeo’s grand championship, Armes put on quite a show. He placed in five go-rounds and put his stamp on the NFR with a 3.5-second run to finish second in Saturday’s 10th go-round. He also placed fourth in the average with a 10-round cumulative time of 55.2 seconds. In all, Armes earned $85,397 in the City of Lights. That pushed him from 15th to sixth in the final world standings, with $131,249 in earnings. “It’s amazing,” Armes said Saturday night, choking up a bit. “I’ve been blessed. I can’t put it all into words. I just thank the Lord.” It’s been an incredible year for Armes, who returned to rodeo full time at the beginning of the season. Heading into the summer stretched, he jumped in the rig with two-time world champion Dean Gorsuch; the race to the NFR was on, but not without drama. Armes needed an incredible finish to move into the 15th spot in the standings to secure his first trip to Las Vegas; he got it with key wins in Albuquerque, N.M., and Kansas City, Mo., in late September. Then he put on quite a show inside the Thomas and Mack Center, earning more money than all the other steer wrestlers in the field. “It’s a dream come true and a great blessing,” he said. “It’s been awesome.” So will his December earnings mean something different for Christmas? “We’re going to get to move for Christmas,” Armes said, noting that he, his wife, Neelley, and their children, daughter Breely and son Drake, will leave the Texas Panhandle community of Gruver for a place north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex – Neelley’s parents live in nearby Denton, Texas, while Bray’s parents live a little just 30 miles further. “Then the day after Christmas, I’ll have a little procedure done on my knee.” Bray Armes’ final push came from a solid game plan. Armes was in the hunt for the elusive world championship and needed every advantage he could get. He was hoping a fast time could secure his first go-round win in his first NFR. “I wanted to win buckles; I was going at it,” he said. “I was going to push the barrier as hard as I could and give it all I had.” Las Vegas can be a wild place, and rodeo fans make it quite western during the NFR. Armes was able to enjoy all the experiences with his family right by his side. “Couldn’t ask for anything more,” Armes said. “It’s just been crazy. It’s been fun.”

LAS VEGAS – The very best cowboys in the world are regular fixtures at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Casey Colletti is part of that group, now in his second season qualifying for ProRodeo’s grand finale. Though his gold buckle dreams vanished quickly this December, he realizes just how special it is to be in Las Vegas for 10 nights competing for the biggest money in the sport, a purse of $6.125 million. “I definitely wanted to come here and win 10 rounds, and my goal was to win the average,” said Colletti, a bareback rider from Pueblo, Colo. “But I knew after the first round that wasn’t going to happen because I got bucked off. I was going for round wins.” Go-round winners earned more than $18,000 each night, and Colletti earned that in the fifth round. “I couldn’t be more happy,” he said. “I won the fifth round, the TV pen, and I was the highest marked bareback ride at the NFR.” The fifth and 10th rounds feature the best of the best in bucking horses. The “TV pen,” refers to the days when only the 10th round was televised, so the elite bucking horses and bulls were scheduled to buck then. Winning those two rounds is quite an accomplishment, even for the greatest names in the sport. “When you look around the locker room and you see all these guys, I still get goose bumps because they’re the best,” he said. “I’ve looked up to these guys for a long time. To be marked the highest among all of them, that’s pretty special.” Colletti, who attended Garden City (Kan.) Community College on a rodeo scholarship, finished sixth on the final night. It was just the fourth time in 10 rounds that he earned round money, matching moves with Frontier Rodeo’s Delta Ship for 84 points. “I’ve seen that horse buck the best guys off,” said Colletti, who pocketed $35,925 at the NFR, finishing 2012 with $102,559. “To be leaving here with money and not getting three scores, that’s pretty big. To be knocking heads with these guys is pretty special to me.” Now he’s looking forward to next year. “I’m going to try to go to as many rodeos as I can, because I’m dang sure going to be No. 1 in the world coming in here instead of 11th,” he said. “I’m going to try to knock heads with these guys from Denver (in January) to Omaha (in September) and really try to do that.” That’s a man with a plan.

LAS VEGAS – When you tie your hand to the back of the rankest bucking horses in the business, pain comes with it. Justin McDaniel understands that as well as anyone who has ever ridden bareback horses. A cowboy’s hand is wedged into a rigging that is strapped tightly to fierce broncs, and every jump and every kick the animal provides in that eight-second ride is felt. At the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, McDaniel mounted the rankest bucking beasts in the game for 10 straight nights, most of which while experiencing disc issues in his lower back and considerable pain in his riding shoulder. Still, he rode all 10 horses, placed in four go-rounds and finished fifth in the average race with a cumulative score of 801 points. “I was just starting to feel good and wish I was just getting started,” said McDaniel, who rode C5 Rodeo’s Make Up Face for 78.5 points on Saturday to finish well out of the 10th-round money. “I got the horse I wanted in the last round. He kind of let me down and didn’t buck, but we held up in the average. That average check always helps.” As the 2008 world champion, McDaniel should know. He’s won the average twice – in 2008 and 2010 – and finished second in the aggregate one other time. The $15,901 bonus pushed his NFR earnings to $38,968. The goal every year is to conclude the season with the world champion’s gold buckle, which goes to the contestants with the most money earned in each event. The second goal is to have a solid NFR and finish the season on a high note. “It’s not quite the NFR I wanted, but you can only do what you can do,” said McDaniel, 26, of Porum, Okla. “I’m not complaining at all. I’m thankful for everything I got this week.”

LAS VEGAS – The 10th round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is the most exciting night in the sport each year. It’s the final performance of the season, and, oftentimes, world championships are decided in one ride or run. Seth Glause has felt the excitement and anticipation before, but none of his previous three qualifications to the NFR featured so much for him. Glause finished the season with a powerful point, riding Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s News Flash for 81.5 points. That was good enough for second in the round and marked the fifth time in the championship he earned a qualified ride; he placed in all five rounds and finished second in the all-important NFR average race to Beau Schroeder. In all, Glause earned $98,648 in Las Vegas, pushing his season earnings to $192,818. “It keeps getting better and better for me,” Glause said of his NFR experience; he rode more bulls this December than he had in 2008, 2010 and 2011 combined. Glause, of Rock Springs, Wyo., finished third in the world standings. Cody Teel, and NFR rookie, won the world championship, while three-time-titlist J.W. Harris finished second, but Glause was achingly close to the gold buckle himself. How close? “I missed it by $10,000,” said Glause, who attended Central Wyoming College and Oklahoma Panhandle State University on rodeo scholarships. “That was .2 seconds on one bull, one second on a bull and two seconds the other night. That’s a little frustrating, but that’s rodeo. “You can analyze it all you want, but I dang sure let them know I was here. I’m happy with that.” He should be. Not very many people in the sport get that good of a shot at the elusive world championship. Teel is just the third cowboy to win one in the last five years. “It’s amazing,” Glause said. “Everything went pretty well, and second in the average was pretty nice.” Schroeder scored 423 points on his five rides to edge Glause in the average race by just six points. On top of that, he rode pretty well after having his nose shattered in the second round and his free-arm shoulder dislocated in the third. “I’ve got too many people to try to thank that have supported me,” he said. “My dad’s been here, and my mom was here. My girlfriend’s been down here the whole time. My grandparents call me every week. I’ve got friends that are here and friends that I’ve made over the years that are always there. I’ve got more people that support me than I can even mention.”

LAS VEGAS – Cort Scheer’s run at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo wasn’t his best. Sure, he shared the second-round victory, but that was the only night he placed. Frustrating is one description for the two-time NFR qualifier from Elsmere, Neb. Motivating is another. “I don’t think I rode as good as I should have, but I’m not going to get down about it,” said Scheer, a saddle bronc rider who attended Garden City (Kan.) Community College, Montana State University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University on rodeo scholarships. “I could complain about it and get all upset, but that’s rodeo. Now I’m dang sure excited about next year.” Scheer rode eight of 10 broncs and, most importantly, placed in the average by having the fifth best cumulative score. That $15,901 bonus pushed the Nebraskans NFR earnings to $30,429. He finished the season ninth in the world standings with $98,180. “I’m happy with it,” he said. “You see lots of guys come in here and not win a dime. I didn’t win anything close to what I expected. You can either let that get you down, or you can thrive on it and build for next year. The support system in his corner is a key part of his positive attitude; it takes a lot of help and the right mind-set to be one of the best in the game, and Scheer is. “I’ve got my sponsors behind me, and my family’s always supporting me,” he said. “They never had a negative moment this whole finals. You see a lot of guys come in here, and they don’t do what they thought they could. That just happens. “I don’t have any regrets. You learn from everything. I can’t wait until next year. I’m excited.”

LAS VEGAS – Carlee Pierce and Rare Dillion scored the fastest two runs at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the latter of which put an exclamation point to a fantastic 2012 campaign.   The tandem circled the pattern in 13.57 seconds on Saturday night to win the 10th go-round – the final night of the season; it was her second round victory, the other coming with a 13.51 on the sixth night of the championship. That final check worth $18,257 pushed Pierce’s NFR earnings to $79,802. Most importantly, it pushed her season earnings to $204,322, enough to finish as runner-up to world champion Mary Walker. “Dillion felt really good today,” said Pierce, who owns the arena record with a 13.46-second run in 2011. “He was excited to be here. I think I need 10 more rounds. Next year I’m going to change that up a little bit and have 10 good rounds instead of having a few great runs.” In two trips to ProRodeo’s grand finale, Pierce has earned more than $130,000. She placed in five rounds, including three second-place finishes. But it’s been a year of seconds. Pierce earned runner-up finishes at several bit events in 2012 – Houston, San Antonio, Cody (Wyo.), the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo and the Canadian Finals Rodeo. She finished 2011 fourth in the final world standings, then took another giant leap this season. “I wasn’t expecting to be the reserve world champion at all,” she said inside the NFR media room. “I just came back here to get my fast-time saddle, and Kathi (Myers) told me she was waiting on the results and that I might be the reserve champion. “I’m just moving up the ladder. That next year is my gold buckle year. I’m going to work real hard at it.”

Barrel racing: 1. Carlee Pierce, 13.57 seconds, $18,257; 2. Lisa Lockhart, 13.76, $14,429; 3. Lee Ann Rust, 13.87, $10,895; 4. Kaley Bass, 13.96, $7,656; 5. Nikki Steffes, 13.97, $4,712; 6. Mary Walker, 14.01, $2,945. AVERAGE: 1. Brenda Mays, 141.79/10, $46,821; 2. Mary Walker, 143.52/10, $37,987; 3. Lisa Lockhart, 143.96/10, $30,036; 4. Kaley Bass, 144.69/10, $22,085; 5. Nikki Steffes, 147.19/10, $15,901; 6. Christina Richman, 156.32/10, $11,484; 7. Christy Loflin, 158.41/10, $7,951; 8. Lindsay Sears, 158.97/10, $4,417. WORLD CHAMPION: Mary Walker.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cody DeMoss on Smith/Harper & Morgan’s Painted Feather, 86, $18,257; 2. Cody Wright, 85, $14,429; 3. Isaac Diaz, 84, $10,895; 4. (tie) Bradley Harter and Jesse Wright, 80.5, $6,183; 6. (tie) Chad Ferley and Sterling Crawley, 77.5, $1,472. AVERAGE: 1. Cody DeMoss, 798.5 points on 10 rides, $46,821; 2. Cody Wright, 740.5 on nine, $37,987; 3. Wade Sundell, 628 on eight, $30,036; 4. Cole Elshere, 620.5, $22,085; 5. Cort Scheer, 609, $$15,901; 6. Jesse Wright, 583 on seven, $11,484; 7. Cody Taton, 553, $7,951; 8. Isaac Diaz, 548.5, $4,417. WORLD CHAMPION: Jesse Wright, $22,887.

Team roping: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Jade Corkill, 4.0 seconds, $18,257; 2. (tie) Luke Brown/Martin Lucero and Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly, 4.1, $12,662; 4. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 4.9, $7,656; 5. Chad Masters/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 5.2, $4,712; 6. Erich Rogers/Kory Koontz, 5.7, $2,945. AVERAGE: 1. Chad Masters/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 73.4/10, $46,821; 2. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 65.2/9, $37,987; 3. Erich Rogers/Kory Koontz, 46.4/8, $30,036; 4. Brock Hansen/Ryan Motes, 63.8/8, $22,085; 5. Kaleb Driggers/Jade Crokill, 31.2/7, $15,901; 6. Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, 40.5/7, $11,484; 7. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 52.3/7, $7,951; 8. Colby Lovell/Russel Cardoza, 52.5/7, $4,417. WORLD CHAMPIONS: Header, Chad Masters, $196,099; heeler, Jade Corkill, $190,797

Bareback riding: 1. J.R. Vezain on Lancaster & Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Top Flight, 86.5, $18,257; 2. Bobby Mote, 86, $14,429; 3. (tie) Steven Dent, Kaycee Field and Steven Peebles , 85.5, $7,656; 6. Casey Colletti, 84, $2,945. AVERAGE: 1. Kaycee Feild, 834.0/10, $46,820.91, 2. Will Lowe, 813.0/10, $37,986.78, 3. Bobby Mote, 809.5/10, $30,036.06, 4. J.R. Vezain, 808.0/10, $22,085.34, 5. Justin McDaniel, 801.0/10, $15,901.44, 6. Jessy Davis, 795.5/10, $11,484.38, 7. Caleb Bennett, 782.5/10, $7,950.72, 8. Wes Stevenson, 780.5/10, $4,417.07. WORLD CHAMPION: Kaycee Feild, $276,850 Steer wrestling: 1. Gabe Ledoux, 3.3, $18,257; 2. Bray Armes, 3.5, $14,429; 3. Wade Sumpter, 3.7, $10,895; 4. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9, $7,656; 5. (tie) Luke Branquinho and Matt Reeves, 4.2, $3,828. AVERAGE: 1. Les Shepperson, 48.6/10, $46,820.91, 2. Casey Martin, 50.0/10, $37,986.78, 3. Beau Clark, 54.3/10, $30,036.06, 4. Bray Armes, 55.2/10, $22,085.34, 5. KC Jones, 57.7/10, $15,901.44, 6. Dean Gorsuch, 62.9/10, $11,484.38, 7. Luke Branquinho, 36.8/9, $7,950.72, 8. Todd Suhn, 41.2/9, $4,417.07. WORLD CHAMPION: Luke Branquinho, $158,963.

LAS VEGAS – Tyrell Smith and Carr Pro Rodeo’s Cool Runnings have a lot in common. Both were born in Canada and live the nomad life that is rodeo. They’re both in the City of Lights this week, competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time each. Oh, and they came together quite well on Thursday night to win the saddle bronc riding title during the eighth go-round of the 2012 championship. The combination was worth 84 points, and it provided Smith with a paycheck of $18,257. “First four jumps kind of scared me,” Smith said of the ride. “I had to take him squatting down; it wasn’t the best shot at that horse. Pete (Carr) told me that if you mess with him too much, he’ll get worse. “I just kind of took a bad shot at him, and hoped it was going to work out. When I spurred him out, he hated me and tried to throw me off. I kept swinging for the fences, and it worked.” Carr, who owns the Dallas-based livestock company, purchased Cool Runnings from Dale Woodward, who owns Outlaw Buckers, a Canadian livestock producer. Now the 10-year-old black gelding is helping cowboys earn their keep in the sport they love. Thursday’s ride was the second time Cool Runnings has helped cowboys at the NFR. He matched moves with Sterling Crawley for 80.5 points in the third round, which was good enough for sixth place; Crawley earned $2,945. Another NFR qualifier, Jake Wright, won the rodeo in Window Rock, Ariz., with an 88-point ride. “He’s pretty fast and a little stronger than I expected,” Smith said. “He’s just a good bucking horse. I’ve had people tell me I set my feet pretty hard, and I guess I must. Because every time I set my feet, I could feel him ball up and kick harder. He just felt like he was getting stronger. It worked out better than I thought it was going to. Cool Runnings was the second Carr horse to guide a cowboy to the first-place prize, joining veteran River Boat Annie, who guided reigning world champion Kaycee Feild to a share of the second-round win. The tandem posted an 86.5. “She’s been good for I don’t know how long,” Feild said of the 11-year-old red roan mare, who is at the NFR for the eighth time; she was the reserve world champion bareback horse in 2007. “I had never been on that horse. All my traveling partners have been on her a number of times, and I was just happy to see my name on the draw next to her. “She’s constantly strong. She never changes up. She always has that consistent power, which is awesome, because you send feet as high as you want and set them as hard as you can. It seems like she’s in the air so high that you can set your feet, and you’re waiting for her to hit the ground, and you’re thinking about what you’re going to do the next jump. It’s all smooth. There’s never a real snatch or a real jerk, and she never hits the ground real hard. That’s just a fun one to get on.”

LAS VEGAS – One round remains in ProRodeo’s 2012 season, and Carlee Pierce has a game plan. “We’re just going to run as fast as we can and focus on each barrel in the pattern,” said Pierce, a two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Stephenville, Texas. “With rounds paying as much as they do, there’s no reason to let off now.” That’s true. Pierce has already cashed in for $61,544 and has placed in just four rounds. She earned the $18,257 for winning the sixth round and finished runner-up in Rounds 4, 7 and 8. She and her 12-year-old buckskin gelding, Rare Dillion, have clocked well; a couple of overturned barrels have cost the pair another $20,000. In fact, they rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 13.90 seconds in Friday’s ninth go-round of the NFR, which would’ve been good enough to finish in a tie for third place, but a barrel on the ground provided a five-second penalty and knocked the duo out of the money. “I am still so very proud of Dillion,” Pierce said. “I can’t complain a bit about this NFR. We’ve won $60,000, and Dillion has been awesome.” This is the best finals for Pierce, who was born in Red Deer, Alberta, and who lived in northwest Oklahoma for several years – in Freedom and Woodward. She and her family moved to Stephenville in the fall of 2011, where they also won Branded P, a Western store. For Saturday night, the business is to cash in one final time at this year’s NFR. “I’m extremely blessed just to be here, and I appreciate everything that’s happened,” said Pierce, who has earned more than $186,000 this season. “This has been an awesome ride.”

LAS VEGAS – Bareback rider Matt Bright contributes his Wrangler National Finals Rodeo success to numerous factors. He’s riding without injury, which is rare in a sport where a cowboy’s hand is virtually locked onto the back of a bucking beast; he’s had great support; and, most importantly, Bright has his mind in the right place. Now in his third straight trip to sport’s grand finale, he’s having solid success. “It seems like I’ve been real good at trying to treat it like a new rodeo every day,” said Bright, who has placed in four rounds, most recently an runner-up finish in Friday’s ninth go-round after posting an 84-point ride on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Dunny – so far, Bright has pocketed $33,668 in his nine days in Las Vegas, including the $14,429 he earned Friday. “You’re getting to go at $18,000 every day,” he said, referring to the $18,257 that is paid to go-round winners for each of the NFR’s 10 nights. “That’s more than we get to nod for in one ride anywhere all year long. Getting on one horse for $18,000 … that’s the biggest rodeo you get all year. That’s probably why I’ve had a lot more success.” How much better is the 2012 championship than the previous two? Bright entered this season with just two NFR go-round checks, one each in 2010-2011. Friday’s second-place finish was his best so far – he finished in a tie for third in the third round, tied for fifth in the fourth and finished fourth in the seventh. Having a great Texas horse worked out quite well for the Texas cowboy. “I knew, by word of mouth, that I had a good horse,” he said of Dunny. “I was pretty excited. Me and Stace matched up yesterday, so I kind of wanted to redeem myself on one of his horses.” Bright was referring to his 77-point ride atop Smith’s R.D. Mercer in the eighth go-round. ‘This is the most consistent I feel I’ve had at the finals,” Bright said. “I’ve had a no score and a couple bad rides, but I think I’ve been really good about not bringing it to the table the next day and starting fresh the next day, and I think that’s been a factor in riding as well as I have. “I’ve won 10 times as much as I’ve won my whole life.”

LAS VEGAS – Justin McDaniel hasn’t had his best run at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but it’s getting better. “I’m just glad I’m finally feeling good,” said McDaniel, a two-time NFR bareback riding average winner and the 2008 world champion. McDaniel placed for the fourth time at this year’s finale with an 83.5-point ride atop J Bar J Inc.’s Dirty Rags, earning $7,754 in the process. That pushed his NFR earnings to $23,067; he has earned more than $83,000 this season. But it’s come with a price. McDaniel, 26, of Porum, Okla., has struggled with back and shoulder issues at this year’s championship. Riding the toughest bucking horses in the world is tough; doing so with a bad back and a wrecked shoulder is even tougher. “My back has finally stayed in for two days now,” he said. “It feels strong, and I feel like I can do my job now. I’m looking forward to the rank pen tomorrow night.” The NFR features the top 100 bucking horses in the world, as selected by the bareback riders who try to tame them. The 10th-round horses are the cream of the crop. It’s a powerful to put a close to the 10-round slugfest that is ProRodeo’s grand championship. “Even when you get here, it’s still a drawing contest,” McDaniel said of the blind draw that pits cowboy vs. animal that is still a vital part of the sport. “The horses have been outstanding this week, especially the ranker pen of horses.” The first time this grouping of horses was bucked in the fifth go-round, five cowboys failed to register a score. McDaniel was 80.5 and just missed out on placing Monday night. He had a little better pony on Friday. “It was good to break the ice a little bit and finally spur one,” said McDaniel, who is fourth in the average with a cumulative score of 722.5 points on nine rides – if he remains in that position, he’ll earn a bonus of $22,085 after the NFR concludes Saturday night. “That horse was just nice, and it was one you could really spur. I changed gloves tonight where I could squeeze a little better. I took my shoulder brace off and tried to loosen up and just have fun.” It worked.

Bull riding: 1. Trevor Kastner on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Bailey Hou, 84.5, $18,257; no other qualified rides.

Barrel racing: 1. Lisa Lockhart, 13.66, $18,257; 2. Lee Ann Rust, 13.88, $14,429; 3. Mary Walker, 13.90, $10,895; 4. (tie) Brenda Mays and Christy Loflin, 14.24, $6,184; 6. Christina Richman, 14.29, $2,945.

Tie-down roping: 1. (tie) Clint Robinson and Bradley Bynum, 6.9 seconds, $16,343; 3. (tie) Monty Lewis, Cory Solomon and Tuf Cooper, 7.2, $7,656; 6. Cody Ohl, 7.7, $2,945.

Team roping: 1. Spencer Mitchell/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 4.0 seconds, $18,257; 2. Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly, 4.5, $14,429; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Jade Corkill, 4.7, $10,895; 4. Erich Rogers/Kory Koontz, 8.8, $7,656; 5. Charly Crawford/Jim Ross Cooper, 8.8, $4,712; 6. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 9.5, $2,945. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Taos Muncy on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s Awesome, 84 points, $18,257; 2. Cody Demoss, 83, $14,429; 3. Cody Wright, 78, $10,895; 4. Cole Elshere, 77.5, $7,656; 5. Chad Ferley, 76.5, $4,712; 6. Jesse Wright, 75.5, $2,945.

Bareback riding: 1. Steven Peebles on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix Hell’s Fire Hostage, 84.5, $18,257; 2. Matt Bright, 84, $14,429; 3. (tie) Brian Bain, Justin McDaniel and Steven Dent, 83.5, $7,656; 6. Bobby Mote, 83, $2,945. Steer wrestling: 1. Tom Lewis, 3.5 seconds, $18,257; 2. (tie) Billy Bugenig, Trevor Knowles and KC Jones, 4.0, $10,994; 5. Todd Suhn, 4.2, $4,712; 6. Casey Martin, 4.4, $2,945.

LAS VEGAS – Steer wrestler Bray Armes is having a great run at his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Armes has placed in five of eight go-rounds so far and has earned $48,882, the last update coming Thursday night in the eighth go-round, where the Gruver, Texas, cowboy turfed his steer in 3.6 seconds to finish third – that was worth $10,895. He’s more than doubled his regular-season earnings – he entered ProRodeo’s grand finale with $45,852, No. 15 in the world standings. By finishing in the top 15, he earned the right to compete for the biggest pay in the sport, a purse of $6.125 million. The NFR is where world champions will be crowned. The contestant with the most money won in each event at the conclusion of the season – which wraps after the 10th round of the NFR – is crowned world champion. Armes actually is in range to catch the leaders, but he’ll have to perform well in the final two go-rounds. Armes world standings leader Luke Branquinho by more than $52,000, but go-round winners earn paychecks worth $18,257. Included in the mix is the NFR average, which pays the top eight places in the 10-round aggregate. Armes rides into the final two days of the season in fourth place in the average; if he maintains that position, he’ll add $22,085 on Saturday night. He’s also just 1.6 seconds from moving to third place, which pays about $8,000 more. But there are nine steer wrestlers who have earned at least $100,000, so the race is tight. It’ll come down to the last run to decide this year’s world champion.

LAS VEGAS – With two nights remaining in the 2012 ProRodeo season, Justin McDaniel knows exactly what he has to do. “I just need ride my horses the best I can,” said McDaniel, the 2008 world champion bareback rider from Porum, Okla. “There’s a lot of money we can win in the rounds, so I’ll try my best over the next two nights and see what happens.” On Thursday night, McDaniel rode Kesler Rodeo’s Mile Away for 80 points, finishing in a tie for sixth place in the eighth go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. So far, the five-time NFR qualifier has earned $15,312. It marked the third time at this year’s championship he has earned a round check. In addition to the gold buckle, McDaniel is a two-time NFR average champion, finishing the 10-round slugfest with the best cumulative score. This December, he sits sixth in the average; if he remains in that position, he’ll add a check worth $11,484. But he’s within range of moving up in the average standings. He’s just a point and a half behind the fourth-place cowboy, four-time world champion Bobby Mote; fourth place pays $22,085. “Every night, you ride for first place,” McDaniel said. “You can win $18,000 a night. If you ride to win, you give yourself the best shot every night.”