Monthly Archives: December 2013

1. Ryan Jarrett, 6.7 seconds, $18,630; 2. (tie) Tuf Cooper and Cody Ohl, 6.9, $12,291 each; 4. Trevor Brazile, 7.0, $7,813; 5. Tyson Durfey, 7.3, $4,808; 6. (tie) Shane Slack and Timber Moore, 7.8, $1,502 each.

1. Colby Lovell/Martin Lucero, 4.2 seconds, $18,630; 2. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.5, $14,724; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Travis Graves, 4.9, $11,118; 4. Luke Brown/Kollin VonAhn, 5.3, $7,813; 5. Drew Horner/Buddy Hawkins II, 5.7, $4,808; 6. (tie) Justin Davis/ Clay O’Brien Cooper and Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, 9.1, $1,502 each.

1. Hunter Cure, 3.8 seconds, $18,630; 2. Matt Reeves, 4.2, $14,724; 3. (tie) Trevor Knowles and Stan Branco, 4.3, $9,465; 5. K.C. Jones, 4.5, $4,808; 6. Dakota Eldridge, 4.6, $3,005.

1. Kaycee Field on Andrews Rodeo’s Cool Water, 83.5, $18,630; 2. Steven Peebles, 82.5, $14,724; 3. J.R. Vezain, 79, $11,118; 4. Bobby Mote, 78.5, $7,813; 5. Wes Stevenson, 74.5, $4,808; 6. Will Lowe, 74, $3,005.

Steer wrestler Riley Duvall comes from a long line of great bulldoggers and hazers. His great uncle, Roy Duvall, is a three-time world champion who owns the most NFR qualifications in the discipline. His dad is Sam, his uncle is Spud and his cousin is Tom, and all three have played their game at the NFR. Sam, Spud and Grandpa Bill Duvall also have been known as tremendous horsemen and hazers, and Riley is following suit. At this year’s NFR, Riley Duvall is serving as hazer for three cowboys: Bray Armes, Hunter Cure and Matt Reeves. On Wednesday night, Reeves won the round, and Armes placed second. They then paid Duvall $4,169 for his percentage of their winnings. Through seven nights in Las Vegas, Duvall has added nearly $15,000 to his bank account. All three of his bulldoggers say Duvall is a major piece of their success, and in watching him work Wednesday, you can see why he’s here. He’s at the top of his game.

LAS VEGAS – The nastiest group of saddle broncs at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo weren’t that tough for Cort Scheer. On Wednesday night, Scheer rode four horses in order to post an 80.5 score during the seventh go-round, collecting a check worth $11,118 to make it all worth it. He now has earned nearly $37,000 at the NFR with three rounds remaining. So what happened? Scheer, 27, of Elsmere, Neb., was originally matched with Rosser Rodeo’s Hat Stomper in what cowboys call the eliminator pen – they are the hardest-to-ride horses bucking at the NFR. Hat Stomper, though, didn’t have his kind of day, so Scheer was awarded a re-ride since the horse didn’t allow the cowboy the opportunity to score well. That same thing happened again … two more times. About 20 minutes after the close of the round Wednesday, Scheer climbed over the golden chutes inside the Thomas & Mack Center on C5 Rodeo’s Biff, and the duo danced across the arena dirt for the third-place score. It was a big move for Scheer, who placed for just the third time. What’s most important is that Scheer is one of just two cowboys to have ridden all seven horses, matching Texan Jacobs Crawley. Still, Scheer is No. 1 in the all-important average race with a cumulative total score of 548 points, seven ahead of Crawley. The NFR average title is the second most coveted championship to win in rodeo, just behind the world champion’s gold buckle. It’s also valued at $47,776, so that’s big, too. The Nebraska cowboy is seventh in the world standings, having earned $126,690 through the combined earnings of the regular season and the NFR. He trails world standings leader Jake Wright by $30,215. While the top prize in the average would enable Scheer to pass Wright, the Utah cowboy is third in the average, which, if he stays in that position, would pay $30,649. So Scheer needs a little help if he is to claim his first world title. He’d like to collect his fair share of the $60,096 go-round purse each of the three nights and cash in with the big average check. That’s his focus for the final three rounds of this NFR. It’ll be worth the ride.

LAS VEGAS – Tyler Willis took a deep breath, then excelled. It was a sigh of relief. On Wednesday night at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the Wheatland, Wyo., bull rider marked his first qualified ride of this year’s championship, scoring 74.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Barabbas to finish fifth in the seventh round. He pocketed $4,808. “I felt a lot better going in last night than when I started,” said Willis, now in his second qualification to ProRodeo’s championship. “My finals wasn’t going the way I planned, so I just started from scratch.” The NFR features only the top 15 cowboys in each event, and Willis earned the right to be in the City of Lights because of how well he competed through the regular season. He earned better than $75,000 heading into the 10-day championship, so he knows what it takes to stay on the backs of the nastiest bucking beasts in the business. So when he failed to do so for the qualifying eight second through the first few nights of the NFR, Willis’ confidence was shaken. He had to reach down into his gut, and reflect on the season, to gain that swagger back. “It’s just remembering what got you here,” he said. “Also the other guys in the locker room were trying to be so supportive. Everybody wants everybody else to do good, so you just keep trying and doing what you did all year long to get here.” Riding bucking bulls is tough in the first place, but Willis admitted that he was trying a little too hard. In an athletic competition, especially a championship like this, the mental game can help or hurt. So what was the main difference to Wednesday night? “The main thing is not thinking about it,” said Willis, who says his sponsorship agreement with Wyoming Tourism and Cowboy Outfitters USA is what helped him succeed throughout the year. “I was trying too hard, and my muscles were too stiff. Last night, I was riding more like I need to ride. “The biggest mistake is over-thinking things. It can be pretty simple, but you can make it pretty hard on yourself, too.” Now that he’s found the formula that works, the Wyoming cowboy hopes to follow that same approach heading into the final few nights of the NFR. “I’m down to three rounds, so it’s just one bull at a time,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what bull I get on. I’m just going to go at it like I did last night and see how it works. “I don’t have anything to lose, and that’s fine with me. I’ll just try to win.”

LAS VEGAS – How tough is it to rope steers in Las Vegas? Through seven go-rounds of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, only one team has caught all seven steers. Only two other teams have caught six. For Jim Ross Cooper of Monument, N.M., and his heading partner, Brandon Beers, it’s the nature of the beast. They’ve scored times in five rounds so far, including a 7.3-second run on Wednesday night’s seventh round. It was good enough for sixth place and worth $3,005. In all, each roper has pocketed $17,839. Why is it so danged tough? The NFR is ProRodeo’s premier championship, and it features only the top 15 contestants in each discipline from the 2013 regular season. But the competition is set up as a challenge, so even the best in the business will be tested each round for 10 nights each December. The arena in the Thomas & Mack Center is roughly the size of a hockey rink, so there isn’t much space to maneuver two horses and a steer. Three head of livestock going as fast as they can makes for some quick times, but also some fast moves to make it work. Still, Beers and Cooper – sons of world champions – have a solid footing heading into the final three nights of the competition. They are sixth in the average race with a seven-run cumulative time of 40.8 seconds. Beers is sixth in the heading world standings with a little more than $115,000, while Cooper sits fourth in heeling at $123,023. Can they make a run at this year’s team roping gold buckles? They have three nights to make it happen, and in Las Vegas, anything can happen.

1. Jake Wright on J Bar J’s Special Time, 84.5 points, $18,630; 2. Chad Ferley, 83.5, $14,724; 3. Cort Scheer, 80.5, $11,118;  4. (tie) Cody Wright and Taos Muncy, 79.5, $6,310 each; 6. Jacobs Crawley, 75, $3,005.

LAS VEGAS – Bray Armes must like Las Vegas. A year ago, the Ponder, Texas, cowboy – competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time – earned more than $85,000. He’s well on his way to matching, and possibly exceeding, that total at this year’s championship. On Wednesday night, Armes manhandled his steer to the ground in 3.9 seconds to finish runner-up in the seventh go-round, earning $14,724 in the process. He has earned $37,660. Most importantly, his seven-run cumulative time of 31.5 seconds is the best among bulldoggers, and he has a 2.7-second lead over the No. 2 man in the average, Casey Martin. Martin leads the world standings race with more than $129,000. Armes has moved from 14th on the money list to eighth. Should Armes remain No. 1 in the average race, he’ll pocket a $47,776 bonus, but second place pays $38,762 – that means Martin holds an advantage. “It would be awesome to win the average, but I’m for that gold buckle,” said Armes, who grew up in Gruver, Texas. “I need to get a lot of money in the go-rounds, so that’s what I’m going for. I’m just going to keep throwing them down and see what happens.” That’s worked quite well so far. The powerful Texan has placed in four go-rounds. The steer he ran Wednesday had a pretty good track record, so he knew there was something special brewing before he backed into the timed-event chute. “He runs real hard, but I knew if I got a good start, I dang sure could place on him,” he said. “I got a great start, and he fell off to the right on me. (Hazer) Riley Duvall did a great job bringing him back to me. I got my hands on him, slowed down and dumped him over.” Of course, a big part of that is having the right mental approach. After admitting that he had been letting the pressure of the moment get to him, Armes has changed his focus. It’s been rather beneficial. “I’m a lot more relaxed, just letting it happen,” he said.

1. Cody Teel on Bar T Rodeo’s Slim Chance, 85, $18,630; 2. Cooper Davis, 84, $14,724; 3. Parker Breding, 80.5, $11,118; 4. Josh Koschel, 79.5, $7,813; 5. Tyler Willis, 74.5, $4,808; no other qualified rides.

Cort Scheer is about to mount his fourth saddle bronc of the night. He was just rewarded a third re-ride after the performance closed.

1. Taylor Jacob, 13.47 seconds, $18,630; 2. Michelle McLeod, 13.48, $14,724; 3. Mary Walker, 13.58, $11,118; 4. Trula Churchill, 13.67, $7,813; 5. Sherry Cervi, 13.72, $4,808; 6. Lisa Lockhart, 13.83, $3,005.

1. Cody Ohl, 6.7 seconds, $18,630; 2. Trevor Brazile, 7.3, $14,724; 3. (tie) Shane Hanchey and Scott Kormos, 7.7, $9,655 each; 5. Stetson Vest, 7.9, $4,808; 6. Clif Cooper, 8.2, $3,005.

1. Kaycee Feild on Calgary Stampede’s Shadow Warrior, 83 points, $18,630; 2. Clint Cannon, 82.5, $14,724; 3. Ryan Gray, 80, $11,118; 4. (tie) Steven Dent and Wes Stevenson and Steven Peebles, 79.5, $5,208 each.

1. (tie) Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill and Dustin Bird/Paul Eaves, 4.1 seconds, $16,677 each; 3. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.6, $11,118; 4. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.8 $7,813; 5. Justin Davis/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 6.3, $4,808; 6. Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 7.3, $3,005.

1. Matt Reeves, 3.1 seconds, $18,630; 2. Bray Armes, 3.9, $14,724; 3. (tie) Stan Branco and Dean Gorsuch, 4.0, $9,465 each; 5. Trevor Knowles, 4.1, $4,808; 6. Casey Martin, 4.3, $3,005.

Here are your money leaders We’ve got just four go-rounds remaining in the 2013 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and here are the contestants in each event who have won the most so far: –       Bareback rider Caleb Bennett, $46,575 –       Steer wrestler Dean Gorsuch, $46,575 –       Team ropers Brady and Riley Minor, $48,117 –       Saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell, $52,985 –       Tie-down roper Shane Hanchey, $58,894 –       Barrel racer Sherry Cervi, $70,413 –       Bull rider J.W. Harris, $67,007 Other end of the spectrum There are several contestants who haven’t found that type of success. In fact, ??? haven’t found any at all: –       Bareback rider Jared Smith –       Steer wrestler Straws Milan –       Barrel racer Jean Winters –       And bull riders Cole Echols and Tyler Willis

LAS VEGAS – Tyler Corrington rides saddle broncs for a living. He loves his job, and he’s showing it this week in his second qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Corrington, 27, of Hastings, Minn., has placed in each of the last four go-rounds, including a sixth-place finish Tuesday night that was worth $3,005. He rode Barnes PRCA Rodeo’s Cat Power for 80 points, and that move propelled his NFR earnings to $32,752. So far this season, Corrington has earned $130,679 riding bucking horses. He is sixth in the world standings but just about $17,000 behind the world standings leader, two-time world champion Cody Wright. Go-round winners earn $18,630 each of the 10 December nights of ProRodeo’s grand finale, so if things go well, the Minnesota cowboy could move into the top spot on the money list. That’s easier said than done, though, because the NFR features the 15 greatest bronc busters from the 2013 season. Still, Las Vegas is the place for cowboys to find their riches. What’s most valuable, though, is that the contestants in each event who finish the NFR with the most money will walk away from the Thomas & Mack Center with the most coveted prizes in the sport, a world champion’s gold buckle. That’s one of the things for which Corrington is riding. But he also is having a blast. You see, each night the top 15 bucking horse riders are matched against the greatest broncs in rodeo. That makes it fun for the cowboys and exciting for the more than 17,000 fans who pack the Thomas & Mack every night. On Wednesday night, the bronc riders will face their biggest tests of the NFR, being matched against the “eliminator” pen of bucking horses, the nastiest, hardest-to-ride animals in the game. Corrington’s blind draw has him matched against Killer Bee of Oklahoma-based Beutler & Son Rodeo. Last Friday, Killer Bee bucked off five-time NFR qualifier Heith DeMoss. Corrington knows the challenges he faces over the remaining four rounds, but he’s ready for them. He likely will handle his business with a smile on his face.

LAS VEGAS – Every year at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, several contestants make powerful statements with their performances during the 10-day championship. Steer wrestler Hunter Cure of Holliday, Texas, is one of them. Through six go-rounds inside the Thomas & Mack Center, Cure has placed four times, including a Round 5 victory. He has earned $44,571 of Vegas money and has moved up to fourth in the world standings race – his 2013 earnings are inches close from $110,000. On Tuesday night during the NFR’s sixth go-round, Cure grappled his steer to the ground in 3.9 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place. He pocketed $5,208 for his run. To compare this year’s championship to the only other time he has competed at the NFR, he already has placed in more go-rounds than he did in 2009. Oh, and there are still four rounds to go, so the possibilities of increased success stand out quite well in the Nevada desert. Cure also has the seventh fastest cumulative time, downing six steers in 34.2 seconds. The top eight in that aggregate at the conclusion of the NFR will earn bonus checks, with the average champion earning nearly $48,000. Should the Howard College (Texas) and Texas Tech University graduate remain in seventh, he will add another $8,100 to his paycheck in the City of Lights.

LAS VEGAS – When steer wrestler Bray Armes walked into the Thomas & Mack Center late Tuesday afternoon, it was a different stride, a more confident walk. “This evening when I got here, I just decided to back off and have fun,” Armes said, explaining that he felt as though he’d been pressing some through the first few rounds of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I backed in the (timed-event) box and was relaxed and got a great start.” Yes, he did; then Armes put his faith in his trusty steed and his own ability. “Ote slid me right up the steer’s back,” he said of the palomino horse. “I did all I could do and got the steer on his side, then I was just lucky enough to place.” The Ponder, Texas, cowboy stopped the clock in 3.9 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place in the sixth round. He added $5,208 to his NFR earnings, which are nearly $23,000. It was a nice rebound from a tough run the night before. “I just don’t know what I did last night,” said Armes, who sits third in the all-important average race with a six-run cumulative time of 27.6 seconds. “I guess I was just trying too hard.” So he changed his attitude and his game plan. “When you slow down, you do things right,” Amres said. “When you try to go fast, you usually screw up. I’m just going to back in the box and try to blow the barrier out every night and try to make a smooth run. I think smooth will win.” In timed events, contestants must give the livestock on which they compete a head start. A barrier line is pulled tightly in front of a steer wrestler and is released once the steer has received the adequate distance. Blowing the barrier out means Armes will try to time his run to hit the barrier just as it is release – not behind it, because then he’s late; not before it, because he’ll suffer a 10-second penalty. And when you’re as good as Armes, it’s a little frustrating when something happens like the fifth-round run, which stopped the clock in 6.1 seconds and was well off the pace to earn money. But the cowboy who grew up near Gruver, Texas, has a supportive, yet rodeo-educated, family: wife Neelley, daughter Breely and son Drake, who had a few words for Dad after his struggles Monday. “When I picked him up, he said, ‘Daddy, you bulldogged like a girl,’ ” Armes said. “I said, ‘Yeah, bubba, I did.’ ” Bray Armes is a big, burly man with a long stride and a winning demeanor. That’s what he hopes to bring to the NFR party each round for the final four nights.

LAS VEGAS – How focused is bareback rider Caleb Bennett? “I go to bed thinking about making a statement with my riding,” said Bennett, now in his second straight qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I go to bed thinking about great bucking horses and riding great bucking horses. I wake up, and I think about it all day long. “Thoughts become things, and I just picture myself winning go-rounds and drawing great horses and winning lots of money.” He’s right, because thoughts are becoming things. On Tuesday night, Bennett matched moves with Three Hills Rodeo’s Peaches N Cream for 84 points to finish as the runner-up in the sixth go-round. He added $14,724 to his NFR earnings, which have reached $46,575. “Three Hills brought a great horse,” said Bennett, who has placed five of six nights, including the victory in Round 1. “That’s another one I’ve never been on, and I’ve wanted to get on her and have watched her for years. I really thought that was the one to win the round on tonight. She’s very consistent, the same trip every time.” It’s been a special week for the Utah cowboy, who has moved from 15th to sixth in the world standings and is the No. 1 man in the average race – his six-ride cumulative score of 497 points is just half a point better than another Utah bronc buster, two-time reigning world champion Kaycee Feild. “Right now I’m just trying to keep a level head,” Bennett said. “I just keep thinking about the good ones and hope that they’re by my name every time and try to ride them the best I can.” Cowboys are matched with their livestock by a blind draw, and the NFR features 100 of the very best bareback horses in the game. It takes equal parts of quality horse and a quality ride to make for big scores. “I am humbled,” he said. “This is unreal. I read a deal that Wade (Sundell) said that he was far enough down that he had nothing to lose, so he was just going to make a statement here.” So he visited with traveling partner J.R. Vezain of Cowley, Wyo., about those thoughts, then put them into his own words. “I know I’m 15th, and I know I squeaked in there,” Bennett said. “I know a lot of guys aren’t really looking for me to do that good this year. I’m going to be like Wade, and I’m going to try to make a statement.” He is … to nearly $50,000 in six nights. NOTE Vezain has been wearing a vest specially made by Ty Skiver, who is the step-father of another traveling partner, R.C. Landingham. Skiver made the vest in support of his wife and Landingham’s mother, Wendy Skiver. All the bareback riders will sign the vest, and it will be part of a raffle; tickets are being sold at the Barstow booth at Cowboy Christmas, and money raised will go to help with Wendy Skiver’s medical bills. “We really want to help them as much as we can, and I think this is a great way to tie it all together,” Bennett said.

1. Trevor Kastner on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Wild Eyes, 88 points, $18,630; 2. J.W. Harris, 86, $14,724; 3. Cody Teel, 85.5, $11,118; 4. (tie) Chandler Bownds and Parker Breding and Tyler Smith, 85, $5,208 each.

LAS VEGAS – Casey Colletti is pretty excited about his back-to-back go-round victories at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I’d almost do a happy dance for you, but I’d probably hurt myself,” said Colletti, 27, of Pueblo, Colo., who suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee during a rough get-off in the third round. While he limps around Las Vegas, his bum knee doesn’t seem to bother Colletti on the back of the best bucking horses in the world. On Tuesday night, he posted an 86.5-point on J Bar J Rodeo’s Smack Daddy to win the sixth round. He cashed in another $18,630 and pushed his NFR earnings to $40,515. “I had her in San Angelo (Texas), and finished second in the long round,” he said. “She grew up. When I had her, she was about 200 pounds lighter and a little bit smaller. I was so tickled to have her. It was kind of an underdog, because a lot of guys didn’t know what she was. In the back of my head, I was going, ‘If she does what she does, it’s going to be good.’ “She kind of bucked. She wasn’t super rank bucking, but she was phenomenal.” So was Colletti, who has credited the Justin Sportsmedicine Program for getting him ready to ride each night. “The ride felt good,” Colletti said. “What a bareback ride should feel like, hurt or unhurt, that’s just what it felt like.” It seems to be working so far. “It’s kind of a dream come true to me,” he said. “I just set my goals of other things when I get here, and one of the things was to win back-to-back go-round buckles. “She jumped out and had a hard move to the right, which I did not expect that. All I was thinking was, ‘Zing your feet because you’re not going to win not spurring her.’ There are 15 of the best guys in the world trying to compete for go-rounds. I’m just going to try to win first every night.”