Monthly Archives: December 2017

LAS VEGAS – Bareback rider Clayton Biglow’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is like an old truck engine: It took a little while to get warmed up, but it’s humming right along now. Biglow, 22, of Clements, Calif., failed to catch a check in the first five rounds of this year’s 10-round finale. Since the second half began, he hasn’t missed a lick. He’s placed in three straight rounds, including a second-place finish during Thursday’s eighth go-round on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s South Suds, worth $20,731. “It was déjà vu,” he said. “I actually got on him here last year in the same round, except today I feel like I rode him better. That’s a rank son of a gun, the rankest horse I got on last year and so far the rankest horse this year.” He must like powerful bucking horses. Thursday’s bareback riding featured the “eliminator” pen, the hardest-to-ride horses in the sport. “That is what you want to do,” Biglow said. “That is why we are bareback riders. Getting by the hoppers (the easiest-to-ride broncs) is fun and all, but this is what you live for, to slay the dragons.” He has pushed his NFR earnings to $72,404, with all but $10,000 coming in the last three nights. He now sits fourth in the world standings with $200,577 in season earnings. What’s more impressive is that the group of bareback riders has worked like a team. “We are feeding off each other,” he said. “We are all brothers in that locker room. We are all pulling for each other. Everyone wants to win first, and it would be cool if we could all win first. No one is against each other. We are not here to beat Tim (O’Connell) or Richie (Champion). We are there to beat our horses, and that is all we are worried about.” Now Biglow has just two more chances to cash in during his Vegas tenure this season. He’ll do everything possible to make it work.

Bareback riding: 1. Richmond Champion, 88 points on Hi Lo ProRodeo Pretty Woman, $26,231; 2. Clayton Biglow, 86.5, $20,731; 3. Jake Brown, 86, $15,564; 4. (tie) Tim O’Connell and JR Vezain, 85, $8,885 each; 6. Bill Tutor, 84.5, $4,231. Steer wrestling: 1. Chason Floyd, 3.7 seconds, $26,231; 2. Rowdy Parrott, 3.8, $20,731; 3. (tie) Jon Ragatz and Dakota Eldridge, 4.1, $13,327 each; 5. (tie) Tanner Milan and Ty Erickson, 4.4, $5,500 each. Team roping: 1. (tie) Luke Brown/Jake Long and Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 4.1 seconds, $23,481 each; 3. (tie) Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koontz and Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.2, $13,327 each; 5. Chad Masters/Travis Graves, 4.3, $6,769, 6. Garrett Rogers/Jake Minor, 4.7, $4,231. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ryder Wright, 92 points on Powder River Rodeo Show Me Again, $26,231; 2. Jake Wright, 88, $20,731; 3. Clay Elliot, 87.5, $15,654; 4. CoBurn Bradshaw, 87, $11,000; 5. Hardy Braden, 84.5, $6,769; 6. Heith DeMoss, 84, $4,231. Tie-down roping: 1. (tie) Caleb Smidt and Cory Solomon, 7.6 seconds, $23,481 each; 3. Marty Yates, 8.4, $15,653; 4. Marcos Costa, 8.5, $11,000; 5. (tie) Trevor Brazile and Cade Swor, 9.1, $5,500 each. Barrel racing: 1. Amberleigh Moore, 13.54 seconds, $26,231; 2. Tillar Murray, 13.73, $20,731; 3. Ivy Conrado, 13.86, $15,654; 4. Nellie Miller, 13.87, $11,000; 5. Lisa Lockhart, 13.93, $6,769; 6. Kellie Collier, 13.95, $4,231. Bull riding: 1. Jordan Hansen, 86 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo Tequila, $28,981; 2. Ty Wallace, 84, $23,481; 3. Guthrie Murray, 82.5, $18,404; 4. Joe Frost, 81, $13,750.

LAS VEGAS – Richmond Champion’s phenomenal week in the Nevada desert just keeps getting better. Champion rode Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Pretty Woman for 88 points Wednesday night to win the eighth go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. That $26,231 pushed his NFR earnings to $103,853 and moved him past the $205,000 mark in his annual pay. “It’s all part of the plan, but it is also so unexpected at the same time,” said Champion of The Woodlands, Texas. You always dream about the victory lap and to throw your arms up in the arena with big numbers on the board. To be able to do it this week as many times as I have has just been a blessing, and it’s humbling at the same time. “I just can’t wait for the next two rounds.” He should be excited about what the final two nights hold for him. He shared the second-round victory and has placed on six of eight nights so far. Thursday’s round featured the “eliminator” pen of bareback horses, the hardest-to-ride broncs in the game. “Yeah, that’s a lot of bronco,” he said of the western Kansas-raised bucking horse. “It is her first trip out here. I asked the guys, the 15 best bareback riders in the world, and nobody knew what that horse was, which is ironic, because we voted them there. “It worked out, and she deserved to be here. I was happy to have her.” The NFR is a rugged test of endurance, mental toughness and physicality. Champion is handling it all quite well. After all, this is his third qualification in four years. “Rounds 1 through 4, you wake up feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus,” he said. “It seems like after that, your muscles are awake again, and you are used to it. Your hand stops hurting, and you might need some Advil, but, no, I feel great.” Part of that is the work he put in ahead of time. His brother, Doug, owns a crossfit gym in Huntsville, Texas, so Champion is reaping the rewards that come with that. “The training that leads up to this is huge,” Champion said. “It helps with your recovery; it helps your ability, your balance. Connecting your mind with your body any time you are working out and pushing yourself, it pays off. It’s a marathon, and it’s hard.” Yes, it is, but it’s also very rewarding. “You want to expect things to happen, but when they do, you are never ready,” he said. “I’m star struck every night.” Actually, he’s playing the role of superstar in Las Vegas this week.

LAS VEGAS – If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a big team to care for one of the greatest horses in rodeo. That’s what happens with Scooter, the 2017 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year owned by Tyler Pearson and Kyle Irwin. He’s also being ridden this week at the National Finals Rodeo by the reigning world champion, Tyler Waguespack, and Ty Erickson, the No. 1 man in the standings. “It’s been unreal,” said Pearson, who placed for the fifth time Wednesday night during the seventh go-round, stopping the clock in 3.6 seconds to finish in a tie for second place with Irwin. “Ty’s fiancé, Sierra, has been packing his feet at night. We’ve been letting him out during the day to stretch and roll, making sure he’s comfortable. “We have (veterinarian) Dr. Marty Tanner on him every day, checking him out making sure that if he needs anything he gets it. It’s a whole team deal, for sure.” Rodeo cowboys know how important it is to care for their horses. The mounts are a big key to their success, and their care is vital. What’s more impressive with Scooter is that he’s guided his four cowboys to $281,276 in earnings in just seven nights. Most of that has come from Pearson. On Wednesday night, Pearson cashed in for another $18,192 to push his NFR earnings to just shy of $101,000. He is No. 2 in the standings with $210,880. “It’s amazing and surreal to me,” said Pearson, 32, of Louisville, Miss. “It’s hard to believe, and every time we lay on over, it’s just another blessing. It’s kind of a blur right now. Maybe a couple of weeks after it’s over I will realize what we’re experiencing. “I’m trying not to look at the numbers, and I’m trying not to look at the average. I just want to finish these 10 days. If at the end and I’m on the victory-lap horse and they’re giving me the gold buckle, I’ll celebrate then. But right now, I’m just having a blast.” He certainly had a blast Wednesday. He knew the steer was going to try, but Scooter got the bulldogger into position to make a solid run. Canadians Tanner Milan and Scott Guenther had both run the steer in previous rounds, and they gave Pearson some insights on the animal. “I knew I got a good start, and I knew Kyle (as his hazer) was there,” he said. “Once I got my hands on the steer, I knew he’d be good on the ground. “None of this would be possible without Scooter. There are a lot of great horses out there, and for Scooter to be in a group of horses like that, it’s really special for us to have him in that same category.” Now there are three nights remaining in the 2017 ProRodeo season. That means three more chances to cash in. Not only does the money help take care of bills and cover expenses, it’s also how championships are won. In rodeo, dollars equal points, and the contestants with the most money won in each event at the conclusion of the season will be crowned world champions. “We’re just going to stay hungry and not stay where we are,” Pearson said. “We want to get over a half million in earnings on Scooter. We never came in with a number like that, but after the start we’ve had, we decided to get over $500,00 because we have a chance.”

LAS VEGAS – Mason Clements can’t stop marveling about his first experience at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He shouldn’t. This is the grandest event in the sport, a 10-round affair that features only the very best in the game from the 2017 season. He’s one of the 120 contestants competing this week at the Thomas & Mack Center in front of more than 17,000 a night. It doesn’t hurt that he’s done pretty well. He’s placed three times and earned just shy of $57,000. He has moved up six spots to ninth in the world standings with $143,005. “Holy cow,” he said. “I’ve never done that in seven days.” It’s been pretty remarkable for the Utah cowboy, who was born in Las Vegas. He added to his total Wednesday night with an 83.5-point ride on Calgary Stampede’s Shadow Warrior. That was good enough to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place, worth $7,333. “It’s a good night’s work,” he said. “I knew that was a good stud of Calgary’s and that everyone liked him. I was just happy to draw a Calgary horse and have something that fits my style. I’m super pleased with what I had done.” He’s been taking it all in. This marked the third time in seven nights that he earned an NFR paycheck. He finished in a tie for third place on opening night, then won the fifth go-round. He has plenty of reasons to enjoy every moment. “I’m having a great time in Vegas,” Clements said. “I’m having more fun than I thought I was going to have. I’m going to enjoy ever night and everything Vegas has to offer. “I get to hang out with my family. My dad’s here, and I get to hang out with him every night. Normally he has to go back to work but it is cool that I get to hang out with my old man and family and see them after the rodeo. I don’t get to do that at every rodeo, so this is awesome.”

LAS VEGAS – Even though he won Tuesday’s sixth round, Clayton Biglow liked Wednesday’s ride better at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “That was probably the best I’ve felt all week,” said Biglow, who rode Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Scarlet Fever for 85.5 points to finish in a tie for second place with reigning world champion Tim O’Connell. “I did a little work on my rigging right before the rodeo. “I picker her up a little bit, and it felt a whole lot better.” Picking up a horse in bareback riding means he got a strong hold with his spurs during the ride. In an event where cowboys are marked on their spur rides, being aggressive can pay off. By utilizing the spurs, the best cowboys can help make a horse buck a little better. Of course, having the equipment set accordingly helps a lot, too. “You can only ride as good as your equipment,” he said. “It means everything.” Biglow failed to catch a paycheck in the opening five go-rounds of this year’s championship. He didn’t let it bother him; instead, he found a way to finish among the top six two nights in a row. Through seven nights in Sin City, he has earned $51,673 – all but $10,000 of which has come in the last two rounds. Scarlet Fever did her job, as well. In addition to guiding Biglow to a big payday Wednesday, the powerful bay horse guided Tanner Aus to the second-round victory last Friday. “That horse is a little more testy than the one I got on (Tuesday), so it was good to get by that one,” he said. “I feel like I made a good spur ride, and I’m damn sure ready for the eliminator pen tomorrow.” The eliminator pen is featured two nights during the 10-day championship, and Round 8 will showcase the hardest-to-ride bucking horses in the game. Biglow will be matched with Beutler & Son Rodeo’s South Suds on Thursday night. “I feel great, and they can run whatever they want underneath me,” he said. “There is a lot of money left to be won. I’m ready to rock ’n’ roll these next three rounds.” Spoken like a man on a mission.

LAS VEGAS – A stomach bug is no fun, period. It’s less fun for an athlete trying to win a world championship. Just ask Tim O’Connell, the reigning world champion bareback rider from Zwingle, Iowa, who also leads the bareback riding world standings through seven nights of ProRodeo’s grand finale, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I woke up yesterday very ill,” O’Connell said. “I spent most of the day in the ER getting fluids and everything else they gave me.” He missed out on placing in Rounds 5 and 6, but he rebounded Wednesday night to finish in a tie for second place in the seventh round by matching moves with Korkow Rodeo’s Harry’s Girl for 85.5 points – he matched the score posted by Californian Clayton Biglow, and both men pocketed $18,192. That’s pretty salty for a man who’d been able to hold down just a bit of food in the previous 24 hours. “I think the greatest thing that happened for me yesterday was all the guys in the locker room,” said O’Connell, who has earned $87,846 in Las Vegas and pushed his season earnings to $289,762. “I had the support from all those guys.” He is talking about the 14 other bareback riders, those that are trying to catch him for the world championship. “J.R. Vezain came over and prayed over me before the national anthem,” O’Connell said. “The comradery in the bareback riding locker room is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. “None of those guys had to do anything for me. I’m the guy they want to beat, but everyone was trying to help me out and help me get better.” Despite his weakness, O’Connell overcame the struggles and put on a classic ride on a large horse. Though the two athletes hadn’t been matched together before Wednesday night, they danced across the Thomas & Mack Center dirt like they had. “I’ve heard really good things about her,” he said of Harry’s Girl. “It is probably the biggest Korkow horse I’ve ever been on. I feel like I was back to being more solid.” Now that he feels solid, he’s hoping to get more solid food. No matter how his tummy feels, he has three more nights to close out the 2017 ProRodeo season and reach for a second straight gold buckle.

Bullfighters Only kicks off Las Vegas Championship with true excitement LAS VEGAS –The chase is one for the $25,000 first-place prize with the Bullfighters Only Las Vegas Championship. The Preliminary Round action continues at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, and features the very best that the BFO has to offer. From reigning world champion Weston Rutkowski and veterans like Toby Inman to newcomers like Seth Wilson, it is a true showcase of freestyle bullfighting. The winner of each round will advance to Saturday’s championship, with those who don’t moving on to Friday’s Wild Card for one final chance to make it to the championship. “I have a chance to make a pretty fat statement,” said Wilson, a 17-year-old phenom from Jackson, Wyo. “I came here looking for the win, and this could be what it takes.” Wilson will among the nine bullfighters competing Thursday, and he’s in the same 3-man section with Rutkowski, the BFO’s first world champion and the season leader. Wilson advanced out of last week’s Qualifier Rounds with the highest score so far, an 87.5-point fight Sunday afternoon. “I knew that it was possible that I could draw into this,” Wilson said of facing off against the biggest name in the sport. “I’m super excited. This is really a dream come true.” Thursday’s bouts will feature matchups like qualifier Dustin Konig of Ault, Colo., in the same section with Kris Furr and Schell Apple, both of whom are among the top 9 men in the world. Qualifiers Conner Rowley of Westcliffe, Colo., and Ely Sharkey of Ainsworth, Neb., are matched with Inman, the No. 2 man in the standings who still has a good shot to catch Rutkowski for the world title. With the mix of some of the greatest fighting bulls in the sport, BFO is poised for the most exciting four days of the season.

LAS VEGAS – Kyle Irwin and Tyler Pearson have done a lot of things together. The two steer wrestlers travel together through the regular season, work together and co-own Scooter, the 2017 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year. This year they qualified for the National Finals Rodeo together for the first time. And on Wednesday night, they shared second place during the seventh go-round of this year’s championship, downing their steers in 3.6 seconds and pocketing $18,192 each. “That was a good pen of steers, and the right guys had the right steers,” said Irwin, now in his third appearance at ProRodeo’s grand finale. “I think everybody showed out tonight. It goes back to what I say about this, and it’s the best guys in the world. I think tonight proved that.” It was the third time in seven days that Irwin has earned cash in Sin City. He finished in a tie for third place in Round 2, then followed that the next night with the round victory. After three nights of not placing, Irwin found some relief in the words of a friend, Luke Branquinho, a five-time world champion. “I saw Luke today, and he said I was overthinking it,” Irwin said. “He could read it all over my face. I knew it, too. He said, ‘Slow down and do your job,’ and that’s what we did tonight. We have three more chances to do our job, and I’m excited about it.” It helped, too, that he had a solid steer. The previous bulldoggers had finished their runs in 4.3 seconds and 3.8 seconds, so the Robertsdale, Ala., cowboy knew he had a great opportunity. He rode Scooter through the run, exited as necessary and thought he had a chance to break the arena record – the existing mark is 3.0 seconds set by Steve Duhon in 1986 and Bryan Fields in 2001. “What let me have hope in being fast is I knew he was going to stop, but I knew he was very friendly after,” Irwin said. “I think he was just behind me enough that if he jumps to the right there, it could be dirty fast. “It’s fun, and when you get your feet on the ground fast in this building, it’s really fun. I’m grateful for tonight.” He has earned $67,750 in seven nights of this year’s finale. He has earned $147,434, which is good enough for fifth place in the world standings. He also sits third in the average race with a cumulative time of 32.5 seconds on seven runs. Should he remain in that position at the conclusion of the NFR on Saturday night, he would add $43,154 to his take. He owes a good portion of that to Scooter. In addition to Irwin and Pearson, Irwin has been the driving force for standings leader Ty Erickson and the No. 3 man, Tyler Waguespack. All four men, combined with others, have all worked to take care of the 12-year-old sorrel gelding through this rugged 10 days in the Nevada desert. “He feels outstanding, and he worked great again,” Irwin said. “Wag was the fourth guy on him tonight, and he still placed. Scooter feels great and he’s working great. As long as we do our job the horse is going to do his.”

Nebraska bullfighter punches his ticket to short round of Las Vegas Championship LAS VEGAS – A year ago, Zach Call had to battle through the Wild Card in order to advance to the Las Vegas Championship’s final round. He managed to avoid it this year, posting a solid 79-point fight to win his section Wednesday afternoon during the first of two Preliminary Rounds of the Bullfighters Only Las Vegas Championship at the Tropicana Casino and Resort. “I had a solid little bull from Brett Hall’s string, and he gave me an honest shot to win it,” said Call, who will be joined on Championship Saturday by the other two winners from Wednesday, Jimmy Essary and Cody Emerson. Now the three bullfighters will await Thursday’s second Preliminary Round and Friday’s Wild Card to see who else will make it to the final day of the 2017 season. “I think having a little bit of a break from it is going to be the key to being healthy for the short round,” said Call of Mullen, Neb. “I’m a little sore, but not bad.” Call had the best bullfight in his three-man bout, but he still was a bit overwhelmed by his bull, which hooked him and pushed him into the panels. Call rebounded and was able to finish his bout well. “I think there were a couple of mistakes I had that hurt my score,” he said. “I thought when I threw that fake that I should have had him make a round with me. Getting hooked confirmed that.” He hopes to clean up those mistakes by the time the final round arrives at 2 p.m. Saturday. “It’s just about having a confident mind when you walk into the arena,” Call said. “That’s so important, especially when you’re talking about these bulls we have here.” When he wasn’t in the arena, Call watched many of the top young bullfighters in the game as they battled through last week’s qualifiers. The entire five days of BFO action has been world class. “We’ve sold out the crowd almost every day, and the location at the Tropicana and being on the strip is awesome,” he said. “There have been some handy kids, and you can see the ones that are ready to be at this level. The bulls we’re running at this event are a little stronger than what we’re used to, but this is the next level. “The guys that get up after taking a hooking will eventually figure it out, because they want to be out there.” Advancing to Las Vegas Championship Finals Zach Call, 79; Jimmy Essary, 85; and Cody Emerson, 81.5

Bareback riding: 1. Tanner Aus, 87 points on Three Hills Rodeo Jr Bonner, $26,231; 2. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Clayton Biglow, 85.5, $18,192 each; 4. (tie) Jake Vold, Bill Tutor and Mason Clements, 83.5, $7,333 each. Steer wrestling: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.3 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Kyle Irwin and Tyler Pearson, 3.6, $18,192 each; 4. Rowdy Parrott, 3.8, $11,000; 5. Olin Hannum, 3.9, $6,769; 6. Tyler Waguespack, 4.0, $4,231. Team roping: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koontz, 3.5 seconds, $26,231; 2. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 3.8, $20,731; 3. Charly Crawford/Joseph Harrison, 4.4, $15,654; 4. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueria and Luke Brown/Jake Long, 4.7, $8,885 each; 6. Jr. Dees/Tyler McKnight, 5.0, $4,231. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Hardy Braden, 88 points on Hi Lo ProRodeos Garden City Gal, $26,231; 2. Ryder Wright, 86.5, $20,731; 3. CoBurn Bradshaw, 85.5, $15,654; 4. Layton Green, 83, $11,000; 5. Jacobs Crawley, 81, $6,769; 6. (tie) Cody DeMoss and Brody Cress, 80, $2,115 each. Tie-down roping: 1. Randall Carlisle, 7.5 seconds, $26,231; 2. Tuf Cooper, 8.0, $20,731; 3. Marcos Costa, 8.3, $15,654; 4. Cage Swor, 9.6, $11,000; 5. J.C. Malone, 9.7, $6,769; 6. Timber Moore, 11.3, $4,231. Barrel racing: 1. Tillar Murray, 13.4 seconds, $26,231; 2. Nellie Miller, 13.52, $20,731; 3. Sydni Blanchard, 13.62, $15,654; 4. Lisa Lockhart, 13.63, $11,000; 5. Kassie Mowry, 13.68, $6,769; 6. Tiany Schuster, 13.7, $4,231. Bull riding: 1. Joe Frost, 87 points, $26,231; 2. Ty Wallace, 86.5, $20,731; 3. Roscoe Jarboe, 84, $15,654; 4. (tie) Jordan Hansen and Guthrie Murray, 83, $8,885 each; 6. Jordan Spears, 82.5, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – Hi-Lo Pro Rodeo’s Garden City Gal was raised in western Kansas, just like the town for which she’s named. Saddle bronc rider Hardy Braden didn’t know that much about the gray mare, but he made it work to the tune 88 points to win Wednesday’s seventh round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He added $26,231 to push his NFR earnings to $83,404. “I called a few guys that had been on her that had some zeroes beside their name,” said Braden, who moved to No. 6 in the world standings with $171,009. “They said that she feels good, but she really wants you over her head the way she hits the ground, sucks back and has some moves to her. “But they said I should be just fine on her.” They were right, and it guided the Welch, Okla., cowboy to his second go-round victory of this year’s NFR – he also won the first round. There are many veterans that have never earned a round title; Sterling Crawley, a four-time NFR qualifier from Stephenville, Texas, earned his first this past Monday. “Sterling named off how many rounds it had been (34 rounds without a win), and it was crazy,” Braden said. “It’s an exciting feeling to win two your first time out.” The 2017 season has been, by far, Braden’s best in his eight years in ProRodeo. In fact, his previous best season was 2016, when he pocketed $34,511. “And I was ecstatic about that,” he said with a laugh. Braden has laughed a lot this week. He has reason to do so. It would be hard to suppress the giddiness of earning more than $80,000 in seven days of work. “This whole year has been the most fun I’ve ever had,” Braden said. “The NFR is just to top it off, a celebration. It’s been incredible this year. “I never dreamed, in my wildest dreams, that it would go this good.”

LAS VEGAS – Tanner Aus has placed in just three go-rounds, but he earned at least a share of two victories. He added his second Wednesday night during the seventh round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, earning $26,231 in the process. He’s ridden well, but missing out on four round checks is a testament to the bareback riding inside the Thomas & Mack Center. “The competition is just so tough,” said Aus, 27, of Granite Falls, Minn. “I had to wait out a re-ride with Orin (Larsen), and he’s been riding outstanding, so you never know if he’s going to get past you.” Aus matched moves with Three Hills Rodeo’s Jr. Bonner for 87 points to claim the round title. He knew he had a great opportunity when he saw the posted random draw Wednesday evening. “I’ve been on that horse before, so I’ve been looking forward to it,” he said. “He had a great trip today. He just angled across there to the end. He felt good. He got a little wolfy there at the end.” Wolfy or not, it paid off. Aus has earned more than $65,000 over seven nights of competition. After falling a bit in the standings, he returned to the No. 2 spot behind Iowan Tim O’Connell. He is about $87,000 behind the reigning world champion, but more big paychecks can make up most of that ground in a hurry. “Getting this second round win is a dream come true, and we get to go back to the South Point,” he said of the Montana Silversmiths Go-Round Buckle Presentation, where the round winners earn their prizes. “To be able to stand out one night or even two nights in this field of competition is just an outstanding feeling. “I’m very thankful.” He should be, but he also took advantage of the opportunity provided him. That’s what made the most difference.

LAS VEGAS – Slowly but surely, Ryan Jarrett is making his way up the chart at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. After opening ProRodeo’s grand finale with the first-round victory, Jarrett went into a bit of a skid. He didn’t return to the top of the charts until the fifth night, when he finished sixth. He did it again during Round 6, when he tied his calf in 8.0 seconds to collect another $4,231. “This is a tough place to rope sometimes,” said Jarrett, an 11-time NFR qualifier from Comanche, Okla. “Hopefully we can make some good runs and make the last four rounds really satisfying.” Through six nights in the City of Lights, Jarrett has accumulated $44,692. He has pushed his season earnings to $140,748 and sits ninth in the world standings. “There was sure room for improvement in that run,” he said. “I messed up my tie a little bit, but all we can do is move forward. I just hope we draw well and make another good run.” The competition at the NFR is fierce. Marty Yates of Stephenville, Texas, posted the fastest run of this year’s NFR with a 6.9-second run Tuesday night. It takes fast times and virtually flawless runs to make everything work inside the Thomas and Mack Center, the championship’s home since 1985. He’s had a little help while in Las Vegas. His father, DeJuan, has been in town since the beginning and has cared for Jarrett’s horse, Snoopy. Jarrett’s wife, Shy-Anne, has tried to bring some normalcy to his life while living in Sin City for two weeks. Now he hopes to make the steps he needs to better his performance. “I’m not roping up to my expectations,” he said, noting that he has taken some time to get a little practice. “I rode my horse and made sure things felt good. There’s nothing in particular that I’ve been working on; I just tried to make it feel a little more fluid.” His first chance to test it again is Wednesday night during the seventh round.

LAS VEGAS – There’s a certain feel that comes to riding a bucking horse that few people will ever realize. Orin Larsen knows that feeling. He knows what it means to strap his rigging to a horse’s back, then tangle with the beast for a long 8 seconds. On Tuesday night during the sixth go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the Inglis, Manitoba, cowboy fought his way to another paycheck with an 85.5-point ride on J Bar J’s Beyond Bugs. “Everyone doesn’t just come to the finals for the money, but it’s also because it’s our Super Bowl,” said Larsen, who lives much of the year in Gering, Neb. “To have the money available to us, that makes or breaks a lot of our years.” He has been making money. Tuesday’s ride was worth $15,654 and pushed his NFR take to nearly $72,000. He has moved up to fifth in the world standings with $171,009. “You have always dreamed of having a good finals,” said Larsen, who won intercollegiate championships at both the College of Southern Idaho and Oklahoma Panhandle State University. “it might have taken me three years to get there, but it’s everything I’ve wished for and worked for. “It is a pretty awesome feeling to be one of those people to say that you had a good finals.” In his first venture to Sin City in 2015, he placed in just three rounds and earned just $23,000. While that seems like a pretty good 10 days, go-round winners pocket more than $26,000. A year ago, he suffered a rib injury early and spent the first five rounds learning to ride through the pain. Once he figured it out, he reached the pay window each of the final five nights. “I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing: One a ta time,” he said. “It is an awesome feeling to be on a hot streak. We all go through spells every now and then, whether you’re riding good or not. When you’re hot, you’re not, and when you’re not, you’re not. But when you are hot, you can spur Godzilla, and it is pretty.” He doesn’t have to try to ride the fictional monster, but he does face the rankest bucking horses every night. Only the top animals are selected to perform at the NFR, and Larsen has proven he likes them. Now he has four more nights to make it count.

LAS VEGAS – Nobody can wipe the smile off Richmond Champion’s face. With just four more nights of the 2017 ProRodeo season on the horizon, the bareback rider from The Woodlands, Texas, doesn’t want it to end. Why should he? Through six rounds of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Champion has placed five times and pocketed $77,622. He has earned more money than any other bareback rider competing in the City of Lights this week, and he has four more nights to cash in. “It has never been like this; it is so much fun,” said Champion, a three-time NFR qualifier who lives primarily in Stephenville, Texas, home of his alma mater, Tarleton State University. “I’m not even thinking about the money. Every day is a new day, and literally every day is the biggest day of my life. “I’m pretty sure my heart is going to bust one of these days. I’m loving every second of it.” On Tuesday night, he rode Calgary Stampede’s You See Me for 84 points to finish in a tie for fifth place in the sixth go-round. That was worth $5,500 and pushed his season earnings to $178,212. He is second in the world standings. Although he trails the world standings leader, reigning world champion Tim O’Connell, by just less than $93,000, he still has room to climb the charts and make a push for that prestigious gold buckle. Go-round winners earn more than $26,000 a day, and there are four more chances to get that money. “I’m having fun, but this is also the most wound-up I’ve been in my own brain,” Champion said. “I feel like I’m the only one here sometimes. It happens 30 or 40 times a day before I get on. It’s something I’m not used to, but at the same time, when I get in the chute and get on that horse, it is a consistent thing – the bucking chute, the rigging and the horse. “That’s what I have been relying on. You can feel however you want, but when you get on there, you don’t need to think about it, because you know how to do it.” He has shown how well he does it. During his ride on You Can See Me, he was able to maintain control over the strong bucking horse. It was the second time this season the two have been matched together. “He’s still young and trying to figure his tracks out, and I thought he was really good tonight,” he said. “I knew he wasn’t going to shine quite as well as a couple of the other horses, but I knew he was solid. You take every opportunity you can get, and I knew my job was to dominate.” He’s been doing a pretty good job of that, and Las Vegas is the place to do it. Just like those at the blackjack and roulette tables, the NFR is where the money is great and the championship is lined with gold. “If we could do this for 20 nights, I’d be stoked,” Champion said. “You don’t’ want to wish this away. It’s a dream come true, and there are so many things you can absorb and learn from here.”

LAS VEGAS – Tanner Aus understands the ups and downs that come with rodeo. In his inaugural Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2015, he placed in just three rounds, including the, a share of the 10th-round victory, and earned $74,000. Last year, he earned $100,000 and left Sin City No. 5 in the world standings. This year, has been more downs than ups. He shared the second-round victory but didn’t place any other time until Tuesday’s sixth go-round. He matched moves with Calgary Stampede’s Tootsie Roll for 84 points to finish in a tie for fifth place, worth $5,500. He has earned $38,981 through the first six nights of ProRodeo’s championship. “I’ve felt good,” he said. “I stumbled the first round a little bit; I think I could have ridden that horse better. Last night and tonight looked good, and I felt strong, and there are only four rounds left. “I can only do what I can do, and I knew that coming in here. I drew outstanding last year, and I was really thankful for that. This year has been a little up and down.” He’s ridden well – he was 86 points in the fifth round, for example; while that would have placed third on Tuesday, it wasn’t worth a paycheck Monday. The bareback riding has been a true showcase of amazing athletes, both equine and human. “It has been incredible, and it has been awesome to watch,” said Aus, 27, of Granite Falls, Minn. “That is what I thrive off of, what makes me love it. The fact that I get to stand on the back of the bucking chutes and watch it is pretty incredible.” The bareback riders all agree that this has been one of the best competitions they’ve seen in the game in years. What’s even greater is that they have been a support system together. It makes for a great team atmosphere, despite the competition. “Everybody is there for one another,” he said. “That’s what makes it cool. “It is incredible. Everyone is feeling good, for the most part, after six rounds, and that is a testament to the preparation we all have put in. We are fortunate right now. Bring on the next four rounds.”

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Clayton Biglow on Frontier Rodeo Night Fist and J.R. Vezain on Pickett Pro Rodeo Scarlet Belle, 88 points, $23,481 each; 3. Orin Larsen, 85.5, $15,654; 4. Jake Vold, 85, $11,000; 5. (tie) Tanner Aus and Richmond Champion, 84, $5,500 each. Steer wrestling: 1. Baylor Roche, 3.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. Ty Erickson, 3.8, $20,731; 3. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Dakota Eldridge and Nick Guy, 3.9, $11,141 each; 6. Tanner Milan, 4.0, $4,231. Team roping: 1. (tie) Riley Minor/Brady Minor and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.7 seconds, $23,481 each; 3. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 3.8, $15,654; 4. Jr. Dees/Tyler McKnight, 3.9, $11,000; 5. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, Erich Rogers/Cory Petska and Garrett Rogers/Jake Minor, 4.1, $3,667. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ryder Wright, 89 points on Cervi Brothers Rodeo 2 Cookies, $26,231; 2. Brody Cress, 88.5, $20,731; 3. Jesse Wright, 86, $15,654; 4. (tie) Sterling Crawley and Layton Green, 85.5, $8,885 each; 6. Heith DeMoss, 84.5, $4,231. Tie-down roping: 1. Marty Yates, 6.9 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Caleb Smith and Marcos Costa, 7.4, $18,192 each; 4.Cade Swor, 7.7, $11,000; 5. Timber Moore, 7.9, $6,769; 6. Ryan Jarrett, 8.0, $4,231. Barrel racing: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 13.49 seconds, $26,231; 2. Tiany Schuster, 13.52, $20,731; 3. Tillar Murray, 13.63, $15,654; 4. Taci Bettis, 13.72, $11,000; 5. (tie) Ivy Conorado, Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Stevi Hillman, 13.74, $3,667. Bull riding: 1. Trey Benton III, 92.5 points on Rocky Mountain Rodeo Bomb Pop, $27,077; 2. Sage Kimzey, 86, $21,577; 3. Jordan Hansen, 84.5, $16,500; 4. Cole Melancon, 83.5, $11,846; 5. Roscoe Jarboe, 71, $7,615.

LAS VEGAS – During Monday’s fifth round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Clayton Biglow scored 86.5 points. It’s a winning score, for sure, but it didn’t earn the Clements, Calif., bareback rider any money. He finished seventh; only the top six earn money at the NFR. That’s how tough things are inside the Thomas & Mack Center this week. “The bareback riding has been outstanding, and it’s tough to win money here,” said Biglow, who earned a share of the sixth-round victory after matching moves with Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist for 88 points. “To be here is a huge accomplishment.” That’s true. Only the top 15 in the world standings at the end of the regular season get to play for the biggest pay in the game this week in Las Vegas. But each man wants is fair share of the $8 million purse, and until Tuesday, Biglow hadn’t earned a dime more than the $10,000 bonus he received for qualifying. That changed to the tune of $23,481. He shared the round win with Wyoming cowboy J.R. Vezain. Most importantly, it gets things rolling for Biglow, who pushed is earnings to $161,633. He sits sixth in the world standings. “This rodeo adds so much money, and there’s so much to be up every night,” he said. “You can’t beat yourself up when things aren’t going right. I’m not upset about how I’m riding. A couple of times, I didn’t have a very good horse. “I come in each night with a fresh mind and want to win each and every time. You just have to let the chips fall where they may. God has a plan for everyone. Just keep doing what you’re doing and don’t worry about it.” The “one game at a time” philosophy works in rodeo, and Biglow proved it. He has maintained his focus through each tough round. That big wind that blew through the Nevada desert Tuesday was his sigh of relief. A key factor was having Night Fist. “It felt great,” Biglow said. “I’ve actually been on that horse before. Orin (Larsen) won second in the first round this year. I knew it was a great shot to win money; I just had to do my job. Tonight, she had an outstanding trip.” Now he hopes it continues. “This isn’t over,” he said. “There’s still a lot of money left to get.” Biglow has four more nights to get it.

LAS VEGAS – Tyler Pearson is a happy man who loves his job. He’s even happier this week in the City of Lights, where he has found his winning ways through the first five nights of the National Finals Rodeo. On Monday night, he added to his incredible season by wrestling his steer to the ground in 4.0 seconds to finish third in the fifth in the third round. So far, he has added $82,769 in Las Vegas, $15,654 of which came Monday. He has increased his 2017 earnings to $192,688 and sits second in the world standings. He trails the standings leader, Ty Erickson, by less than $17,000, and that ground can be made up in one night. Pearson – from Louisville, Miss., but now living in Atoka, Okla. – has placed in four of five rounds and finished no worse than third in any of those four runs. A second-place finish in Tuesday’s sixth round would be worth more than $20,000 and would propel Pearson into the No. 1 spot. But he can’t look ahead. It just doesn’t work. He has to stay the course, focus on each run and enjoy the moments as they arrive. That’s easy to do for someone like Pearson, who has a strong focus and a valuable work ethic. Those two ingredients are vital in rodeo, which offers no guarantees. Cowboys only earn money if they finish better than most. At the NFR, only the top six placers in each event collect the paydays. He has an advantage in Scooter, a 12-year-old sorrel gelding he co-owns with friend and traveling partner Kyle Irwin. Not only has the red horse been beneficial to the owners, he’s been critical to a couple of other cowboys: Erickson of Helena, Mont., and Tyler Wageuspack, the reigning world champion from Gonzales, La.; he also sits third in the world standings. In all, Scooter has guided the four cowboys to nearly $209,000 in NFR earnings. What’s even more impressive is that this is just the halfway point of ProRodeo’s grand championship, a 10-round marathon that offers an $8 million purse. Pearson has just five more nights to cash in. He’s in a tight race for the world championship, and he leads the average race with a five-round cumulative time of 20.8 seconds – 1.3 seconds faster than Erickson, who is No. 3. Should he win the average title, the Mississippi cowboy would add $67,269 when the NFR concludes Saturday night. But he’s not thinking about that. He’s focused on the things he can control, and he has Scooter, the 2017 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, to get him there.

LAS VEGAS – There were some things in Ryan Jarrett’s roping that left him a bit uncomfortable through Rounds 2-4 at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He decided to work on them, and it seems to have made a difference. He roped and tied his calf in 8.1 seconds Monday night to finish sixth in the fifth round, pocketing $4,231 in the process. It was a nice way to rebound after three nights of struggles. “I went out and roped (Monday) morning,” said Jarrett, the 2005 all-around world champion from Comanche, Okla. “Things felt a little out of whack. I was able to level some things out, and it paid off.” He kicked off the 2017 NFR by winning the opening round last Thursday. Then he had long times in both the second and third rounds. He suffered a no-time on Night 4. Still, he’s pocketed a little more than $40,000, and there’s still have the championship remaining. “I had just an OK calf and got a decent start,” he said. “The horse was really good. I feel like I made a pretty good run for what I had. I was just excited to place.” It was more than a sigh of relief. The world’s richest rodeo features only the top 15 contestants in each event, so the competition is fierce. An 8.1-second run will typically place high at most rodeos, but it’s on the slower end in Las Vegas. The setup is fast, and so are the cowboys. “That time has place more than once since we’ve been here,” Jarrett said. “The calves have been a little different to me, but you can’t dwell on it. I just hope for a good night the rest of the week.” That’s important. There is $84,615 up for grabs each night, with the go-round winners pocketing $26,231. Jarrett hasn’t let the disappointment get to him, but this is also his 10th trip to ProRodeo’s grand finale, so he has plenty of experiences dealing with the roller coaster that can be the NFR. “My plan is that I’m just going to rope my style of roping, and hopefully they’ll pay me,” Jarrett said. “I just need to make good runs, hopefully draw well and cash some more checks. He’d like to get five more nice paychecks to close out the final five nights of the 2017 season, and he knows he’s got an ace in the hole in his horse, Snoopy. “He’s been super good,” he said. “He’s really easy to rope on, and real level across the line. He sets me up to be good every time.”

LAS VEGAS – When the starting quarterback goes down, every team must then trust the next man in line. J.D. Struxness is about to begin the second half of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and he’s already reached for his backup, a solid gray horse named Max, owned by 16-time NFR qualifier Todd Suhn. It paid off rather well during Monday’s fifth round, as Max guided Struxness to a 4.1-second run, worth $11,000 “Max has been out here a couple of times, and guys have done good on him,” said Struxness, who has moved up from 13th to fifth in the world standings, thanks to the $54,761 he has earned in the first five nights of the 10-round grand finale. “A couple of guys ride him, so I knew he’d work good. “We had a good steer drawn, so I just needed to get that start. It doesn’t matter what you’re riding; you still have to get the start. That horse works good, so we got a good start and had a good run.” He has pushed his season earnings to $131,203, and this is a great place to do it. Struxness won the fourth round, pocketing $26,231, so he has a chance to really cash in while he is in Sin City. So far, he has placed in three rounds. “It’s nice that we are still rolling and doing good,” said Struxness of Appleton, Minn. “We will see what happens the rest of the week on whatever horse I’m riding. Hopefully we can keep rolling.” Unlike most professional sports, there are no guarantees in rodeo. In order to get paid, cowboys must finish better than most of the others. There are 15 steer wrestlers competing in ProRodeo’s championship, and only the top six earn paychecks each night. Horsepower is also the key. For most of the season, he has leaned on his solid horse, Peso, but the sorrel gelding has been running a fever. That’s why Max became the starter on Monday night. “That’s why we brought him out here,” Struxness said of the gray. “There are problems that come up with horsepower right before the finals with a couple of guys. There wasn’t going to be very many horses to ride, so we made a good decision to bring him out here. I’m glad we did. I had a good horse to ride, and we placed on that steer.” It takes a solid team to find success at a rodeo like the NFR. He leans on his hazer, Jacob Shofner, and Shofner’s solid hazing horse, Redbone. “Jacob does a good job over there,” Struxness said. “He’s keeping those steers straight so we can catch them up fast without having to ride over too far. He makes it all happen over there.” Now the Minnesota cowboy hopes to remain aggressive and see what happens in the second half of ProRodeo’s grand finale.

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t much, but the $2,115 that Hardy Braden earned Monday during the fifth round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo means something big. He remains consistent and is giving himself every chance to win. He proved that with an 85.5-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Rich N Fancy to finish in a tie for sixth place. It marked the fourth time in five nights that he’s earned an NFR paycheck. “Tonight’s horses were the best of the best,” said Braden of Welch, Okla. “It’s a good score in any other pen, but there are 15 of the best bucking horses going down the road in tonight’s pen. “If you stub your toe, they are going to buck you off. I just needed to keep hustling, and it worked out.” Yes, it did. Braden has ridden four of five horses. If he has stayed on, he has found money. He has earned $57,173 through five nights of ProRodeo’s grand championship. He has moved up to sixth in the world standings with just shy of $160,000 in season earnings. It’s been a good year by any standard, but it’s been quite incredible for Braden. His best year prior to 2017 was a year ago, and he won $34,511. That means this year’s campaign is almost five times better than last. He knew he’d have to get a good start Monday if he had hopes of adding to his total. His key was making a solid mark-out, where the heel of his boot was over Rich N Fancy’s shoulder, allowing his spur stroke to be strong. The other bronc riders offered a bit of assistance in his ride, as happens to be the case among rodeo contestants – they know that it’s not man vs. man; it’s the cowboy that rides the best animal that wins. That comradery is what makes rodeo much different than other sports. “They told me she will be better if you were to try to hang on with your mark-out for a jump or two to try to get in time with her,” Braden said. “That horse never has the same trip twice. Everything is different, but tonight she had just a good trip.” So did Braden, who remains consistent. His average score has been just a bit better than 85.5, and that’s paid off quite well. While $2,115 isn’t big compared to round-winner Sterling Crawley’s $26,231, it is valuable in its own way. “There are a lot of rodeos where that’s the grand prize,” Braden said. “Some people work all month long to make $2,100. It’s pretty special.”

LAS VEGAS – The TV pen at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo features the greatest bucking horses in the game. Monday night in Las Vegas proved that, and Richmond Champion lived it. He scored 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket, a score that would win almost any rodeo, and settled for a three-way tie for second place. “When you are standing on the back of the bucking chutes and the contractors and everybody back there is just smiling and cheering, that is when you know something special is going on,” said Champion, who pocketed $15,794 for his performance during the fifth go-round. “That might be the rankest round of bareback riding that I’ve ever been a part of, especially here. “To have that many guys show up and that many horses show up and do their deal, it doesn’t get any better than that.” Utahan Mason Clements won the round with an 88.5, and two Orin Larsen and J.R. Vezain finished in a tie for fifth with 87.5. With the NFR paying out the top six places, just one point separated the bunch. But Champion knew he had a great opportunity on Dirty Jacket, a powerful 13-year-old bay gelding that was twice named the Bareback Horse of the Year. Champion knows the animal well. He first rode the horse for 91 points to win in Cheyenne, Wyo., in 2014. Five months later, the two matched again for an 88.5-point ride to win the fifth round of that season’s NFR. He was 90 points to win in Eagle, Colo., in 2015. “He’s an amazing animal,” he said. “He’s my little ace in the pocket. When he’s done with it, I’ll take care of him if he wants to graze up my graze. He’s paid for my house by now. “Somebody asked me about that in the locker room. I didn’t say anything; I just crossed my fingers and crossed my toes and just went on with my business. In this pen, there were so many good horses. When 88 splits second, third and fourth, it doesn’t get any better than that.” With his earnings on Monday, Champion became the richest bareback rider of this year’s NFR. Through five rounds, he has pocketed $72,122. More importantly, he has pushed his season payroll to $173,319 and sits second in the world standings. He trails the leader, Tim O’Connell, but nearly $100,000, but with $26,231 paid to the winner each night, Champion can make up that ground over the final five nights. He’s also enjoying every bit of the experience he’s had. “I’ve never been on a big team sport that won a game and was whooping and hollering in the locker room, but we were a team tonight,” he said. “Everybody was just high-fiving and fist-bumping. It was one of the coolest things I’ve been part of.” He has every reason to celebrate this year’s NFR.