Monthly Archives: December 2019

LAS VEGAS – Just when Lady Luck looked as though she were angry with Coleman Proctor, he was dealt a winning hand. After three rough rounds – a couple of penalties in the opener and two no-times to kick start his 10 days in Sin City – Proctor and his heeling partner, Ryan Motes, cashed in their chips in Sunday’s fourth round of the National Finals Rodeo. They stopped the clock in 3.8 seconds, just one-tenth of a second behind the winners, Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison. That second-place finish was worth $20,731, but the value bet was even greater for the header from Pryor, Oklahoma. “I finally got that monkey off my back, because he was getting pretty heavy,” Proctor said. “It’s been rough, but everything’s feeling great, my horse is great, and I’m pretty happy. I’m beginning to get control of the start out here. “I still have a lot of confidence. I feel relaxed. I feel like we’re prepared and ready, and we’ll just take advantage of the opportunities when they come.” Through the stress of the intense competition – and the troubles that have come his way through the early runs at the NFR – he has maintained a positive attitude. He posts daily on social media, always smiling, always upbeat. It’s one of the reasons he continues to be a fan favorite in Las Vegas. “I said before I got here that I wanted to just enjoy this experience, and I have,” he said. “I’m sleeping great. I’m not stressed out here. Things happen. It’s been a blessed year, and it’s a blessing to be back here and getting to rope again (Monday). “I think the one thing that helped with that is the setup we had for practice. We know what we need to do in this barn. I think if a guy was less than prepared, a guy would get nervous. We had three bad breaks. I’m one of the luckiest humans in the world, and I knew they couldn’t keep me down all 10 nights.” The game plan he and Motes put together prior to the NFR was to get off to a quick start. They’ve adjusted the blue print as needed. “It just didn’t go our way, and little, silly stuff was happening,” Proctor said. “It didn’t rattle my confidence, because we’ve had such a great year. My partner is one of the best in the world, and I trust him with everything I’ve got when we back into the box. “It is what it is, but we’re having a good time.” He also made the right adjustments to perform a little better Sunday, albeit psychologically. It’s more like a superstition than anything, but sometimes gamblers need to change seats or flip their hats around if they need to get the cards coming a different way. “I got me a new hat, a new pair of boots and pulled out my new five-strand Lone Star rope,” he said with a laugh. “My dad told me that if you’re the one that throws fast balls, then go throw fast balls. I brought it as fast as I could. “I’ve never celebrated that much for a second-place finish in my life. It felt just great.”

LAS VEGAS – J.D. Struxness doesn’t have to hit the gaming tables to make money in Sin City. He’s doing quite well at the Thomas & Mack Center, home of the National Finals Rodeo since 1985 – nine years before he was even born. On Sunday night, he placed for the fourth time in as many nights and has pocketed $62,321 in Las Vegas. It gets better, though: He still has six more nights to cash in. “That is a good thing to do out here,” said Struxness if Milan, Minnesota, now living in Alva, Oklahoma. “Anytime you can place in a round, it’s good. Hopefully we can keep chipping away at it.” His biggest year at the NFR came in is first, when he earned just shy of $130,000 in 2016; he won at least a share of four go-rounds that year. A year later, he pocketed $109,000. In just 24 rounds in Las Vegas, he has been paid $300,473. He has yet to win a round in 2019, but that’s OK. On Sunday night, he wrestled his steer to the ground in 3.9 seconds to finish fourth in the round, collecting $11,000. It all adds up. “My first year, we stubbed our toe a couple of times,” he said. “This year, we are just staying share and staying on top of things. We have to be aggressive, but we probably aren’t cutting loose as much as we did that year. Being able to place in four rounds in a row, that’s a good momentum-starter.” Momentum has been his way. He’s the No. 1 man in the average, having knocked down four steers in a cumulative time of 16.3 seconds. He is four-tenths of a second ahead of the No. 2 man in the aggregate race, two-time and defending world champion Tyler Waguespack. “Horsepower definitely helps,” Struxness said. “This year, I’m riding Stockton Graves’ good horse, Freeway. Stockton’s on the hazing side and has Kody Woodward’s horse, Roany. Having those two out here and having Stockton hazing, there I a lot of confidence going in there every night. “Knowing that we are going to get a good start and catch up on everything really helps. All I’ve got to do is do my job when my feet hit the ground.” He became a dad for the first time just before the NFR, and he/ said spending time with his daughter, Everlee, has been a blessing. It’s been his retreat from the stresses of making runs for the biggest money in the game every night while he’s in the Nevada desert. “With my new baby girl this year, it has been one for me to go back to the room and love on her,” he said. “That has been good for me, and we just look forward to the next night every night. “I think my biggest support is my family. They are here and have been helping me with my daughter and everything. They have been a huge support so we stay rested up and fresh, and there’s nothing to worry about.” It’s also a business trip, and his business is bulldogging to the best of his ability every night. “I think the big thing that helps is years of running steers in this building,” Struxness said. “The first year, I got excited, tried to catch up fast, and I made mistakes. This year I’m just trying to have a start every time and make the best run on the ground and steer you have. “Hopefully it will put you in the money. If not, hopefully you make a solid run that is going to keep you in the average at the end.”

LAS VEGAS – When things don’t go a competitor’s way, that person could either pout, blame others or move forward in a positive way. Ty Breuer is no prima donna. When he suffered a no-time in Round 3, he realized the missed opportunity, then he made up for it in Sunday’s fourth go-round of the National Finals Rodeo. He rode Sozo of Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics for 87 points to finish in a tie for third place on the night. “I had that horse at my hometown rodeo a few years ago and ended up winning my on him,” said Breuer of Mandan, North Dakota. “That is a really good horse, and I had seen him all summer. At every Sankey rodeo, they win on that horse. He’s really nice and rider-friendly.” Every horse in Sunday’s pen was rider-friendly, unlike Saturday night’s grouping of buckers. Breuer’s zero came in the “Eliminator Pen,” a prized list of the hardest-to-ride horses in the game. His draw, Northcott Macza’s Spilled Perfume, is every bit of that. “My wrist got it pretty good (Saturday) night,” he said. “I talked to some of the guys in the locker room about that horse before I got on her, but no one said anything about what she was like. When I got back to the locker room after that round, they said, ‘Oh, good job; you made the pickup man on her. We’ve never even rode her.’ ” Breuer’s problem came at the start when he failed to secure his mark-out: firmly having the boots over the horse’s shoulders when it lands on its front hooves. That helps give the horse an advantage, but it also sets up the ride. Failure to do so results in a no-score. “That’s the way it goes sometimes,” he said. “You’ve just got to keep riding and forget about that one.” He did, and in the process picked up $13,327 Sunday. He has earned $32,212 at the NFR in four nights and has pushed his season earnings to $120,911. He has moved up two spots to 10th in the world standings. He’s also part of an elite field of NFR bareback riders. Through four nights of ProRodeo’s grand championship, cowboys have posted six rides with scores of 90 or better. It’s proof of the talent of both men and beasts at the Thomas & Mack Center over these 10 nights. “Just being in that locker room and everything else that goes with that is great,” Breuer said. “The first guy out tonight was 88 points. It’s just crazy. The top 15 are all that good. That makes it fun.”

LAS VEGAS – Frontier Rodeo has been known to have many of the best horses in the world of ProRodeo, so Orin Larsen knew he had something special even before he got on Night Fist for the fourth round of the National Finals Rodeo. “When you have a Frontier horse, you have to take advantage of it,” said Larsen, who rode Night Fist for 90 points to win Sunday night, collecting $26,231. “That horse felt awesome. I was pretty happy to have her. “I’d never been on that horse, but everyone was happy for me to have it. She was really she was really showy and photogenic, so that was cool.” What’s cooler is that the $38,346 he’s earned so far at this year’s NFR has pushed him up a spot to second in the world standings. He now trails the leader, Clayton Biglow, by $7,663. He is easily in the hunt for a world championship with six nights remaining in the 2019 ProRodeo season. That’s even after having low scores the previous two nights. Larsen was 76.5 points Friday and 75 points Saturday, so he wanted a bit of a Redemption Sunday. “I was pretty bummed out the last couple nights, because it was rider error,” said Larsen of Inglis, Manitoba, now living in Gering, Nebraska, with his wife, Alexa. “I knew I didn’t perform as well. I was waiting for the fight to begin instead of me bringing the fight to it. I think me just relaxing and bringing the fight to it loosened me up. It was cool and fun. “It’s almost a redo. You screw up the last two, and now it’s time to figure something out. That was a great pen of horses, and I was pretty excited to have the one I did.” With his ride, he became the sixth cowboy in four nights to have scored at least 90 points in bareback riding. It has made for the most exciting first few nights in the event’s recent history. “We’ve got a salty group of guys and a salty group of horses here,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing. If you can get that many 90s by the fourth round, you know the caliber is just getting better and better. I am extremely fortunate to be in that same locker room with them. “I’m just plum tickled to be here. I’m excited for these next few rounds.” Look for scores like that to continue, especially in Monday’s fifth round, which will feature the most electric animals in the sport in what the cowboys call the “TV Pen.” A year ago, Biglow won the fifth round with an arena-record 93-point ride. “It will probably take 88 or 89 points just to place,” Larsen said. “I wouldn’t be surprised that you might see four or five in the 90s.” The way things have gone so far, it’s almost likely.

North Carolinian earns top seed with his victory in Qualifier Round LAS VEGAS – In his heart, Chase Blythe knows he belongs among the very best in Bullfighters Only. On Sunday afternoon at the Tropicana Las Vegas, he put himself in position to test his theory. He posted the highest-marked fight of the Qualifier Seeding Round and is now firmly in place for the Quarterfinals of the BFO Las Vegas Championship. “This means the world to me,” said Blythe of Concord, North Carolina, who posted an 85.5-point fight and will now be matched head-to-head against BFO’s 12th-ranked bullfighter, Anthony Morse of Port Orchard, Washington. “I’ve watched the BFO for years. I came to Las Vegas last year and didn’t do any good. I want to prove that I can run with the big dogs, that I belong in the top 12.” Sunday’s event featured the 12 bullfighters who advanced out of Friday and Saturday’s Qualifier Round matches. Blythe is matched against lowest-seeded man in the top 12; while the lowest score will face the No. 1 man, Aaron Mercer. Because he was the only bullfighter unable to finish his bullfight, Scrawney Brooks will face off against the man who has already clinched the BFO world championship. Still, they all have a chance when the Quarterfinal Rounds kick off on Monday and Tuesday. “Today was probably the best bullfight I’ve ever put on,” Blythe said. “I had a really good bull, and that made a lot of the difference. “I’m also trying to win the United States Bullfighting title, so I wasn’t going to let it slip through my hands.” The USBF was created to grow freestyle bullfighting on a grassroots level. Its partnership with the BFO allows up-and-coming bullfighters the opportunity to earn points toward the BFO Pendleton Whisky World Standings while gaining experience at USBF events. Most of the qualifiers earned the right to compete in Las Vegas through their experience in the USBF. On Sunday afternoon, Blythe proved the concept is working. “It was good to go to those bullfights, because they’re not as big, but you can get the same experience,” he said. “You get to work through those nerves and work through the problems you might have. So, when you come to these events, you’re ready.” During his first bullfight on Friday, he was run over by his bull, suffering a contusion m on his calf and a head wound that would require six staples. “I came into this knowing that whatever happens is going to happen and that I just want to put on a good bullfight,” Blythe said. “I wasn’t going to let what happened to me the other day show that I didn’t belong here. “I’m just going to keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing, and that’s just enjoying fighting bulls. Just to be here is so exciting and so motivating for me, nothing else matters. The guys at Fit N Wise are keeping my body in good shape, so I don’t have to worry about my injuries at all.” Results Chase Blythe, 85.5 points; 2. Jamie Clinch, 85; 3. (tie) Dylan Idleman, Clay Moore and Riley McKettrick, 81.5; 6. (tie) Preston Robinson and Zach Call, 78.5; 8. Austin Ashley, 78; 9. Seth Wilson, 77; 10. Tyler Washburn, 76; 11. Brandon Moore, 75; 12. Scrawney Brooks, 0.

Bareback riding: 1. Orin Larsen, 90 points of Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist, $26,231; 2. Clint Laye, 88, $20,731; 3. (tie) Ty Breuer and Caleb Bennett, 87, $13,327 each; 5. (tie) Kaycee Feild and Trenten Montero, 86.5, $5,500 each. Steer wrestling: 1. Bridger Chambers, 3.6 second, $26,231; 2. (tie) Cameron Morman and Ty Erickson, 3.7, $18,192 each; 4. J.D. Struxness, 3.9, $11,000; 5. Hunter Cure, 4.1, $6,769; 6. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Scott Guenthner, 4.4, $2,115 each. Team roping: 1. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, 3.7 seconds, $26,231; 2. Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, 3.8. $20,7313; 3. Luke Brown/Paul Eaves, 3.9, $15,654; 4. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill and Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.3, $8,885 each; 6. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 4.4, $4,231. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Rusty Wright, 89.5 points on Diamond G Rodeo’s Miss Nancy, $26,231; 2. Spencer Wright, 84.5, $20,731; 3. Zeke Thurston, 83.5, $15,654; 4. Brody Cress, 81.5, $11,000; 5. Sterling Crawley, 80.5, $6,769; 6. Jacobs Crawley, 80, $4,231. Tie-down roping: 1. Shane Hanchey, 7.5 seconds, $26,231; 2. Riley Pruitt, 7.7, $20,731; 3. Marty Yates, 8.0, $15,654; 4. (tie) Haven Meged and Taylor Santos, 8.1, $8,885 each; 6. Cooper Martin, 8.7, $4,231. Barrel racing: 1. Emily Miller, 13.64 seconds, $26,231; 2. Amberleigh Moore, 13.75, $20,731; 3. Jessica Routier, 13.77, $15,654; 4. Ivy Conrado, 13.79, $11,000; 5. Ericka Nelson, 13.81, $6,769; 6. Hailey Kinsel, 13.88, $4,231. Bull riding: 1. Stetson Wright, 91 points on Painted Pony Championship Rodeo’s Holy Holly, $26,231; 2. Trey Benton III, 90, $20,731; 3. Boudreaux Campbell, 88, $15,654; 4. Sage Steele Kimzey, 86.5, $11,000; 5. Trey Kimzey, 86, $6,769; 6. Jeff Askey, 85, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – J.D. Struxness is one of the hottest steer wrestlers early at the National Finals Rodeo. Struxness – a three-time NFR qualifier from Milan, Minnesota, now living in Alva, Oklahoma – placed for the third time in three go-rounds in Las Vegas, stopping the clock in 4.3 seconds Saturday to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place in the third go-round of ProRodeo’s grand finale. He has now earned more money ($51,321) than any other bulldogger in Sin City and has moved from 10th to fourth in the world standings with $134,150. This marks the Minnesota cowboy’s third qualification to the NFR in four years, and he’s been quite successful in the Nevada desert. In 2016, he won at least a share of four rounds and placed in two others, pocketing nearly $130,000 over 10 days. A year later, he earned almost $110,000 at the NFR. Last year, he missed competing for the world championship, finishing the regular season 27th in the standings. That provided him with solid motivation as he pushed his way into the top five with seven nights remaining on the 2019 campaign. The key to his success this week has been consistency, which also is what catapulted him to the intercollegiate national title while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He was solid through all four runs at the College National Finals Rodeo that year, and he has proven that to be a valuable tool in Las Vegas. With his former rodeo coach and current traveling partner Stockton Graves serving as his hazer, Struxness has made runs in the same area of the Thomas & Mack Center arena each of the opening three rounds. Graves, a seven-time NFR qualifier, took over the Northwestern program right before competing in Las Vegas for the last time in 2011. Struxness is actually one of two former Northwestern bulldoggers competing at this year’s championship – he is joined by Kyle Irwin of Robertsdale, Alabama. Both serve as proof of the talent that comes out of Alva, a community of 5,100 people; Northwestern has been dubbed the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo. Now Struxness would like to add a Montana Silversmiths gold buckle to his resume, but he knows the key will be to remain consistent through the final seven nights of ProRodeo’s premier event.

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t really a sigh of relief for Tim O’Connell, but the reigning three-time world champion bareback rider felt some comfort after his third-round ride at the National Finals Rodeo. “It’s nice to get through the first “E pen” healthy and unscathed,” O’Connell said, referring to the “Eliminator Pen” of horses, known for being the most difficult-to-ride at the NFR. “But I’m looking to get in that top five. There have been five guys in front of me, and come (next) Saturday night, I don’t want one guy in front of me.” The relief is gone, and the focused has returned. After missing most of the 2019 regular season because of an injury, he entered the NFR sixth in the world standings. On Saturday night, he rode Powder River Rodeo’s Black Leg for 87 points to finish fourth in the third round, worth $11,000. That pushed his NFR earnings to $48,500 and moved him to fifth in the world standings with $161,668. “I had a great horse in a pen of hard horses,” said O’Connell of Zwingle, Iowa, now living in Marshall, Missouri, with his wife, Sami, and their son, Hazen. “I feel like I had a strong start and that I was very patient waiting for her to break, not trying to do too much. There was an 89 posted before me; normally when that happens, I start thinking about going after the round win, but I knew what that horse could probably do under me. “She doesn’t really have a set pattern, but I knew she was going to go left. She can make a really tight circle, so I stayed patient until she broke and made a smart ride. I didn’t do anything that was going to put me in jeopardy.” Being in control on a powerful bucking horse, especially an “Eliminator,” is only for the elite in the game. In order to register high scores, bareback riders will spur from above the shoulders back to their riggings, then push their feet back to the neck of the horse before the animal’s front hooves hit the ground. “She gave me the stuff to make a great bareback ride,” he said. “I was up, I was down and I beat her to the ground. I was in control of my upper body. I was pretty happy with a fourth-place check in the ‘E pen’ and an 87. “Right now, I’m happy with how things are going. I feel great; I feel aggressive. Out of the six times I’ve been here, I don’t have any pressure on me this year. I feel confident. I feel deadly on everything under me.” That confidence shows in glowing ways. He has his equipment dialed in, as is his body, which can take a beating on the backs of the best bucking animals in the world. His pre-NFR workout regimen has him conditioned well to handle the stresses of Las Vegas in December. “I’m enjoying this time out here with my wife, my family and my little boy,” O’Connell said. “I’m excited. I really think this is the best start to my Wrangler NFR career.”

LAS VEGAS – The most difficult-to-ride bareback riding horses in ProRodeo are always featured in the third round of the National Finals Rodeo. Over the last two years, Clayton Biglow has struggled in the “Eliminator Pen” of bucking horses and hasn’t managed to get through Round 3 with a score. That changed Saturday night, as the Clements, California, bareback rider handled Calgary Stampede’s Soap Bubbles for 86 points to finish the night in fifth place. “I finally made it through my third round,” he said with a laugh, knowing full well how tough the job is to not only stay on the rank bucking horses but also ride well enough to finish in the money. “That horse was a toad. Bareback riders … we call it a grunter, because I was grunting the entire time I was riding her. “She is a big ol’ blue roan, and she is all that you want, a handful. I wish I would have ridden her better. Obviously, every time you get off, there is something you could have done better, but I’m glad I got her ridden and glad I got a good check out of the round.” He did, and the $6,769 he pocketed Saturday night pushed his NFR earnings to $37,500. He remains No. 1 in the world standings with $219,452, but his lead has diminished a bit after the runner-up, Kaycee Feild, finished third. Biglow leads Feild, a four-time world champion, by less than $18,000. “I have been having some struggles here and there,” said Biglow, now riding at the NFR for the fourth time in his career. “I feel like my spur rides haven’t been as good … well, the first round was good, but the last two nights are below average.” Of course, the difficulty of the “E pen” might have something to do with it, too. He hopes to change that around Sunday, when the bareback riders will face “hoppers,” horses that are very rider friendly. “I guarantee you that we are going to go out there and have a good one that’s going to let you have some fun,” he said. “I’m looking forward to then, forget about (Saturday) and don’t stress about it.” He proposed to his fiancé two weeks ago, and that relationship has been a blessing, especially though the trials, tribulations and success that come through the NFR. Riding the best bareback horses in the world can take a toll on a cowboy’s body. “She’s been taking care of me,” Biglow said of Annierose Marvel Seifert, his longtime girlfriend. “I go to the spa and relax and get my body warmed up. I get a little workout and stretch. My body feels fine. It is working on every cylinder. “My confidence is high, and I’m ready to keep it rolling.”

LAS VEGAS – Michael Jordan is the best example of greatness while competing in less than optimum health. He played one of the best games of his career in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals after what trainers described as a bout of food poisoning. If the National Finals Rodeo were any comparison, tie-down Tuf Cooper has been battling through his own troubles, a nasty bug that has affected him through the first three go-rounds of ProRodeo’s grand championship. He hasn’t let it affect his work inside the Thomas & Mack Center, though, and shined Saturday night, roping and tying his calf in 6.9 seconds to win the third round. “I’ve been a little under the weather, but it’s something you can block out for six or seven seconds at a time,” he said with a hint of a laugh. “My wife went to the doctor today. Hopefully we’re going to get this thing lined out. We’ve got seven more days in Vegas. “It’s a marathon. You want to win every chance you get, but you also want to keep putting together runs and get the big check at the end.” He’s done that. In fact, his 24.5-second cumulative time on three runs is atop the field, but only by a slim margin; it’s also very early, and the goal of every cowboy in the field is to be atop the average at the end of this 10-day run. Cooper’s first paycheck in Las Vegas this December was worth $26,231 and pushed his season earnings to $141,823. His run on Saturday night was the fastest so far at this year’s NFR. “To win a world championship, you have to do your best every single night,” said Cooper, a four-time world champion from Decatur, Texas. “You can’t just really go at them, which was my approach last year. I was trying to go at every one of them, and I came up short quite a few rounds. “This year, I’m going to have a smarter approach; you have to score, catch and tie them all down, because the average plays such an important role. That’s all I’ve really been focused on the last four or five months: Go make the same run every night, and hopefully that game plan will work at the end. It has worked before, so hopefully it will continue.” A key part of his success has been his Topaz, a talented bay mare that has been his guiding force since 2012. Cooper also leans on others for a little assistance when necessary, especially this week. “I have a really good team around me,” Cooper said. “We have been multiple times, so everyone knows their drill: my dad; my mom; James Barton, who is taking care of Topaz; my wife; my buddies; and all my sponsors. “They know the drill. They know this is the most important time for a contestant’s career, these 10 days in Vegas. Everyone is lending the best hand they can, and that could just be encouragement. I had a buddy go get me cough medicine and cough drops at 2 in the morning last night. Just little things like that help.” The best medicine for any competitor is winning, and Cooper has had that by the bushel barrel.

LAS VEGAS – No matter how much he wanted to portray the part of Elsa in “Frozen,” Tanner Aus just couldn’t let it go. On Thursday’s opening night of the National Finals Rodeo, Aus was saddled with a no-score and took himself out of the chance to win some money in the average, a large-paying bonus given to the top eight cowboys in the 10-ride cumulative score. It was also a missed opportunity on the final 10 nights of the 2019 ProRodeo season. “It comes in waves, because part of you says it is just another rodeo, and you put it out of your head,” said Aus, a bareback rider from Granite Falls, Minnesota. “Part of you is looking out on The Strip and saying, ‘I can’t believe this just happened.’ You’ve just got to get it out of year head. “I probably quit thinking about it (Saturday).” That’s because Aus rode one of the nastiest bucking horses in the business – Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage – for 90 points to win Saturday’s third go-round, earning $26,231. It was his first paycheck of this year’s championship. “This is the best place in the world,” he said. “You can’t hang your head about a zero; you just can’t do it. There are hundreds of guys that would like to be in my position. You just forget about it.” Aus became the fifth NFR bareback rider to score at least 90 points in three go-rounds; three did it on opening night, with Richmond Champion winning the round, and Trenton Montero accomplished it in winning Round 2. “It has been incredible,” he said. “I feel the competition and the horses we picked to come here is making it crazy. We joke in the locker room, but if it’s going to be this tough, what are we going to do. We are seriously going to have to step up our game again. Everybody showed up here prepared, even the guys that are here for their first trip. “Everyone is in shape; everyone is feeling mean. It’s really great to be part of it.” Full Baggage is a two-time Bareback Horse of the Year, and he continues to be as strong as he was when he first won the title eight years ago. He proved it again Saturday night inside the Thomas & Mack Center. “When I saw that I got Full Baggage, I was very excited,” Aus said. “I had been on that horse one other time, and I was 90 in Corpus Christi (Texas) this spring, so I had that in my head. I was really thankful for the way it turned out. It was just a fight. We had our (Eliminator) pen out tonight, so every ride that was eight seconds long was a fight. I’m happy that it went well. “He’s very consistent, and they buck him out of the front chute with a left-hand delivery, so he angles across there. He was everything you want; he is strong and a lot of time really gets in the air.” As with all the horses in the “Eliminator Pen,” he was definitely a handful. Horses that buck in the third and eighth rounds are considered the toughest-to-ride in the world, and they proved it again Saturday. “There were horses in that pen tonight that strike fear into the hearts of men,” Aus said. “This was a real E pen. To have one that I’ve been on before was a leg up in confidence.”

Bareback riding: 1. Tanner Aus, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage, $26,231; 2. Trenton Montero, 89, $20,731; 3. Kaycee Field, 88, $15,654; 4. Tim O’Connell, 87, $11,000; 5. Clayton Biglow, 86, $6,769; 6. Caleb Bennett, 84, $4,231. Steer wrestling: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.8 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 4.1, $18,192 each; 4. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Bridger Chambers and J.D. Struxness, 4.3, $7,333. Team roping: 1. Tyler Wade/Cole Davison, 3.7 seconds, $26,231; 2. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 3.9, $20,731; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.0, $15,654; 4. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.6, $11,000; 5. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, 4.7, $6,769; 6. Matt Sherwood/Hunter Koch, 5.1, $4,231. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Chase Brooks, 90 points on Outlawbuckers Rodeo’s Lunatic Party, $26,231; 2. Zeke Thurston, 89.5, $20,731; 3. Dawson Hay, 88.5, $15,654; 4. Brody Cress, 88, $11,000; 5. (tie) Spencer Wright and Jake Watson, 87, $5,500 each. Tie-down roping: 1. Tuf Cooper, 6.9 seconds, $26,231; 2. Shane Hanchey, 7.1, $20,731; 3. (tie) Ty Harris and Shad Mayfield, 7.3, $13,326 each; 5. Tyler Milligan, 7.6, $6,769; 6. Taylor Santos, 7.9, $4,231. Barrel racing: 1. Amberleigh Moore, 13.62 seconds; $26,231; 2. Emily Miller, 13.63, $20,731; 3. Dona Kay Rule, 13.68, $15,654; 4. Jessica Routier, 13.84, $11,000; 5. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 13.88, $6,769; 6. Ivy Conrado-Saebens, 13.90, $4.231. Bull riding: 1. Koby Radley, 92 points on Big Stone Rodeo’s Spotted Demon, $33,564; 2. Jordan Hansen, 90, $28,064; 3. Trey Benton III, 89.5, $22,987; no other qualified rides.

Bareback riding: 1. Tanner Aus, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage, $26,231; 2. Trenton Montero, 89, $20,731; 3. Kaycee Field, 88, $15,654; 4. Tim O’Connell, 87, $11,000; 5. Clayton Biglow, 86, $6,769; 6. Caleb Bennett, 84, $4,231. Steer wrestling: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.8 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 4.1, $18,192 each; 4. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Bridger Chambers and J.D. Struxness, 4.3, $7,333. Team roping: 1. Tyler Wade/Cole Davison, 3.7 seconds, $26,231; 2. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 3.9, $20,731; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.0, $15,654; 4. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.6, $11,000; 5. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, 4.7, $6,769; 6. Matt Sherwood/Hunter Koch, 5.1, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – When Tim O’Connell returned to the game in June after rehabilitating an injury he suffered a year ago at the National Finals Rodeo, he was hungry for a fourth straight world championship. Through two nights of ProRodeo’s grand finale, that voracity has grown. “I’m starving,” said O’Connell, who rode Kesler Rodeo’s Uptown Flash for 89.5 points to finish as the runner-up in Friday’s second go-round of the NFR, his second straight paycheck in as many nights. “Keep feeding them in here, because I’m coming.” He has earned $37,500 so far in Las Vegas and has pushed his season earnings to $150,668; a big part of that was the $20,731 he pocketed Friday. “My feet feel fast; they feel deliberate,” said O’Connell, 28, of Zwingle, Iowa. “I had two great horses to start this thing off. I couldn’t be more excited about how they both went. I was honestly a little upset with myself how I rode (Thursday) night to finish that horse. I made some corrections (Friday), and I feel like I made a great ride. I feel like I really finished him off.” Bareback riding is a tough game, possibly the toughest in rodeo. Cowboys strap a rigging onto their mounts, then wedge their hands into the equipment, basically tying themselves to the horse. Even “easy” rides can be hard on the body, and adjustments made are done mentally. His three Montana Silversmiths gold buckles are proof that O’Connell is one of the best in the game at making modifications. “I have prepared myself to be the very best in the world on five different calibers of horses,” he said. “This is a different caliber than (Thursday) night, a different riding style, but I take what I did and the mistake I made into consideration with the horse I have under me. I felt like it was a smarter move.” On his opening-round horse, O’Connell got flashy, opening his legs wide to create exposure between him and the animal on each spur stroke. That can be appealing to judges, but it also can put the cowboy in a compromising position. “The judges weren’t marking you for getting extra exposure,” he said. “When that horse shot forward and left me that last second and a half, it cost me. That half second could have cost me a half a point, which cost me about $7,000. “That $7,000 might mean a world title, so what I did (Friday) was make sure I stayed gathered up. I just (spurred back) to my rigging, exposed out and (pushed my feet) down to make sure I beat that horse to the ground every jump.” Saturday’s third round will feature the “Eliminator Pen,” the toughest-to-ride bareback horses in the game. It’s a rugged test of each cowboy’s ability and determination through eight seconds of hell and intense athleticism. “We’ve got our buckers (Saturday),” O’Connell said. “Truthfully, that’s where you separate the guys that really put in the hard work compared to the guys who didn’t. “We brought the rankest horses in the world. This is the best bareback riding you’re ever going to watch. I’m thankful to be part of it, and I’m excited to be in this hunt.”

LAS VEGAS – In the world of rodeo, each bareback ride can be likened to a major title fight. As a horse jumps and kicks, it’s throwing punches and the cowboy, who returns blows with spur strokes in rhythm with the animal. The battles over the first two nights of the National Finals Rodeo have been impressive, and it looks to continue through the final eight nights of the 2019 season. “I knew it was going to be like this, and I expected nothing else,” said Richmond Champion, who earned his second straight paycheck on Friday night by finishing third in the second go-round with an 89-point ride on J Bar J’s Straight Jacket. “I knew I had the horse. Those seem to be the most nerve-wracking times, because you don’t want to mess it up. I think that’s the best I’ve ever had him. “Sparky (Dreesen of J Bar J) told me he was fresh, and he was going to be all there. He was right. That horse was awesome.” With that, Champion added another $15,654 to his season earnings. Combined with his Round 1 victory and the $10,000 bonus each contestant receives when they arrive in Las Vegas, he has earned $51,885 in a couple of days. That’s an NFR best, only matched with barrel racer Emily Miller. As for his ride, an 89-point marking will win most rodeos throughout the year. In fact, it would win most rounds at the NFR, but there may be a changing of the tide inside the Thomas & Mack Center. Opening night featured three 90-point-plus rides, and NFR rookie Trenton Montero won Friday’s round with a 90.5-point ride; three-time champion Tim O’Connell was second at 89.5. “Good for Trenton,” Champion said. “I had goosebumps for him. That was awesome, then Tim made a great ride. We’re just going to be repeating ourselves all week, but it is a good feeling.” While the experience in Sin City is magical because of all the great things about the championship, it also is one of the most stressful situations cowboys face all year. They’re chasing after big bucks every night, and they’re all battling for the Montana Silversmiths gold buckles that go to the world champions in each event. For the bareback riders, they’re also getting on the 100 best bucking horses in the game, all divided into five pens to keep the opportunities equal for each contestant. Their Round 3 and Round 8 draws come out of the “Eliminator Pen,” best known for featuring the hardest-to-ride horses in the game. “They were picking the pen for (Saturday), and I just walked out of the room,” he said. “Whatever I get is the one I’m supposed to have. Tomorrow isn’t about what anyone else is doing; it’s about what you are doing, which is whatever it takes to ride whatever they draw you. It’s a pen full of dragons, so bring your armor and come to war. “It is not a fun day. You just want it to be over. But that is why we are here, that is why we ride 10 and bring all sorts of horses, because you are not a world champion if you can’t ride these.”

LAS VEGAS – Garrett Smith had just ridden one of the rankest bulls in ProRodeo for 91.5 points on Friday night to win the second round of the National Finals Rodeo. It was a thrilling ride, but he was most fascinated by what happened directly afterward. “I don’t remember my get off, but I didn’t land on my head, so that’s pretty impressive,” said Smith, who shared a wry smile that was both descriptively funny and truthful at the same time. “That’s two nights in a row.” He was one of just three of the 15 bull riders to cover their bulls for the qualifying eight seconds, and each earned a bit of a bonus. Each round pays out $84,615, and the remaining three spots ($22,000) were split among the three who placed, with each earning $7,333 in addition to their original earnings. For Smith, he pocketed $33,564. “We rode 10 bulls (Thursday) night, so we went from riding 10 to three,” said Smith, 24, of Rexburg, Idaho. “That’s quite a change.” The bulls held the advantage from the beginning. As the eighth cowboy to go, Smith was the first to make a qualified ride, matching every move Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Gold threw at him. He was joined in the winner’s circle by five-time world champion Sage Kimzey and Boudreaux Campbell. Through two nights in Las Vegas, Smith has earned $47,795 and has pushed his season earnings to $171,769. He has moved from seventh to fourth in the world standings. “I’ll take that,” he said. “It is better than sitting at home like last year.” Injuries kept the Idaho cowboy from advancing to the NFR a year ago – he finished 23rd in the 2018 standings. He’s already making a statement in his return to ProRodeo’s grand championship. He didn’t know much about Black Gold, but he made it work to his advantage. “I knew he (spun) right,” Smith said. “All they told me was he was a handful. It was either going to work, or it was going to be good-watching. To be (91.5) in another rodeo is great, but to do it in front of all these people for this much money is incredible. “Riding him was like letting a balloon loose. It was going by really fast, and at one point, I closed my eyes, and it worked out.” A key, he has said, is to feel good while competing at this year’s NFR. Injuries have hampered him in his early rodeo career, but he finally himself completely healthy toward the end of the 2019 regular season. “I feel awesome,” he said. “My knees aren’t even sore, so that’s impressive.” He’s also taking a different approach to his mental game, which is a big part of finding success in this sport. “What really helps me is I can go bulldog (wrestle steers), and it takes my mind completely off bull riding,” Smith said. “If you start overthinking stuff, that’s when you mess up, and that’s when it goes south in a hurry. Just to do something else takes your mind completely off it. “Having that really takes everything off bull riding, so when you go back, you go back fresh.” Bull riding is mostly a reactionary sport, so letting his mind get out of the way of his athleticism is key. It’s led to success early in this year’s championship, and he hopes it will keep rolling through the final eight nights in Sin City. “I only got on one bull before getting here,” said Smith, now competing at the NFR for the third time in four years. “That worked out pretty good. I’m really good at not thinking.”

LAS VEGAS – The National Finals Rodeo can be a vindictive setting for ProRodeo’s greatest stars. The best way to combat that is to find the positives in every situation that arises. That’s vital, because hitting the dirt one night could disappear with a championship ride the next. If that’s not enough, there’s a great incentive each round, with go-round winners pocketing $26,231. “It’s really important to stay positive here,” said J.D. Struxness, who cashed in for the second straight go-round Friday night to kickstart his run through the NFR. “I felt like we had a decent start tonight; maybe not the best we needed but still decent. To get here and place on them and keep the ball rolling is important.” He rolled to a 4.3-second run, finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the round. With that, he pocketed $15,795 on Friday night and pushed his season earnings to $126,816 – nearly $34,000 has come in the opening two rounds of this year’s championship. “It was kind of rough from the beginning, and my steer ran pretty hard,” he said. “I ran him down a way and was still able to be 4.3 on him. I’m thankful for that, and it placed me in the round. I was able to set the pace, and then it got rolling after that.” Prior to his run, the fastest time posted was Matt Reeves’ 4.7, so Struxness set the mark. Two-time world champion Tyler Waguespack upended the standard, posting a 3.6 to win the round and the lion’s share of the payout. Now, Struxness has eight more nights to step up his game. He now sits fifth in the world standings and trails the leader, Ty Erickson, by less than $30,000. “To keep that going, we just have to keep taking those cuts at the barrier, getting the best start we can and keep throwing the steers down,” said Struxness, 25, of Milan, Minnesota, who is utilizing his former rodeo coach, Stockton Graves, as hazer to help keep the steers lined up each run. “Stockton has done a great job taking care of the horses and making sure they’re ready every night. “Having someone who has been here and done it before, I know our horses are working good. He knows what to do hazing for me, and we just go out there and give them hell every night.”

LAS VEGAS – Bareback rider Ty Breuer wanted to get off to a good start at the 2019 National Finals Rodeo. After the first two nights, he’s done it. He posted a solid score on Thursday night, then followed it up on Friday with an 87.5-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Black Kat, good enough to finish the second round in a tie for fourth place. He pocketed $8,885. “I’ve been on Black Kat a couple of times,” said Breuer of Mandan, North Dakota. “He’s been around a long time and is the one you want at Beutler rodeos, especially the short rounds. You know that one is going to do it every single time. That’s a good horse and has been for a long time.” Breuer’s pretty good, too. This is his fifth NFR qualification, and he had a fantastic regular season. An illness kept him on the sidelines a good portion of the season, when he wasn’t off the rodeo trail to take care of the family ranch. In fact, he earned $88,699 while competing at just 27 rodeos. By claiming his money in Vegas on Friday night, he pushed his season earnings to $107,584. If he keeps riding horses that well, he’ll keep adding to it over the next eight nights. He’ll have to score big, though. Through just two nights, bareback riders have posted four scores in the 90s. “The horses and the cowboys are that good,” he said. “It’s better than it has been, and it’s fun to be part of it. When 90s are winning rounds, that’s pretty awesome.” For Breuer, part of the excitement of his round-placing ride on Friday came with working through the rust that has developed. It’s been more than a month since he was on a bucking horse, so he needed to get back in the rhythm with his mount. “It just felt good that I got stuff rolling again,” Breuer said. “I haven’t been on in a while. It felt so good to get on a horse where I could get my feet moving again and get everything rolling again. Now he wants to keep the momentum going. Sometimes it takes just one quality ride to make everything better. He and the other 14 bareback riders will face the toughest-to-ride horses at the NFR on Saturday night when they dip into the “Eliminator Pen.” It will be a test of their mental and physical fortitude as well as their endurance of riding bucking horses back to back for 10 nights in a row. “It takes a couple rounds to get the soreness out, but then a guy feels good about the 10th one,” he said with a laugh. Whether he’s sore heading into Round 3 or not, he’ll feel pretty good about his riding.

Bareback riding: 1. Trenten Montero, 90.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetic’s Prairie Rose, $26,231; 2. Tim O’Connell, 89.5, $20,731; 3. Richmond Champion, 89, $15,654; 4. (tie) Clint Laye and Ty Breuer, 87.5, $8,885 each; 6. Taylor Broussard, 87, $4,231. Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, J.D. Struxness and Scott Guenthner, 4.3, $15,795 each; 5. Matt Reeves, 4.7, $6,769; 6. Kyle Irwin, 4.9, $4,231. Team roping: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 4.1 seconds, $26,231; 2. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 4.6, $20,731; 3. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.7, $15,654; 4. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, Tate Kirchenschlager/Tyler Worley and Jake Cooper/Caleb Anderson, 4.8, $7,333 each. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Jesse Wright, 89.5 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Awesome Sauce, $26,231; 2. Rusty Wright, 85.5, $20,731; 3. Jacobs Crawley, 84.5, $15,653; 4. Brody Cress, 78, $11,000; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: 1. Marty Yates, 7.3 seconds, $26,231; 2. Tyler Milligan, 8.2, $20,731; 3. (tie) Haven Meged and Shad Mayfield, 8.6, $13,327 each; 5. (tie) Tyson Durfey and Taylor Santos, 8.7, $5,500 each. Barrel racing: 1. Dona Kay Rule, 13.69 seconds, $26,231; 2. Hailey Kinsel, 13.73, $20,731; 3. Emily Miller, 13.74, $15,654; 4. Amberleigh Moore, 13.78, $11,000; 5. Ivy Conrado-Saebens, 13.83, $6,796; 6. Lisa Lockhart, 13.85, $4,231. Bull riding: 1. Garrett Smith, 91.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Gold, $33,565; 2. Sage Steele Kimzey, 84.5, $28,065; 3. Boudreaux Campbell, 82, $22,987; no other qualified rides.

Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, J.D. Struxness and Scott Guenthner, 4.3, $15,795 each; 5. Matt Reeves, 4.7, $6,769; 6. Kyle Irwin, 4.9, $4,231. Team roping: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 4.1 seconds, $26,231; 2. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 4.6, $20,731; 3. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.7, $15,654; 4. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, Tate Kirchenschlager/Tyler Worley and Jake Cooper/Caleb Anderson, 4.8, $7,333 each.

Trenten Montero, 90.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetic’s Prairie Rose, $26,231; 2. Tim O’Connell, 89.5, $20,731; 3. Richmond Champion, 89, $15,654; 4. (tie) Clint Laye and Ty Breuer, 87.5, $8,885 each; 6. Taylor Broussard, 87, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – Garrett Smith understands how important it is to get off to a good start at the National Finals Rodeo. Apparently, the word is spreading in the bull riders’ locker room. During Thursday’s opening round of the 2019 championship, Smith was one of 10 cowboys to ride their bulls, a big number in an event that features not only the top 15 bull riders but also the top 100 bulls in the country. In fact, Smith’s 87-point ride on Hy Test of Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics would have won many rounds inside the Thomas & Mack Center, but that didn’t happen Thursday. He posted the sixth-best ride of the night and settled for the smallest payout of the night. Still, that was worth $4,231, which moved his season earnings to $138,305; he remains seventh in the world standings. Two years ago, Smith placed in a tie for third with an 85.5-point ride in the opening round. In his inaugural run at the NFR, an 87-point ride to finish second in the second round. That’s just a testament to the kind of opener it was at this year’s NFR. The key moving forward is to continue to ride. It’s easier said than done, though. It’s been 25 years since a cowboy has ridden all 10 bulls at the NFR, last done by Brazilian Adriano Moraes in 1994. A year ago, Chase Dougherty rode seven of 10 bulls to claim the average title, which is worth $67,269 at the conclusion of the NFR. But there is plenty of money remaining in the go-rounds. Each night, the winning bull rider will pocket $26,231. Heading into the final nine nights of ProRodeo’s grand finale, trails the leader, five-time world champion Sage Kimzey, by $124,002. If everything goes Smith’s way, he can move into the lead just after the NFR’s midway point. In Friday night’s second round, he was set to ride Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Gold, a 6-year-old black bull that is bucking in Las Vegas for the third straight year. It’s just another golden opportunity for the Rexburg, Idaho, cowboy.

LAS VEGAS – The obstacles that come any contestant’s way at the National Finals Rodeo can be varied and be plentiful. That’s why a simple-but-straight-forward approach is best when competing at ProRodeo’s grand finale. It’s what has worked for steer wrestler J.D. Struxness in his two previous qualifications to Las Vegas, and it propelled him to a top payday during Thursday’s first go-round. He stopped the clock in 3.8 seconds to finish in a tie for second place in the opener of the 10-day marathon, collecting $18,192 in the process. That pushed his season earnings to $111,022 and moved him to seventh in the world standings. “It feels great to get a good start, make a nice run,” said Struxness of Milan, Minnesota, now living in Alva, Oklahoma, home of his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “I broke the ice and got some good money.” It came down to strong fundamentals. He called his first-round steer one that was in the middle of the pack in the herd. “You want to place on the really good ones and stay in the average on ones that are a little stronger,” he said. “I think getting a good start and getting close to the barrier was the key. The horses worked good. They let us catch up and do a good job on the ground. Everything went as planned.” In rodeo timed events, the steers and calves are afforded a head start, with a barrier rope crossing the timed-event box that signals whether or not the animal was provided the appropriate advantage. A good run means the horse’s shoulders hit the barrier at the same time it is released. Leaving too late means playing catch-up, and inside the Thomas & Mack Center, that likely will leave cowboys out of the money. Leaving too early and breaking the barrier results in a 10-second penalty, which not only would hurt chances at round money but also likely would hamper the chances of catching an average payout at the end for having one of the top cumulative times on 10 runs. “Stockton (Graves) and I were watching videos of him, and we thought we had a good chance to catch up with him,” Struxness said of his coach at Northwestern, who is serving as hazer at the NFR. “Having a good hazer out here is important. Their job is tough, because we’re actually going before we nod, and we know when we’re going to nod. They have to get a start with us. “Stockton did a great job last night. Having a guy and a horse that do that on the other side is great. It helps speed everything up.” Graves is a seven-time NFR qualifier, and Struxness was the first Northwestern cowboy to win a national title, having done so after winning the bulldogging title at the 2016 College National Finals Rodeo. Struxness is riding Graves’ horse, Freeway, while the coach is riding a haze horse owned by Kody Woodward. “Our main concern was to get that start and make a solid run,” Struxness said. “We wanted to break the ice and make sure we hit that start like we did. We knew if we did that, our confidence would be up, and we could roll through the week.

LAS VEGAS – On opening night of the 2019 National Finals Rodeo, Tim O’Connell scored 88 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Two Buck Chuck and was just a point off the first-round record. It was a tremendous way to start his sixth NFR, however, there were four guys who had better scores, three of whom beat the previous mark of 89 points with rides in the 90s. “I don’t now if in the history of this event that three guys have showed three 90s in the first round, and that’s just our hopper pen,” he said, explaining that the opening round is supposed to be the most fun horses they can get on over the 10 nights of ProRodeo’s championship event. “These were just supposed to be the nice ones. “We are here, and we are here to play. We mean business. You are going to see a dog fight all the way to Round 10.” O’Connell is the three-time reigning world champion bareback rider, but among the top 15 men who compete in the rugged event, there is a strong comradery. They are a team, and they look at the game as such. When one rides well, the others are cheering him on. It’s never mano-y-mano; it’s always every cowboy matched with whatever horse, and the rides can be poetry, yet also body bending. But the name of the game is to win as much money as possible, and that’s to have a better score than most everyone else in the field. “I caught fifth tonight, but I still have nine more rounds to pluck away at these guys,” said O’Connell, who added $6,769 Thursday and pushed his season earnings to $129,938. “It’s so important to catch checks each night. It’s so important to stay solid in the average. The guy that wins the average here is probably going to be the guy that wins the world. “I’m solid; I’m excited. This could have been taken away from me so fast. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it so far. There are some little things to work on to make sure I’m ready for (Friday) night.” He understands the importance of winning the average by having the best cumulative score of the 10 December nights of the NFR. In his three world titles, he won the first two average championships outright, then spit the average a year ago with Steven Dent. Still, he trails the leader, Clayton Biglow, by nearly $83,000. That means the Californian is in the driver’s seat, but that doesn’t mean his path can’t be detoured. O’Connell has faced his own road bumps along the way this season. He suffered a severely damaged shoulder after his final-round ride last December and sat out of action until late June. Then, he pushed the gas pedal down and earned more than $100,000 in the final three and a half months of the season to advance to the NFR. “I’m not being hunted (like the last three years); I’m the hunter,” said O’Connell, 28, of Zwingle, Iowa, now living in Marshall, Missouri, with his wife, Sami, and their son, Hazen. “There’s a little pressure off me, but I do believe everyone needs to look over their shoulders, because I do plan on coming here and taking care of business.”