The Associated Press | Posted: Sunday, December 7, 2008 12:00 am
LAS VEGAS - Five-time world champion tie-down roper Cody Ohl won the third round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on Saturday night, finishing just four-tenths shy of his NFR record.
Ohl, from Hico, Texas, had a time of 6.9 second. Seven-time world champion Fred Whitfield of Hockley, Texas, was second in 7.1.
"I was riding a new horse (in rounds one and two) I bought a month ago," Ohl said. "Luke (the horse Ohl usually rides) has been sore in his heels and I really didn't have any confidence. I practiced on him three days ago, and we've been working on him every day since and got him back feeling good. It was time for a swap. It wasn't working, so I cracked him out tonight and it was the right mixture."
Tyson Durfey of Colbert, Wash., followed a second-place finish in the first round and a first-place effort during in the second with a sixth-place finish in 8.6. Durfey lead the average at 23.50 for three rounds.
Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo., leads the world standings with $153,771. Hunter Herrin of Apache, Okla., fourth in 7.3 in the round, remained second with $141,422.
In saddle bronc riding, Billy Etbauer of Edmond, Okla., extended his PRCA standings lead by finishing first with an 89.5 on Blue Too. The 45-year-old Etbauer, a five-time world champion, has earned $177,422. Cody Wright of Milford, Utah, who had an unsuccessful ride in round two, remained second with $155,198.
"You just have to ride well and hopefully things will come around, and I'll just see what happens," said Etbauer, who is trying to tie the record of six world titles held by Casey Tibbs and Dan Mortensen. "I just feel honored to be here and ride with these kids. It's just a blessing for me to be here."
In steer wrestling, 2006 world champion Dean Gorsuch, (Eastern Wyoming), of Gering, Neb., won in 3.5 seconds.
"The thing I learned (from 2006) is no matter where you're sitting, you just go out and try to win the round every night and the average just happens," Gorsuch said. "The two mess-ups I made in the first and second rounds are hopefully he only mess-ups I'm going to have this week. That's what we're trying for."
World leader Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, Calif., was third in 3.8 and stayed in first for the third consecutive day.
In bareback riding, world leader Steven Dent of Mullen, Neb., remained in first place by tying for fourth with a score of 83.5 on Real Deal. Royce Ford of Briggsdale, Colo., won with an 88.5 on Full Baggage and moved from sixth to fourth in the standings.
In barrel racing, world leader Lindsay Sears of Canada increased her lead to over $51,000 over second-place Brittany Pozzi-Pharr of Victoria, Texas, by winning the third round in 13.91. Pozzi-Pharr tied for second in 13.94 with Maegan Reichert of Mount Pleasant, Texas.
In bull riding, standings leader Chance Smart of Philadelphia, Miss., remained in first with $179,917 after tying for first at 91.5 on Scoundrel. Douglas Duncan of Huntsville, Texas, tied with Smart on War Zone. Smart and Duncan were the only riders out of the 15 competitors to have successful rides.
In team roping, Matt Funk of Hermiston, Ore., and Bucky Campbell of Benton City, Wash., finished first in 4.0.
In all-around, Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, had a $113,000 lead over second-place Steven Dent of Mullen, Neb.
Saturday
At Thomas & Mack Center
Las Vegas
Third Round
1. Royce Ford, Briggsdale, Colo., 88.5 points on Frontier Rodeo's Full Baggage, $16,767. 2. Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., 86.5, $13,251. 3. Tim Shirley, Conifer, Colo., 84, $10,006. 4. (tie) Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., and Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash., 83.5, $4,688 each. 7. Cimmaron Gerke, Brighton, Colo., 82.5. 8. Dusty LaValley, Canada, 81. 9. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 80.5. 10. Chris Harris, Itasca, Texas, 79.5. 11. Kelly Timberman, Mills, 78.5. 12. (tie) Josi Young, Kimberly, Idaho, Jessy Davis, Payson, Utah, Kaycee Feild, Elk Ridge, Utah, and Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, NS.
. 2. Ken Lewis, La Junta, Colo., 3.7, $13,251. 3. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 3.8, $10,006. 4. K.C. Jones, Decatur, Texas, 4.0, $7,031. 5. (tie) Curtis Cassidy, Canada, Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., and Casey McMillen, Craig, Colo., 4.1, $2,344. 8. Gabe Ledoux, Kaplan, La., 4.3. 9. (tie) Cash Myers, Athens, Texas, and Les Shepperson, Midwest, 4.5. 11. (tie) Jason Miller, Lance Creek, and Todd Suhn, North Platte, Neb., 4.6. 13. Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., 5.7. 14. Beau Franzen, Sidney, Mont., 5.8. 15. Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., NT.
Steer Wrestling
1. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb., 3.5 seconds, $16,767
Team Roping
1. Matt Funk, Hermiston, Ore./Bucky Campbell, Benton City, Wash., 4.0 seconds, $16,767 each. 2. Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz./Randon Adams, Logandale, Nev., 4.1, $13,251. 3. Riley Minor, Ellensburg, Wash./Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 4.3, $10,006. 4. (tie) Speed Williams, Deleon, Texas/Allen Bach, Weatherford, Texas, and Turtle Powell, Alpine, Texas/Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 4.4, $5,679 each. 6. JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Texas/Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 4.5, $2,704. 7. Jake Barnes, Scottsdale, Ariz./Clay O'Brien Cooper, Morgan Mill, Texas, 5.0. 8. Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont./Cory Petska, Lexington, Okla., 8.9. 9. Chad Masters, Clarksville, Tenn./Michael Jones, Stephenville, Texas, 9.0. 10. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas/Patrick Smith, Midland, Texas, 9.1. 11. Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo./Kinney Harrell, San Angelo, Texas, 17.2. 12. Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 18.1. 13. Colter Todd, Marana, Ariz./Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 18.5. 14. Jake Stanley, Hermiston, Ore./Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, 22.9. 15. Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz./Victor Aros, Tucson, Ariz., NT.
Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Billy Etbauer, Edmond, Okla., 89.5 points on Franklin Rodeo's Blue Too, $16,767. 2. Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D., 86, $13,251. 3. (tie) J.J. Elshere, Quinn, S.D. Bryce Miller, Buffalo, S.D. and Rusty Allen, Eagle Mountain, Utah, 83, $7,121 each. 6. Shaun Stroh, Dickinson, N.D., 81, $2,704. 7. Justin Arnold, Santa Margarita, Calif., 80.5. 8. Cody Taton, Newell, S.D., 79. 9. Anthony Bello, Oakley, Utah, 77.5. 10. Bobby Griswold, Geary, Okla., 74. 11 (tie). Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, Rod Hay, Canada, Dusty Hausauer, Dickinson, N.D., Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas and Chet Johnson, Gillette, NS.
Tie-Down Roping
1. Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, 6.9 seconds, $16,767. 2. Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, 7.1, $13,251. 3. Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas, 7.2, $10,006. 4. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 7.3, $7,031. 5. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 7.4, $4,327. 6. Tyson Durfey, Colbert, Wash., 8.6, $2,704. 7. (tie) Stran Smith, Childress, Texas, and Jerrad Hofstetter, Portales, N.M., 9.0. 9. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., 9.6. 10. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 10.5. 11. Scott Kormos, Teague, Texas, 11.1. 12. Doug Pharr, Victoria, Texas, 11.9. 13. Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 17.6. 14. (tie) Clint Robinson, Spanish Fork, Utah, and Jeff Chapman, Athens, Texas, NT.
Barrel Racing
1. Lindsay Sears, Canada, 13.91 seconds, $16,767. 2. (tie) Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, Victoria, Texas, and Maegan Reichert, Mt. Pleasant, Texas, 13.94, $11,629 each. 4. Cassie Moseley, Farwell, Texas, 13.98, $7,031. 5. Annesa Self, Valley View, Texas, 14.00, $4,327. 6. Tammy Key-Fischer, Ledbetter, Texas, 14.07, $2,704. 7. Mary Burger, Pauls Valley, Okla., 14.10. 8. Terra Bynum, Colorado City, Texas, 14.17. 9. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 14.24. 10. Jill Moody, Letcher, S.D., 14.25. 11. Deb Renger, Canada, 14.38. 12. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 19.05. 13. Traci Dawson, Canada, 19.10. 14. Stephanie Fryar, Big Spring, Texas, 19.20. 15. Shelley Murphy, Helena, Mont., 24.37.
Bull Riding
1. (tie) Chance Smart, Philadelphia, Miss., on Growney Brothers's Scoundrel, and Douglas Duncan, Huntsville, Texas, on Corey & Horst's War Zone, 91.5 points, $15,009 each. 3. (tie) B.J. Schumacher, Hillsboro, Wis., J.W. Harris, May, Texas, Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, Seth Glause, Rock Springs, Shawn Proctor, Tooele, Utah, Wesley Silcox, Payson, Utah, Zack Oakes, Elk, Wash., Spud Jones, Tohatchi, N.M., Bobby Welsh, Gillette, Cody Hancock, Taylor, Ariz., Kanin Asay, Powell, Colin McTaggart, Las Vegas, and Mike Moore, Kankakee, Ill., NS.