CALDWELL, Idaho --- Clint Cannon from Waller, Texas, is driven by gold buckle dreams. The buckle that he has set his sights on is the one that will declare that he is the world champion bareback rider at the end of the 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this December.
Cannon started his year off right by earning checks at Denver, Fort Worth and San Antonio last January and February. Then he capitalized on his hometown rodeo in Houston winning nearly $60,000. He hasn’t weakened one bit since then and has already broken the regular season earnings record set by Bobby Mote en route to his world title in 2007. Mote’s record was $152,184. Cannon’s earnings are currently at $154,192.
He helped his position even more on Thursday night at the Caldwell Night Rodeo. Cannon rode the Burch Rodeo horse named Powdered Whiskey for 86 points and is currently in second place in the first round of competition. With just one more performance before Saturday night’s finals, he is in prime position to be among the top eight money winners in the round, qualify for the finals, and earn a Caldwell Night Rodeo championship.
“I knew that horse was going to be a handful,” Cannon said. “I looked him up on the internet and saw that he had bucked two guys off. Whenever I see something like that it’s a challenge to me.”
Steve Purcella and Jhett Johnson moved into second place in the team roping standings with a solid 6.2-second run on Thursday. With former world champion Purcella from Hereford, Texas heading and Johnson, from Casper, Wyo., heeling, they have a total time of 10.8 seconds on two runs.
Billy Etbauer is not tired of taking victory laps and was grinning through another one here. Etbauer is coming off of a big win at Cheyenne Frontier Days, and is sixth in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association saddle bronc riding world standings. He had the high-marked ride of the night with an 84 on Calgary Stampede’s Zippy Delivery. That puts the Edmond, Okla., resident in a tie for third place with the reigning world champion Cody Wright from Milford, Utah.
The bulls at the third performance were more than victorious, sending all of the cowboys to the dirt before the eight-second whistle blew. Local favorite Kyle Joslin, from Caldwell, hit so hard that he dislocated his shoulder. Justin Sports Medicine trainers were able to put the shoulder back in place at the rodeo.
The fourth performance of the Caldwell Night Rodeo will begin on Friday at 8 p.m. Round winners and final round qualifiers will be determined at that time.
