Sears sweeps four rounds of barrel racing at Omaha, earns $22,500

Posted Sunday, September 30, 2007

OMAHA, Neb. --- Lindsay Sears has a difficult decision to make over the next few weeks.
After completing a sweep of all four rounds of the barrel racing at the River City Roundup Saturday night at the Qwest Center, Sears is now in position to start thinking seriously about overtaking Brittany Pozzi-Pharr in the standings and becoming a world champion.

The $22,500 she won in this third round event of the Ariat Playoffs brings her within roughly $30,000 in the world standings behind Pozzi-Pharr heading into October. Only she's got this conflict.

The Canadian National Finals Rodeo is the same weekend as the $500,000 Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship in Dallas, Nov. 9-11, and Sears, of Nanton, Alberta, at this point, is commited to competing in Canada in hopes of winning a CFR title instead of going to Dallas.

To be fair, Sears hasn't had much time to consider her new circumstances. She arrived at Omaha "feeling like I was developing an ulcer" over lack of positive results at indoor arenas. Her 7-year-old horse Martha has always preferred the biggest outdoor settings and was just coming off a two-month injury hiatus.

"I am totally surprised by this," Sears said. "Martha just seemed to get better and better each round. I'd never won every round in a rodeo before. I'd never heard of anybody doing it until Sherrylynn (Johnson) did it at Puyallup (second round of the Ariat Playoffs)."

After an arena record 13.55-second run in the first round, Sears continued to dominate the event, winning the second round with another arena-record time of 13.31 seconds, the semifinals in 13.34 and the finals in 13.32, the three fastest times of the rodeo. Molly Powell, of Stephenville, Texas, was second in the final round with a time of 13.44 seconds and was the only competitior in any event Saturday night to forge their way into the select 10-person field for Dallas.

There were two arena records set on Saturday night, with saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss spurring his way to a 91-point mark on Powder River's Miss Congeniality in the finals and team ropers Speed Williams and Dean Tuftin stopping the clock in 4.0 seconds in winning the semifinals.

Williams and Tuftin had equaled the Qwest Center record on Friday night with a 4.4-second run, but all the record book entries did not help them in the finals, when they took a no-time. Keven Daniel and Jhett Johnson claimed the finals with a time 4.3 seconds, three-tenths of a second better Chad Masters and Allen Bach.

DeMoss' record ride on Miss Congeniality broke the arena record set by Billy Etbauer in 2005 and was a sweet bit of déjà vu. DeMoss won the River City Roundup on the same horse in 2004.

"This comes at a good time," DeMoss said. "You want to get big scores when you get to a rodeo like this with good stock. The stock here and what we will see in Dallas will be pretty much what we will have for the Wrangler NFR.

Tie-down roper Barry Burk, of Ponca City, Okla., took a big step toward making his way to Las Vegas. By winning the final round in 7.0 seconds over Blair Burk, of Durant, Okla. (no relation), Barry upped his earnings to $14,063 for the weekend. He moved from 33rd in the world standings to close to the top 20, with Dallas in the offing.

"My back was against the wall coming here," Barry Burk said. "I had a lot of catching up to do. I can't put into words what this means. Just to get here was an honor. I needed a win to get it done, and it feels great."

Stockton Graves of Newkirk, Okla., emerged from a great head-to-head battle with Shawn Greenfield of Lakeview, Ore., to get the steer wrestling buckle. They shared first place in the semifinals -- along with Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo. -- by posting times of 3.8 seconds. In the finals, both men turfed their steer in 3.6 seconds. The decision went to Graves on the basis of his faster two-head average time from the first two rounds.

"This rodeo has just been great to me," Graves said. "I missed getting here last year, but three of the last four years I've earned big checks. Today, I was last to come out of the chutes and with Shawn's 3.6 on the board already, there was no room to stub your toe."

Tom McFarland, of Wickenburg, Ariz., won the bareback riding final with an 88-point ride on New West Rodeo's Black Gold, two points better than Kelly Timberman and Justin McDaniel.

The bull riding competition had no qualified rides in either the semifinal or final rounds, so the standings reverted to Friday's average results with Ted Bert of Modesto, Calif., winning the title based on those results. There was a scary moment late in the semifinals when Wesley Silcox was knocked unconscious by DH&T Rodeo's Cross Fire Hurricane when the bull slammed its head into his jaw while bucking him off.

Don Andrews of the Justin Sportsmedicine Team said Silcox suffered a concussion, a fractured jaw and lacerations. Silcox will have his jaw wired shut for 6-8 weeks, Andrews said, and will require stitches to close the lacerations to his cheek and ear.

His participation in the Dodge Xtreme Bulls Tour finale in Indianapolis, Ind., next month is considered questionable.

River City Roundup - Round 3 Ariat Playoffs
Qwest Center, Omaha
Bareback riding: semifinals: 1. Kelly Timberman, 90 points on Mosbrucker Rodeo's Magic Wars, $3,750; 2. Justin McDaniel, 87, $2,813; 3. (tie) Ryan Gray and Tom McFarland, 85, $1,405 each; 5. Will Lowe, 84; 6. Jason Havens, 80; 7. Jason Jeter, 75; 8. Royce Ford, 73. Finals: 1. Tom McFarland, 88 points on New West Rodeo's Black Gold, $7,500; 2. (tie) Kelly Timberman and Justin McDaniel, 86, $2,500 each; 4. Ryan Gray, 84.

Qualifiers for Dallas: Justin McDaniel, Kelly Timberman, Will Lowe, Jason Jeter, Bobby Mote, Tom McFarland, Ryan Gray, Royce Ford, Heath Ford and Chris Harris.

Steer wrestling: semifinals: 1. (tie) Josh Peek, Stockton Graves and Shawn Greenfield, 3.8 seconds, $2,813 each; 4. Luke Branquinho, 4.4, $938; 5. Joey Bell Jr., 4.8; 6. Matt Reeves, 5.6; 7. Casey McMillen, 6.1; 8. Billy Bugenig, 7.8. Finals: *1. (tie) Shawn Greenfield and Stockton Graves, 3.6 seconds, $6,250 each; 3. Luke Branquinho, 4.2; 4. Josh Peek, 4.5. *Graves ruled event champion based on superior preliminary times.

Qualifiers for Dallas: Luke Branquinho, Wade Sumpter, Stockton Graves, Todd Suhn, Casey McMillen, Sean Greenfield, Bill Bugenig, Lee Graves, Joey Bell Jr., Josh Peek.

Team roping: semifinals: 1. Speed Williams/Dean Tuftin, 4.0 seconds (arena record), $3,750 each; 2. Keven Daniel/Jhett Johnson, 5.1, $2,813; 3. Chad Masters/Allen Bach, 5.6, $1,875; 4. Jake Barnes/Clay O'Brien Cooper, 6.1, $938; 5. Clay Tryan/Walt Woodard, 9.2; 6. David Key/Kory Koontz, 9.5; 7. Colter Todd/Cesar de la Cruz, 10.6; 8. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, no time. Finals: 1. Keven Daniel/Jhett Johnson, 4.3 seconds, $7,500 each; 2. Chad Masters/Allen Bach, 4.6, $5,000; 3. Jake Barnes/Clay O'Brien Cooper, 16.7; 4. Speed Williams/Dean Tuftin, no time.

Qualifiers for Dallas: Keven Daniel/Jhett Johnson, Jake Barnes/Clay O'Brien Cooper, Colter Todd/Cesar de la Cruz, Speed Williams/Dean Tuftin, Chad Masters/Allen Bach, Tommy Edens/Coby Jones, David Key/Kory Koontz, Jimmy Edens/Ryan Motes, Coleman Proctor/Jake Long and Clay Tryan/Walt Woodard.

Saddle bronc riding: semifinals: 1. Issac Diaz, 85 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo's Multi-Chem Brown Bomber, $3,750; 2. Cody Wright, 84, $2,813; 3. (tie) Justin Arnold and Cody DeMoss, 83, $1,406 each; 5.Taos Muncy, 79; 6. Ryan Mapston, 77; 7. Jeff Willert, 75; 8. Rod Hay, no ride. Finals: 1. Cody DeMoss, 91 points on Powder River's Miss Congeniality (arena record), $7,500; 2. Cody Wright, 88, $5,000; 3. Justin Arnold, 85; 4. Isaac Diaz, 83.

Qualfiers for Dallas: Cody Wright, Anthony Bello, Cody DeMoss, Taos Muncy, Rod Hay, Isaac Diaz, Chad Ferley, Jeff Willert, Ryan Mapston, Billy Etbauer.

Tie-down roping: semifinals: 1. Blair Burk, 7.4 seconds, $3,750; 2. Barry Burk, 8.0, $2,813; 3. Mike Johnson, 8.3, $1,875; 4. Trevor Brazile, 8.4, $938; 5. Trent Creager, 8.8; 6. Joseph Parsons, 8.9; 7. Stran Smith, 10.9; 8. Jake Hannum, no time. Finals: 1. Barry Burk, 7.0 seconds, $7,500; 2. Blair Burk, 7.6, $5,000; 3. Trevor Brazile, 7.9; 4. Mike Johnson, 8.4.

Qualifiers for Dallas: Trevor Brazile, Jake Hannum, Blair Burk, Hunter Herrin, Matt Shiozawa, Barry Burk, Cody Ohl, Josh Peek, Trent Creager and Mike Johnson.

Barrel racing: semifinals: 1. Lindsay Sears, 13.34 seconds, $3,750; 2. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, 13.36, $2,813; 3. Molly Powell, 13.42, $1,875; 4. Vickie Solmonsen, 13.55, $938; 5, Brenda Mays, 13.76; 6. Jill Moody, 13.79; 7. Sherrylynn Johnson, 18.58; 8. Sherry Cervi, 19.00. Finals: 1. Lindsay Sears, 13.34 seconds, $7,500; 2. Molly Powell, 13.44, $5,000; 3. Vickie Solmonsen, 13.66; 4. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, 18.36.

Qualifiers for Dallas: Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, Vickie Solmonsen, Lindsay Sears, Jill Moody, Tana Poppino, Sherrylynn Johnson, Brandie Halls, Brenda Mays, Sherry Cervi and Molly Powell.

Bull riding: semifinals: No qualified rides. Finals: 1. No qualified rides. Ted Bert declared event winner on basis of winning average chamipionship.

Qualifiers for Dallas: J.W. Harris, Dave Samsel, Wes Silcox, Ted Bert, Colin McTaggart, Steve Woolsey, Richard Echols, Brad Pierce, Cooper Kanngiesser and Cody Buller.