DALLAS - Speed Williams and Michael Jones, whose prior experience together consisted of "roping a little bit" at Williams' ranch, have been merely perfect at the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship, presented by the Texas Stampede
Williams and Jones won the second round of the team roping Saturday night at the American Airlines Center with a time of 3.8 seconds to complete a sweep of the first two rounds and the average here with a two-head time of 7.9 seconds.
The $15,469 they've earned entering Sunday's semifinal program has moved Jones ahead of Randon Adams into first place in the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Team Roping Standings and within $144 of the regular-season earnings record for heelers set by Rich Skelton in 2000.
Williams has moved up to within $10,000 of Matt Sherwood in the header standings and could break his own regular-season earnings record on Sunday were he and Jones to win the title. Williams won here last year with Dean Tuftin and in 2006 with Clay O'Brien Cooper.
"I'm super happy to have the lead," Jones said, "but there are 12 more steers to this season (two more here and 10 at the Dec. 4-13 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo) and none of it really matters until Vegas is over."
As an eight-time world champion, Williams is just as ambivalent about the advantages of arriving at the Wrangler NFR in the lead, saying "there is more pressure going to the Finals in first. A hungry dog fights harder than a fat dog."
Shawn Proctor shared the second round win in the bull riding with J.W. Harris and was second to Steve Woolsey in the two-head average to earn a spot in the 2008 Wrangler NFR. A surprise? Absolutely.
Proctor started the weekend 22nd in the world standings with two other competitors here, Howdy Cloud and Stormy Wing, standing between him and the final spot in the WNFR field. Proctor's $12,246 in the first two days jumped him eight spots, to 14th, and knocked Marcus Micahelis out of the NFR field. It is still not quite a done deal. Cloud and Wing made it into Sunday's semfinal round by virtue of their standing in the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour standings heading into this event, so they have a chance to bump Proctor and No. 15 Spud Jones tomorrow.
"I kind of did the math when I was back home," Proctor said, "but since I showed up here, I have been trying to forget about it and just go one bull at a time. I have been close before and I put twice as much pressure on myself, saying, 'I have to stay on this bull.' I have learned from my mistakes.
"I know I have got to be pretty close to the Finals, so that boosts my confidence, but staying on two bulls at this big of a rodeo does, too. I feel really good going into the semifinals. I feel like I'm riding pretty well right now."
World Champion Steer Wrestler Jason Miller served notice that he is ready to fight to defend his title in Las Vegas with a 3.5-second time that won the second round and boosted him to the two-head average championship, in 7.8 seconds.
"We knew the steers tonight were going to be faster, and mine was good," Miller said. "I didn't make a real good run on him, but I got a good start. The steer let off a little bit, but that let me catch up to him. I rode Les Shepperson's horse (Dillon), and Rod Lyman hazed for me, and when you are riding a good horse and have a good hazer, you are going to win some money."
Bareback rider Justin McDaniel, who won the title here a year ago, had an 88-point ride on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo's Size Matters to claim the second round win and join past world champions Kelly Timberman, Bobby Mote and Will Lowe in the semifinals. For McDaniel, the timing of the win was most welcome.
He won the Fort Madison (Iowa) rodeo in September, but hasn't really been cashing a lot of paychecks lately.
"I have been dry since July, to tell you the truth," McDaniel said. "It just hasn't been rolling for me. Everybody goes through that, I guess."
Young Montana saddle bronc rider Jesse Kruse knows how quickly things can change in a cowboy's favor. He won more than $10,000 at the last Ariat Playoffs event in Omaha, and has $15,469 through two nights here in Dallas by winning both rounds and the average.
Kruse had an 87-point ride Saturday night on Rafter G Rodeo's Rawhide to win the second round and 176 points on two head, to beat standings leader Cody Wright by six points.
"It feels pretty good, especially since it is Dallas and the Tour Final," said Kruse, 22.
Veteran Jeff Chapman won the second round of the tie-down roping with a time of 7.2 seconds, while Hunter Herrin claimed the two-head average with a time of 16.4 seconds. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr completed her sweep in the barrel racing, backing up her 12.22-second run on Friday with another of 12.25 Saturday. Her combined time of 24.47 was a half-second better than world standings leader, Lindsay Sears.
Coverage of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship will be aired on Fox Sports Net and CBS. FSN will show all four rounds, while CBS will highlight the semifinals and show the final round in its entirety. The CBS telecast is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, Sunday, Nov. 23, following the NFL on CBS. Check local listings for FSN broadcast times and dates, as the network broadcasts vary depending on the region. The 2007 show had the largest viewership ever for a Wrangler ProRodeo Tour broadcast with two million viewers.
Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Nov. 8
(Top eight advance to semifinal round)
Bareback riding: Second round: 1. Justin McDaniel, 88 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo's Size Matters, $5,156; 2. Kelly Timberman, 87, $3,867; 3. (tie) Bobby Mote, Steven Dent and Josi Young, 85, $1,289 each; 6. Tim Shirley, 84; 7. Will Lowe, 82; 8. Kaycee Feild, 79; 9. Royce Ford, 78; 10. Chris Harris, NS. Average: 1. Kelly Timberman, 174 points on two head, $5,156; 2. Will Lowe, 172, $3,867; 3. Bobby Mote, 171, $2,578; 4. (tie) Steven Dent and Justin McDaniel, 169, $645 each; 6. Tim Shirley,168; 7. Kaycee Feild, 165; 8. Josi Young, 160; 9. Chris Harris, 83 on one head; 10. Royce Ford, 78.
Steer wrestling: Second round: 1. Jason Miller, 3.5 seconds, $5,156; 2. Gabe Ledoux, 3.9, $3,867; 3. Ken Lewis, 4.1, $2,578; 4. Les Shepperson, 4.2, $1,289; 5. Wade Sumpter, 4.3; 6. Luke Branquinho, 4.6; 7. Cash Myers, 4.7; 8. Trevor Knowles, 9.2; 9. Dean Gorsuch, 13.7; 10. Stockton Graves, NT. Average: 1. Jason Miller, 7.8 seconds on two head, $5,156; 2. Gabe Ledoux, 8.1, $3,867; 3. Luke Branquinho, 8.4, $2,578; 4. Les Shepperson, 8.5, $1,289; 5. Cash Myers, 8.7; 6. Ken Lewis, 10.8; 7. Dean Gorsuch, 18.3; 8. Wade Sumpter, 21.8; 9. Trevor Knowles, 23.4; 10. Stockton Graves, 4.5 on one.
Team roping: Second round: 1. Speed Williams/Michael Jones, 3.8 seconds, $5,156 each; 2. Travis Tryan/Walt Woodard, 4.3, $3,867; 3. Jake Barnes/Clay O'Brien Cooper, 4.7, $2,578; 4. JoJo LeMond/Martin Lucero, 4.8, $1,289; 5. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 5.4; 6. Colter Todd/Cesar de la Cruz, 16.8; 7. Turtle Powell/Cory Petska,19.6; 8. Jake Stanley/Marty Becker, 21.2; 9. (tie) Logan Olson/Broc Cresta and Matt Sherwood/Randon Adams, NT. Average: 1. Speed Williams/Michael Jones, 7.9 seconds on two head, $5,156 each; 2. JoJo LeMond/Martin Lucero, 9.0, $3,867; 3. Jake Barnes/Clay Cooper, 9.3, $2,578; 4. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 12.4, $1,289; 5. Travis Tryan/Walt Woodard, 14.1; 6. Turtle Powell/Cory Petska, 24.2; 7. Colter Todd/Cesar de la Cruz, 27.4; 8. Jake Stanley/Marty Becker, 31.3; 9. Matt Sherwood/Randon Adams, 5.1 on one; 10. Logan Olson/Broc Cresta, NT.
Saddle bronc riding: Second round: 1. Jesse Kruse, 87 points on Rafter G Rodeo's Rawhide, $5,156; 2. Cody Wright, 85, $3,867; 3. J.J. Elshere, 84, $2,578; 4. Justin Arnold, 80, $1,289; 5. Bobby Griswold, 77; 6. Chad Ferley, 76; 7. Jess Martin, 70; 8. (tie) Jesse Bail, Billy Etbauer and Anthony Bello, NS. Average: 1. Jesse Kruse, 176 points on two head, $5,156; 2.Cody Wright, 170, $3,867; 3. (tie) J.J. Elshere and Chad Ferley, 164, $1,934 each; 5. Justin Arnold, 158; 6. Bobby Griswold, 156; 7. Jess Martin, 153; 8. Billy Etbauer, 87 on one head; 9. Jesse Bail, 83; 10. Anthony Bello, 78.
Tie-down roping: Second round: 1. Jeff Chapman, 7.2 seconds, $5,156; 2. Hunter Herrin, 7.9, $3,867; 3. Trevor Brazile, 8.2, $2,578; 4. Tuf Cooper, 8.4, $1,289; 5. Seth Childers, 9.7; 6. Josh Peek, 10.8; 7. Doug Pharr, 12.4; 8. Stran Smith, 16.2; 9. Mike Johnson, 18.5; 10. Jerrad Hofstetter, NT. Average: 1. Hunter Herrin, 16.5 seconds on two head, $5,156; 2. Josh Peek, 18.2, $3,867; 3. Doug Pharr, 20.1, $2,578; 4. Seth Childers, 20.5, $1,289; 5. Stran Smith, 23.7; 6. Trevor Brazile, 26.3; 7. Jeff Chapman, 26.9; 8. Tuf Cooper, 27.4; 9. Mike Johnson, 35.1; 10. Jerrad Hofstetter, NT.
Barrel racing: Second round: 1. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, 12.25 seconds, $5,156; 2. Jill Moody, 12.40, $3,867; 3. Lindsay Sears,12.41, $2,578; 4. Annesa Self, 12.46, $1,289; 5. Mary Burger, 12.59; 6. Terra Bynum, 12.70; 7. Christina Richman, 12.75; 8. Brenda Mays, 12.78; 9. Shelley Murphy, 17.38; 10. Tiffany Fox, 17.46. Average: 1. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, 24.47 on two runs, $5,156; 2. Lindsay Sears, 24.97, $3,867; 3. Jill Moody, 25.00, $2,578; 4. Mary Burger, 25.03, $1,289; 5. Terra Bynum 25.37; 6. Christina Richman, 25.64; 7. Brenda Mays, 25.66; 8. Annesa Self, 29.91; 9. Tiffany Fox, 30.43; 10. Shelley Murphy, 35.13.
Bull riding: Second round: 1. (tie) Shawn Proctor on Rafter G Rodeo's Thor and J.W. Harris on Rafter G Rodeo's Sun Tzu, 87 points, $4,512 each; 3. Steve Woolsey, 85, $2,578; 4. B.J. Schumacher, 82, $1,289; 5. Kanin Asay, 79; 6. (tie) Stormy Wing, Howdy Cloud, Chance Smart and Jake Wade, NS. Wesley Silcox injured. Average: 1. Steve Woolsey, 177 points on two head, $5,156; 2. Shawn Proctor, 172, $3,867; 3. B.J. Schumacher, 164, $2,578; 4. J.W. Harris, 87 on one head, $1,289; 5. Kanin Asay, 79; 6. (tie) Stormy Wing, Howdy Cloud, Chance Smart, Jake Wade and Wesley Silcox, NS.
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