DALLAS – Billy Etbauer got it done. He's going to his record 19th consecutive appearance at the Wrangler Nationals Rodeo. He's got a shot at winning his record-tying sixth saddle bronc world championship.
He just made it a little more tense than he or his fans might have liked.
The lengendary saddle bronc rider barely made it to the 8-second whistle at Saturday night's second round of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship and then had to watch five more riders before he knew that his 82-point ride would allow him to make history.
Etbauer, 44, finished fourth in the second round at the American Airlines Center and second to Cody Wright in the two-head average with a 162 points. His $4,898 in earnings moved him ahead of Dusty Hausauer into 16th place in the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings. That's enough to qualify him for Las Vegas because Jake Hayworth, in 15th place, is out for the season with a knee injury.
"The ride (on Multi-Chem's Back Street) was close enough that I didn't know if I had made it or not," Etbauer said. "I was praying that I made it, but I wasn't sure until the announcer confirmed it. It's been tense … it's been a long wait since the last rodeo in Omaha. It seemed like forever."
A broken leg Etbauer suffered at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in Colorado Springs in mid-July took him off the tour for six weeks and forced him to compete in between therapy sessions to make a longshot stretch run.
"The leg and foot still aren't back to running right," Etbauer said, "so I'm just tickled to have made it through. I'm not thinking about a sixth title. I'll just try to ride well, stay healthy and see where that gets me."
The eight high scorers in the average in each event qualified for Sunday's 2 p.m. (CT) semifinal program, with all previous scores or times erased. The finals will follow immediately with the four top finishers from the semifinals. The Sunday program will air on CBS Dec. 2, either before or after an NFL game, depending on the market where the show is being aired.
Tie-down roper Clint Cooper, who only got into the Dallas field on Tuesday after Barry Burk was injured, took full advantage of his opportunity, muscling his way into the Las Vegas field with two days of hard work. He had a 7.9 second run to finish second to Cody Ohl's 7.2 and had the fastest average time of 17.20 seconds on two head.
His $12,246 jumped him to 13th place, ahead of Scott Kormos and Jerome Schneeberger, who did not qualify for Dallas. Joseph Parsons, in 16th, needs to earn a little more than $1,600 Sunday to bump Schneeberger and regain a spot in the Wrangler NFR field.
An 88-point ride on Cervi Championships' War Glory got Jason Havens of Prineville, Ore., the second round win in bareback riding. Combined with his tie for second place on Friday night, it was also enough to get him the average title with 173 points on two head. His $12,246 in the first two days at the American Airlines Center moved him up from 12th to eighth in the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings.
"It's a nice boost going into (the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo)," Havens said. "If you can come into an event like this and have a couple of good days it can give you an advantage … but I know we've got a challenge ahead of us in Las Vegas."
That challenge would be fellow Oregonian Bobby Mote, who tied for second Saturday night with an 86-point ride and broke the regular-season earnings record for bareback riding. With $3,061 in Dallas, Mote's total is $152,184 which surpasses Will Lowe's year-old record of $151,924.
Brittany Pozzi-Pharr increased her own regular-season earnings record for barrel racing to $151,662 by winning the second round in 11.73 seconds and finishing second in the average to Terra Bynum of Colorado City, Texas. Bynum's $13,471 in earnings thus far have moved her from 12th to 8th in the world standings.
Texan Dave Samsel had the highest-scored bull ride of the weekend with 88 points on Smith Harper Morgan's Bullet Proof. Samsel also finished first in the average with 170 points on two head to increase his two-day earnings to $12,858. Only Samsel, Richard Echols and J.W. Harris -- who competed with a concussion -- completed 8-second rides in both rounds.
Eight-time world champion team roping header Speed Williams teamed with Canadian Dean Tuftin to achieve the fastest time of the second round in 4.1 seconds, while Chad Masters and Allen Bach won the average with a time of 9.6 seconds on two head.
Stockton Graves continued his late season rush, backing up his steer wrestling win at the River City Roundup in Omaha with a win in Saturday's second round in 3.6 seconds. He edged Shawn Greenfield and Luke Branquinho by two-tenths of a second. Greenfield won the average in 7.70 seconds on two head.
Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship
American Airline Center, Dallas
* Top eight in the average advance to Sunday’s semifinal round.
Bareback riding: Second round: 1. Jason Havens, Prineville, Ore., 88 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s War Glory, $4,898; 2. (tie) Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., and Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 86, $3,062 each; 4. Jason Jeter, Mansfield, Texas, 85, $1,225; 5. Tom McFarland, Wickenburg, Ariz., 83; 6. (tie) Chris Harris, Itasca, Texas, Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., and Royce Ford, Briggsdale, Colo., 82; 9. Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash., 81; 10. Kelly Timberman, Mills, Wyo., 78. Average: 1. Jason Havens, 173 points on two head, $4,898; 2. Will Lowe, 171, $3,674; 3. Ryan Gray, 169, $2,449; 4. Tom McFarland, 168, $1,225; 5. Bobby Mote, 167; 6. Jason Jeter, 166; 7. Chris Harris, 164; 8. Justin McDaniel, 163; 9. (tie) Kelly Timberman and Royce Ford, 161.
Team roping: Second round: 1. Speed Williams, Deleon, Texas/Dean Tuftin, Prineville, Ore., 4.1 seconds, $4,898 each; 2. Keven Daniel, Franklin, Tenn./Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 4.2, $3,674; 3. Chad Masters, Clarksville, Tenn./Allen Bach, Weatherford, Texas, 4.8, $2,449; 4. Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont./Walt Woodard, Stockton, Calif., 5.0, $1,225; 5. Jimmy Edens, Gatesville, Texas/Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas, 5.2; 6. David Key, Caldwell, Texas/Kory Koontz, Sudan, Texas, 5.3; 7. Jake Barnes, Scottsdale, Ariz./Clay O'Brien Cooper, Morgan Mill, Texas, 7.4; 8. Colter Todd, Marana, Ariz./Cesar de la Cruz Tucson, Ariz., 19.5; 9. Tommy Edens, Gatesville, Texas/Coby Jones, Gatesville, Texas, 23.2; 10. Coleman Proctor, Miami, Okla./Jake Long, Coffeeville, Kan., 30.4. Average: 1. Chad Masters/Allen Bach, 9.6 seconds on two head, $4,898 each; 2. Clay Tryan/Walt Woodard, 10.6, $3,674; 3. Jake Barnes/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 11.9, $2,449; 4. Keven Daniel/Jhett Johnson, 13.3, $1,225; 5. David Key/ Kory Koontz, 15.4; 6. Jimmy Edens/Ryan Motes, 18.3; 7. Speed Williams/Dean Tuftin, 23.8; 8. Colter Todd/Cesar de la Cruz, 26.3; 9. Tommy Edens/Coby Jones, 29.1; 10. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 39.9.
Steer wrestling: Second round: 1. Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., 3.6 seconds, $4,898; 2. (tie) Shawn Greenfield, Lakeview, Ore., and Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 3.8, $3,062 each; 4. (tie) Matt Reeves, Pampa, Texas and Casey McMillen, Craig, Colo., 4.2, $612 each; 6. (tie) Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif., and Todd Suhn, North Platte, Neb., 4.4; 8. Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 4.5; 9. (tie) Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., and Joey Bell Jr., Malakoff, Texas, NT. Average: 1. Shawn Greenfield, 7.7 seconds on two head, $4,898; 2. Matt Reeves, 8.0, $3,674; 3. Casey McMillen, 8.1, $2,449; 4. Todd Suhn, 8.7, $1,225; 5. Wade Sumpter, 8.9; 6. Billy Bugenig, 9.2; 7. Stockton Graves, 11.3; 8. Luke Branquinho, 17.2; 9. Josh Peek, 4.1 seconds on one head; 10. Joey Bell Jr., 5.6.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Isaac Diaz, Stephenville, Texas, 85 points on Powder River's Double Take, $4,898; 2. Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D., 84, $3,674; 3. Anthony Bello, Oakley, Utah, 83, $2,449; 4. Billy Etbauer, Edmond, Okla., 82, $1,225; 5. (tie) Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., and Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 77; 7. Ryan Mapston, Belt, Mont., 73; 8. (tie) Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas, Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M. and Jeff Willert, Belvidere, S.D. Average: 1. Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 166 points on two head, $4,898; 2. Billy Etbauer, Edmond, Okla., 162, $3,674; 3.(tie) Anthony Bello, Oakley, Utah, and Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D., 161, $1,837 each; 5. Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 160, 6. Ryan Mapston, Belt, Mont., 153; 7. (tie) Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas and Isaac Diaz, Stephenville, Texas, 85; 9. Jeff Willert, Belvidere, S.D., 84; 10. Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., 78.
Tie-down roping: Second round: 1. Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, 7.2 seconds, $4,898; 2. Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 7.9, $3,674; 3. Trent Creager, Stillwater, Okla., 8.2, $2,449; 4. Joseph Parsons, Marana, Ariz., 8.3, $1,225; 5. Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 9.9; 6. Blair Burk, Durant, Okla., 10.5; 7. Jake Hannum, Ogden, Utah, 10.6; 8. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 12.3; 9. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 18.2; 10. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., 19.6. Average: 1. Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 17.2 seconds on two head, $4,898; 2. Jake Hannum, Ogden, Utah, 18.0, $3,674; 3. Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, 18.6, $2,449; 4. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 22.2, $1,225; 5. Joseph Parsons, Marana, Ariz., 26.0; 6. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 28.4; 7. Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 28.9; 8. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., 33.5; 9. Trent Creager, Stillwater, Okla., 8.2 seconds on one head; 10. Blair Burk, Durant, Okla., 10.5.
Barrel racing: Second round: 1. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, Victoria, Texas, 11.73 seconds, $4,898; 2. Terra Bynum, Colorado City, Texas, 11.84, $3,674; 3. Jill Moody, Letcher, S.D., 11.89, $2,449; 4. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 11.90, $1,225; 5. Brandie Halls, Carpenter, Wyo., 11.98; 6. Tana Poppino, Big Cabin, Okla., 11.99; 7. Vickie Solmonsen, Riverton, Utah, 12.04; 8. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 12.07; 9. Sherrylynn Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 12.12; 10. Molly Powell, Stephenville, Texas, 16.93. Average: 1. Terra Bynum, Colorado City, Texas, 23.58 seconds on two runs, $4,898; 2. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, Victoria, Texas, 23.63, $3,674; 3. Jill Moody, Letcher, S.D., 23.70, $2,449; 4. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 24.02, $1,225; 5. Brandie Halls, Carpenter, Wyo., 24.03; 6. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 24.06; 7. (tie) Vickie Solmonsen, Riverton, Utah, and Tana Poppino, Big Cabin, Okla., 24.09; 9. Molly Powell, Stephenville, Texas, 28.77; 10. Sherrylynn Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 29.31.
Bull riding: Second round: 1. Dave Samsel, Haslet, Texas, 88 points on Smith Harper Morgan's Bullet Proof, $4,898; 2. Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, 86, $3,674; 3. (tie) Cody Buller, Glendive, Mont., and Richard Echols, Frierson, La., 85, $1,837 each; 5. J.W. Harris, May, Texas, 76; 6. Logan Knibbe, Rockdale, Texas, 74; 7. (tie) Ted Bert, Modesto, Calif., Colin McTaggart, Las Vegas, Nev., Brad Pierce, Snyder, Texas, and Cooper Kanngiesser, Zenda, Kan., 0. Average: 1. Dave Samsel, Haslet, Texas, 170 points on two head, $4,898; 2. Richard Echols, Frierson, La., 165, $3,674; 3. J.W. Harris, May, Texas, 158, $2,449; 4. Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, 86 points on one head, $1,225; 5. Cody Buller, Glendive, Mont., 85; 6. Colin McTaggart, Las Vegas, Nev., 84; 7. Logan Knibbe, Rockdale, Texas, 74; 8. (tie) Ted Bert, Modesto, Calif., Brad Pierce, Snyder, Texas, and Cooper Kanngiesser, Zenda, Kan., 0.
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