LAS VEGAS -- It took just two rounds for the 50th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo to get its first multiple-round winners. For the second consecutive night, team ropers Garrett Tonozzi and Kinney Harrell roped quicker than any other team at the $5.625 million event at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, winning Round 2 with a 3.9-second run.
Tonozzi, of Fruita, Colo., and Harrell, of San Angelo, Texas, thrilled a packed house of 17,319 with their sub-4.0-second run, winning another pair of $16,767 checks after finishing five-tenths of a second ahead of Luke Brown and Jade Corkill and Jake Stanley and Walt Woodard. Tonozzi and Harrell have won a rodeo-best $33,534 in two rounds and are feeling more confident with every run.
"We're just having fun," Tonozzi said. "Every night, we're pretty much doing the same thing. Whether we're first out or last out, it doesn't matter what's winning, we're going to try to be as fast as we can. Being first out last night, I was a little bit late. Tonight, I got to watch 11 or 12 guys go before me, and I kind of got the rhythm down better and got a really good start."
Harrell agreed that having fun and trying to go fast is exactly what the duo has on their agenda.
"It's been a pretty up and down year, but we're just very excited to be here and get this kind of start," Harrell said. "We won't think about the average until the eighth or maybe 10th round. We'll just go as fast as we can each night and let the chips fall where they may."
Reigning World Champion Bareback Rider Bobby Mote no doubt grinned wide when he saw he had drawn Harry Vold Rodeo's Dusty Dan in the second round of the Wrangler NFR. He had good reason to be happy to learn he had drawn the horse that carried him to a share of first place in Round 8 of the 2007 Wrangler NFR, as the horse once again helped him to the top of the standings in Round 2.
Mote, of Culver, Ore., rode Dusty Dan for 89 points, winning the second round by 2.5 points over Jessy Davis and pick up a check for $16,767. Mote was thrilled that the horse had an extra-special day in the Thomas & Mack Center arena.
"I’ve never seen her have such a good trip," Mote said. "She didn’t move probably 40 feet in eight seconds. She stayed really close, jumped high in the air, had terrific timing and was good to ride, so I was really happy with it. That’s a horse that won’t cost you anything. That’s a horse that always has a good day. Year after year, they win all the big rodeos on that horse, and you’re always happy to see a horse like that next to your name."
At 6-3, 245 pounds, steer wrestler Gabe Ledoux is hard to miss. He made his presence felt in a big way in Round 2 by taking the round title with a rodeo-best 3.5-second run, three-tenths of a second faster than Stockton Graves. Ledoux, who leads the Wrangler NFR average with a total time of 7.9 seconds, was pleased to get by a tough pen of steers that left four bulldoggers with no-times.
"Those were the steers they used in Pendleton (Ore.), and a lot of guys had trouble with them tonight," said Ledoux, of Kaplan, La. "They were a little different. Some of them ran, and some of them stopped. I had a good steer and got a decent start. It felt good, and everything went my way."
Saddle bronc rider Dusty Hausauer gained the distinction of becoming the first Wrangler NFR rookie to win a round at this year's culminating rodeo, and he did it with the help of a prized Harry Vold Rodeo Company horse. Hausauer, of Dickinson, N.D., teamed with Vold's Elvis for 88.5 points and a check worth $16,767 after finishing two points ahead of Round 1 winner Bryce Miller. Miller leads the saddle bronc riders with $30,018 in Wrangler NFR earnings through two rounds.
Being at the Wrangler NFR is a dream come true for Hausauer, and winning a round is icing on the cake for the 26-year-old cowboy.
"It’s unbelievable," said Hausauer, who is one of 27 first-time Wrangler NFR qualifiers competing in Las Vegas this year. "Ever since I was little, I have watched NFR tapes. I always hoped some day that I would be here, but it’s a long road from starting out and first getting on horses to actually being here. It is overwhelming."
He praised Elvis' talent as an elite bucking horse.
"That horse is just a phenomenal horse," Hausauer said. "People have won a lot of money on that horse. That horse is really electric, and he gets to throwing his head back. He is a horse you have to give a lot of rein to. He is just a great horse."
Tyson Durfey has already accomplished a lot in his budding young PRCA career, and he added the title of Wrangler NFR round winner to his resume in Round 2. Durfey, who has a pair of Canadian Finals Rodeo championships under his belt, stopped the clock in 7.2 seconds to win his first career round at the Wrangler NFR and pocket a check worth $16,767. The 25-year-old from Colbert, Wash., finished one-tenth of a second ahead of former world record holder Jeff Chapman to win his first round in his second Wrangler NFR appearance.
"I knew the run pattern of that calf, and I knew kind of where he was going to go," said Durfey, who leads the two-head average with a total time of 14.9 seconds. "I just tried to be as close to the barrier as I could, and I just hustled to him, tied him down and tried not to make any mistakes."
Durfey, who finished second to Hunter Herrin in Round 1, has already won $30,018 at this year's Wrangler NFR to move to fourth place in the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings.
Another cowboy to pick up his first career Wrangler NFR round victory was Steve Woolsey, who rode Frontier Rodeo's Silencer for 87 points. That mark was just a half-point better than J.W. Harris' 86.5-point score on Western Rodeos' Dippin Dots and added $16,767 to his bank account.
"Ever since I’ve been coming here, the goal has been to win a round, so it feels awesome to finally get that done," said Woolsey, who is riding in his third career Wrangler NFR. "Basically, you try to stay out over the front end (of the bull) when they are coming up so that you are ready to sit back and meet the kick when they do drop out of there like that. Those flashy bulls that blow clear up in the air like that, they usually score quite a bit, so I figured if I could stay on and flash him up a little bit more it would work out."
Two-time and reigning PRCA Bull of the Year Voodoo Child of Beutler & Son Rodeo was in action in Round 2, as was Bull of the Year runner-up Troubadour of Flying U Rodeo. Voodoo Child made short work of Mike Moore, while Troubadour sent Round 1 winner Bobby Welsh to the turf before the eight-second whistle. Harris is the only bull rider who has covered two bulls so far and leads the average race with 175 points. His exploits have moved him to second in the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings behind Chance Smart, with Smart holding a $164,908-$136,953 advantage heading into Round 3.
Cassie Moseley was the 15th and final barrel racer to run the cloverleaf pattern in Round 2, and she posted the fastest time of the rodeo. Moseley, of Farwell, Texas, stopped the clock in 13.85 seconds to easily take the second-round buckle by .15 seconds ahead of first-round winner Jill Moody. Moseley, who finished second to Moody in Round 1, leads the two-run average with a 27.91-second total and has earned $30,018 so far in Las Vegas. Moody, of Letcher, S.D., has also won $30,018 thus far and has moved ahead of reigning World Champion Barrel Racer Brittany Pozzi-Pharr into second in the world standings behind Lindsay Sears.
"It is just incredible, and I am just so happy to be here," said Moseley, who is competing in her first career Wrangler NFR. "With my horse (Mitey Man), you can't safety up at all. You just go for it every time. I just plan to go with my hand out and kickin' every night."
The second round was tough on a number of cowboys, as reigning World Champion Bull Rider Wesley Silcox suffered a concussion and facial laceration at the hands of Cervi Championship Rodeo's Multichem Texas Cocktail. Silcox is listed as probable for Round 3. Another past World Champion Bull Rider, 2000 champion Cody Hancock suffered a dislocated left elbow (free arm) and is also listed as probable for the next round.
Bull rider Seth Glause strained his left elbow, but will compete in the next round, while bareback rider Davis dislocated his left shoulder after his second-place ride and is questionable for Round 3. Steer wrestler Wade Sumpter strained his right shoulder and chest after having a no-time, and he is listed as probable for Round 3.
COMPLETE ROUND 2 RESULTS
Bareback riding: 1. Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., 89.0 points on Harry Vold Rodeo's Dusty Dan, $16,767; 2. Jessy Davis, Payson, Utah, 86.5, $13,251; 3. (tie) Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., and Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash., 85.5, $8,519 each; 5. Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., 84.0, $4,327; 6. Tim Shirley, Conifer, Colo., 83.5, $2,704; 7. (tie) Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, and Kaycee Feild, Elk Ridge, Utah, 83.0; 9. Josi Young, Kimberly, Idaho, 82.5; 10. Cimmaron Gerke, Brighton, Colo., 82.0; 11. Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, 81.5; 12. Chris Harris, Itasca, Texas, 78.5; 13. Dusty LaValley, Crooked Creek, Alberta, 77.0; 14. Kelly Timberman, Mills, Wyo., 74.5; 15. Royce Ford, Briggsdale, Colo., NS.
Steer wrestling: 1. Gabe Ledoux, Kaplan, La., 3.5 seconds, $16,767; 2. Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., 3.8, $13,251; 3. Les Shepperson, Midwest, Wyo., 4.1, $10,006; 4. Beau Franzen, Sidney, Mont., 4.3, $7,031; 5. Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 4.6, $4,327; 6. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 4.7, $2,704; 7. Todd Suhn, North Platte, Neb., 5.0; 8. Jason Miller, Lance Creek, Wyo., 5.6; 9. Casey McMillen, Craig, Colo., 5.7; 10. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb., 6.7; 11.Ken Lewis, La Junta, Colo., 14.0; 12. (tie) Cash Myers, Athens, Texas; Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo.; Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., and K.C. Jones, Decatur, Texas, NT.
Team roping: 1. Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo./Kinney Harrell, San Angelo, Texas, 3.9 seconds, $16,767 each; 2. (tie) Jake Stanley, Hermiston, Ore./Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, and Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 4.4, $11,629 each; 4. Colter Todd, Marana, Ariz./Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 4.7, $7,031; 5. Speed Williams, Deleon, Texas/Allen Bach, Weatherford, Texas, 4.8, $4,327; 6. Turtle Powell, Alpine, Texas/Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 4.9, $2,704; 7. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas/Patrick Smith, Midland, Texas, 5.0; 8. Jake Barnes, Scottsdale, Ariz./Clay O'Brien Cooper, Morgan Mill, Texas, 5.3; 9. Riley Minor, Ellensburg, Wash./Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 5.7; 10. Matt Sherwood, Pima, /Randon Adams, Logandale, Nev., 9.1; 11. Chad Masters, Clarksville, Tenn./Michael Jones, Stephenville, Texas, 14.0; 12. Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz./Victor Aros, Tucson, Ariz., 15.0; 13. Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont./Cory Petska, Lexington, Okla., 17.1; 14. JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Texas/Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 19.2; 15. Matt Funk, Hermiston, Ore./Bucky Campbell, Benton City, Wash., NT
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Dusty Hausauer, Dickinson, N.D., 88.5 points on Harry Vold Rodeo's Elvis, $16,767; 2. Bryce Miller, Buffalo, S.D., 86.5, $13,251; 3. Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 82.5, $10,006; 4. Billy Etbauer, Edmond, Okla., 81.0, $7,031; 5. Cody Taton, Newell, S.D., 80.5, $4,327; 6. J.J. Elshere, Quinn, S.D., 79.5, $2,704; 7. (tie) Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D., and Bobby Griswold, Geary, Okla., 79.0; 9. (tie) Anthony Bello, Oakley, Utah, and Shaun Stroh, Dickinson, N.D., 77.0; 11. (tie) Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas, and Chet Johnson, Gillette, Wyo., 75.5; 13. (tie) Rod Hay, Wildwood, Alberta, Justin Arnold and Rusty Allen, Eagle Mountain, Utah, NS.
Tie-down roping: 1. Tyson Durfey, Colbert, Wash., 7.2 seconds, $16,767; 2. Jeff Chapman, Athens, Texas, 7.3, $13,251; 3. Scott Kormos, Teague, Texas, 7.6, $10,006; 4. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 7.8, $7,031; 5. (tie) Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, and Doug Pharr, Victoria, Texas, 8.7, $3,516 each; 7. Stran Smith, Childress, Texas, 8.9; 8. (tie) Clint Robinson, Spanish Fork, Utah, and Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 9.0; 10. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., 9.6; 11. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 9.9; 12. Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 10.4; 13.Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas, 10.5; 14. Jerrad Hofstetter, Portales, N.M., 14.4; 15. Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, 16.9.
Barrel racing: 1. Cassie Moseley, Farwell, Texas, 13.85 seconds, $16,767; 2. Jill Moody, Letcher, S.D., 14.00, $13,251; 3. Stephanie Fryar, Big Spring, Texas, 14.02, $10,006; 4. Terra Bynum, Colorado City, Texas, 14.08, $7,031; 5. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 14.14, $4,327; 6. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, Victoria, Texas, 14.21, $2,704; 7. (tie) Annesa Self, Valley View, Texas, and Maegan Reichert, Mt. Pleasant, Texas, 14.24; 9. Deb Renger, Okotoks, Alberta, 14.28; 10. Lindsay Sears, Nanton Alberta, 18.98; 11. Mary Burger, Pauls Valley, Okla., 19.33; 12. Traci Dawson, Erskine, Alberta, 19.36; 13. Tammy Key-Fischer, Ledbetter, Texas, 19.42; 14. Shelley Murphy, Helena, Mont., 19.43; 15. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 24.20.
Bull riding: 1. Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, 87.0 points on Frontier Rodeo's Silencer, $16,767; 2. J.W. Harris, May, Texas, 86.5, $13,251; 3. Colin McTaggart, Las Vegas, Nev., 84.0, $10,006; 4. Cody Hancock, Taylor, Ariz., 83.0, $7,031; 5. Zack Oakes, Elk, Wash., 80.5, $4,327; 6. (tie) B.J. Schumacher, Hillsboro, Wis.; Chance Smart, Philadelphia, Miss.; Seth Glause, Rock Springs, Wyo.; Douglas Duncan, Huntsville, Texas; Shawn Proctor, Tooele, Utah; Wesley Silcox, Payson, Utah; Spud Jones, Tohatchi, N.M.; Bobby Welsh, Gillette, Wyo.; Kanin Asay, Powell, Wyo., and Mike Moore, Kankakee, Ill., NS.
Attendance: 17,319
