Brazile takes lead in PRCA steer roping world standings with win in Claremore, Okla.
With a win at the Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, Okla., May 21-23, Trevor Brazile took over the steer roping lead in the PRCA World Standings, moving ahead of both Landon McClaugherty and Vin Fisher Jr.
Brazile earned a total of $2,073 at Claremore for finishing second in the first round and winning the two-head average with a time of 25.3 seconds. That pushed his earnings for the year to $15,833 as he pursues his third world championship in the event and a record-tying seventh all-around world championship.
Should Brazile win both the all-around and steer roping gold buckles this year, he will increase his world championship total to 11, moving him past Everett Bowman and into a tie for third place with tie-down roper Dean Oliver on the all-time list, trailing only steer roper Guy Allen (18) and roughstock cowboy Jim Shoulders (16).
Brazile is eighth in both the team roping (heading) and tie-down roping PRCA World Standings. He is second in the all-around to Curtis Cassidy by just $5,440, despite Cassidy banking $50,000 for winning the steer wrestling at RodeoHouston in March.
Old Fort Days Rodeo off to rousing start on Memorial Day
The Old Fort Days Rodeo at Harper Stadium in Fort Smith, Ark., got off to its traditional Memorial Day start with the roughstock events in the spotlight. Tyrell Smith, the son of two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Johnny S. Smith, had the top saddle bronc riding score of 85 points on May 25, and 2008 regular season earnings leader Steven Dent had an 84-point ride to lead the bareback riding standings.
Action gets under way at 7:30 p.m. CT each day, with the six-performance rodeo ending on May 30.
The Old Fort Days Rodeo offers $5,000 in added money per event and, with nearly $100,000 in total purse, it is second only to the Rodeo of the Ozarks in terms of prize money awarded in Arkansas.
The Old Fort Days features the best in contract personnel, with 11-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year Harry Vold of Avondale, Colo., supplying his livestock for the 31st consecutive year, 2008 Dress Act of the Year John Payne (aka The One Arm Bandit) keeping the action going when the cowboys aren't competing, and two-time and reigning PRCA Announcer of the Year Boyd Polhamus of Brenham, Texas, providing the commentary.
On May 28, the Super Kids Rodeo is being held, and events such as barrel racing, tie-down roping and bull riding are scaled down to make it possible for special-needs children to compete. Rodeo contestants and volunteers assist the children so they can participate in the events.
Mauney continues move up the PRCA standings
J.B. Mauney, the Professional Bull Riders Rookie of the Year in 2006 and last year's PBR reserve world champion, is making a concerted effort to qualify for both the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the PBR World Finals this year.
Mauney, 22, won the May 23-24 Jackson County Pro Rodeo in Jackson, Tenn., and shared the title at the May 21-23 Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, Okla., to bring his total of PRCA titles this year to five (in seven rodeos) and move him from 36th place in the PRCA World Standings to 31st.
The Mooresville, N.C., cowboy had an 84-point ride on Frontier Rodeo's Teabury Shuffle to win in Jackson and then had an 85-pointer on Rafter H Rodeo's Coffee Grinder to tie Sam Wyatt for the title at Claremore and bring his earnings for the weekend to $2,493.
Mauney had earlier wins at PRCA rodeos at Montgomery, Ala., Lufkin, Texas, and Corpus Christi, Texas. He is leading the PRCA rookie standings for bull riding.
Sutton epitomizes true cowboy spirit
The inspiring story of saddle bronc rider Billie Sutton's fight to come back from a career-ending spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down is featured in the May 29 edition of the ProRodeo Sports News (PSN) and, in a shorter form, on the PRCA Web site, www.prorodeo.com.
The Burke, S.D., cowboy went back to school at the University of Wyoming after the incident to complete work on his degree and has undertaken an arduous program of rehabilitation that has allowed him to go from having no feeling and no movement in his legs to riding a stationary bike with added resistance.
Sutton's rodeo career came to an abrupt end in the chutes at the 2007 Dodge Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo, presented by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, in Minot, N.D., when his saddle bronc horse reared up and fell backwards, pinning the 23-year-old rider between his mount and the chute.
The impact crushed Sutton's T-12 vertebra, bruised his spinal cord and left him paralyzed. In an effort to stabilize Sutton's back, doctors at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis fused six of Sutton's vertebrae and inserted two rods and 10 screws into his spinal column.
"You have an injury like this, where the doctors tell you that you're just supposed to accept it, move on, live your life normally," Sutton told PSN reporter Marvin Olberding. "I've never been the type of guy to really give up on anything. So I wanted to move forward with trying to walk again."
To read the entire Billie Sutton story, pick up the May 29 edition of the ProRodeo Sports News, THE Voice of ProRodeo! To subscribe to the PSN, call 800.763.3648.
Cooper clan has big weekend at Windy Ryon Memorial Roping
Despite never having roped together, Shane Philip and Jim Ross Cooper were the most consistent pair at the May 24-24 Windy Ryon Memorial Roping in Fort Worth, Texas, winning the team roping title with a four-head total of 27.66 seconds. They earned $8,568 each and the second-place team of David Key and Travis Graves (28.24) each banked $6,854.
The tie-down roping title went to Tuf Cooper (Jim Ross Cooper's second cousin), who beat Trevor Brazile in the finals and earned $5,000.
Upcoming PRCA Rodeos
May 25 Old Fort Days Rodeo, Fort Smith, Ark., begins
May 28 Wild Rogue Pro Rodeo, Central Point, Ore. begins
May 28 Cherokee (Iowa) Chamber PRCA Rodeo, begins
May 28 Licking (Mo.) Chamber of Commerce, begins
May 28 Wild Wild West Pro Rodeo, Silver City, N.M., begins
May 28 Grand Prairie (Alberta) Stompede, begins
May 29 Fort Herriman Memorial PRCA Rodeo, Herriman, Utah, begins
May 29 Ramona (Calif.) Rodeo, begins
May 30 Cowtown Rodeo, Woodstown Pilesgrove, N.J.
May 30 Hand Hills (Alberta) Stampede, begins
May 30 Marysville (Calif.) Stampede., begins
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