LAS VEGAS - Five-time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Billy Etbauer came into the 50th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo a man on a mission. He is attempting to tie Casey Tibbs and Dan Mortensen for the most saddle bronc riding world titles in PRCA history with a sixth gold buckle, and he's well on his way.
The 45-year-old Etbauer, of Edmond, Okla., spurred Franklin Rodeo's Blue Too for 89.5 points in front of a Thomas & Mack Center crowd of 17,353 to win Round 3 by 3.5 points over 2006 World Champion Chad Ferley and push his Wrangler NFR earnings to $37,049. Etbauer, the oldest of the 119 contestants at this year's $5.625 million event, now holds a lead of more than $21,000 over Cody Wright heading into the fourth round.
Etbauer had never ridden Blue Too, but was happy with the ride the horse gave him.
"What a good horse," Etbauer said. "He jumped and kicked and got some rein from me out there in the middle (of the arena), and I had a little trouble, but the horse is absolutely awesome. It felt like he was jumping five feet off the ground and kicking over his head, and that is what you want, and thank God my seat was still in there."
Etbauer, whose brother, Dan, is working this Wrangler NFR as a pickup man, isn't getting ahead of himself by thinking about winning another a world title just yet.
"If a guy could plan on winning it (world title), I would win 20 of them," Etbauer said. "You just have to try to ride well and hopefully things will come around, and I’ll just see what happens. I just feel honored to be here and ride with these kids. It’s just a blessing for me to be here.â€
Ferley was stepped on by Kesler Championship Rodeo's Three Stages after dismounting, suffering a fractured left wrist, and will miss at least the next two rounds. First-round winner Bryce Miller continues to lead the average with 258.5 points and has earned an event-best $37,139 so far in Las Vegas. Round 3 featured an "eliminator pen" of bucking broncs, as only six of the 15 saddle bronc riders were able to post qualified scores.
In the steer wrestling, 2006 World Champion Dean Gorsuch broke through for a round victory after turfing his steer in 3.5 seconds, which was two-tenths of a second faster than the time of Ken Lewis. Gorsuch, of Gering, Neb., earned his first check of the 10-day rodeo with the victory and was excited to break into the winner's circle.
"The two mess-ups I made in the first and second rounds are hopefully the only mess-ups I'm going to have this week," Gorsuch said. "These first three runs, we got three different sets of cattle, so we didn't really know what they were going to do the first three nights. My steer was good. I hoped that he would be, but you don't really know until you crawl on top of them. It felt good."
First-round winner Luke Branquinho, the 2004 World Champion, continues to lead the average race with a three-head total time of 12.1 seconds. Wade Sumpter, who led the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings for most of the season and heading into the Wrangler NFR, attempted to make a run with a torn right pectoral muscle, but was unable to post a time in Round 3. Sumpter is listed as questionable for Round 4 and has likely seen his chances of his first gold buckle go by the wayside as a result of the injury.
Six-time World Champion Cody Ohl struggled to a 16.9-second time in the second round of the Wrangler NFR, but he was able to improve that time by a full 10 seconds in Round 3. Ohl, of Hico, Texas, won the tie-down roping with a rodeo-best 6.9-second run, two-tenths of a second ahead of longtime rival and eight-time World Champion Fred Whitfield. Ohl earned his second check in three days at the Wrangler NFR and felt relieved to erase the memory of his second-round run.
"I didn't know a whole lot about the calf," said Ohl, who was riding a horse named Luke he bought only a month ago. "I knew he didn't run as hard as the rest of them. He was just kind of iffy at the end of the rope, but he didn't try anything with me tonight, and it all worked out."
Hunter Herrin won another $7,031 by finishing fourth in Round 3 to come within $12,349 of the lead of Josh Peek, who has not earned a check thus far in Las Vegas. Tyson Durfey continues to lead the average standings, holding a three-head total time of 23.5 seconds.
There are certain athletes who raise their games on the biggest stages, and bareback rider Royce Ford is one of them. Ford, of Briggsdale, Colo., teamed with Frontier Rodeo's Full Baggage for a winning 88.5-point ride to claim his sixth round victory in six years at the Wrangler NFR. Ford's score was two points better than Justin McDaniel's 86.5-point mark on Carr Pro Rodeo's Big Lights and put another $16,767 in his pocket. McDaniel, of Porum, Okla., not only earned $13,251, but also took over the three-head lead with 256.5 points thanks to his runner-up finish in Round 3.
The always colorful Ford summed up the reason for his success at the Wrangler NFR.
"If you can’t get pumped up at this rodeo, you’d better go home," Ford said. "The crowd and everything about it, there’s nothing like this place."
He was optimistic about his draw, even though he'd never been matched up with the horse, and was happy to emerge victorious on a night that featured a set of horses that tested the top 15 bareback riders.
"I’d never had that horse before," Ford said. "I had seen her at Dodge City, Kan., saw her in Pueblo (Colo.), Steven Dent won Dodge City on her, and she plumb tortured Cody DeMers. I didn’t know what to expect, but I stayed on her. With this pen of horses, you walk down the alley right before it starts, and they’re all long-maned, snorting broncy son-of-a-guns. You’re pretty fortunate to stay on one of those horses, and it was a great pen of horses tonight."
The team of Garrett Tonozzi and Kinney Harrell looked close to unbeatable after sweeping the first two rounds in Las Vegas, but Matt Funk and Bucky Campbell ended their streak in Round 3. Funk, of Hermiston, Ore., and Campbell, of Benton City, Wash., posted a 4.0-second time to edge Matt Sherwood and Randon Adams by one-tenth of a second to claim a pair of $16,767 checks. The second-place finish put Sherwood and Adams into the top spot in the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings heading into Round 4, unseating Travis Tryan and Michael Jones, respectively.
The duo was more than happy to break the streak of Tonozzi and Harrell.
"It all came together tonight," Funk said. "I got a good start and got my slack and got my dally for the first time this week, we finished fast and that was it. After I lost my rope last night, it's nice to come back and win, but I'm not satisfied. I know Bucky's not satisfied, so we'll keep going at them the rest of the rodeo."
Campbell, who missed part of the season with a broken leg, plans to recoup the money he paid for the horse he's riding at this year's Wrangler NFR with the money he and Funk make in Las Vegas.
"He's the best horse I've ever owned," Campbell said of his mount. "I paid a lot of money for him, but I'm going to pay him off with what I win right here this week."
Barrel racing world standings leader Lindsay Sears had been relatively quiet in the first two rounds, but that changed in Round 3. Sears, riding her 2008 AQHA Barrel Racing Horse of the Year Martha, won the round in 13.91 seconds to tighten her grip on the No. 1 spot and cross the $200,000 mark in season earnings. The Nanton, Alberta, Canada, barrel racer finished three-tenths of a second ahead of reigning World Champion Brittany Pozzi-Pharr -- who ranks second in the standings -- and Maegan Reichert to earn $16,767.
"Martha came alive tonight," said Sears, who now has $201,334 in earnings this season. "She's had a month off and just needed time to warm up. I just go to win with each run. That's the goal every time we run, and tonight it worked out great. Martha has a heart the size of a lion. When I'm asked about her, I don't really know what I can say that would ever be enough. She is just so very, very special."
After failing to make the eight-second whistle in the second round, bull riders Chance Smart and Douglas Duncan came into Round 3 motivated to avoid a repeat performance. Smart, the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings leader for most of the season, and Duncan, the 2008 PRCA Bull Riding Rookie of the Year and a Wrangler NFR rookie, each posted 91.5-point rides to share the victory in the third round. They were the only two riders to last the full eight seconds aboard their bulls in a round that was dominated convincingly by the rank bulls.
Smart, of Philadelphia, Miss., rode Growney Brothers' Scoundrel to the winning score, while Duncan's mark came aboard Corey & Horst Rodeo's War Zone, the bull that finished third in this year's PRCA Bull of the Year voting. The rides were bookend matches, with Duncan riding first among the 15 bull riders and Smart closing the night with the same score.
"That bull was supposed to be the pick of the litter as far as the 'eliminating bulls' go," said Smart, who took over the average lead thanks to his victory. "I was really tickled to have him. The hardest part about riding these bulls is riding them when it counts. When you know that only one guy has ridden a bull and there's a lot of money there for you, and all you have to do is ride for eight seconds, making that eight-second whistle is the hardest thing in the world to do."
Duncan was walking tall after tying Smart for the round victory.
"The feeling that I had when I stepped off my bull tonight – I can’t compare it to anything else I have ever done," said Duncan, of Huntsville, Texas. "I didn’t know it was one of the top bulls. I’m not the guy who pays that much attention to the bulls. You know they are going to be good here. Some guys pay attention to the bulls, and I don’t. You have to get on the bull you draw anyway, so there is no sense worrying or sweating over it. You have to ride them jump for jump."
COMPLETE ROUND 3 RESULTS
Bareback riding: 1. Royce Ford, Briggsdale, Colo., 88.5 points on Frontier Rodeo's Full Baggage, $16,767; 2. Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., 86.5, $13,251; 3. Tim Shirley, Conifer, Colo., 84, $10,006; 4. (tie) Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., and Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash., 83.5, $4,688 each; 7. Cimmaron Gerke, Brighton, Colo., 82.5; 8. Dusty LaValley, Crooked Creek, Alberta, 81; 9. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 80.5; 10. Chris Harris, Itasca, Texas, 79.5; 11. Kelly Timberman, Mills, Wyo., 78.5; 12. (tie) Josi Young, Kimberly, Idaho, Jessy Davis, Payson, Utah, Kaycee Feild, Elk Ridge, Utah, and Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, NS.
Steer wrestling: 1. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb., 3.5 seconds, $16,767; 2. Ken Lewis, La Junta, Colo., 3.7, $13,251; 3. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 3.8, $10,006; 4. K.C. Jones, Decatur, Texas, 4.0, $7,031; 5. (tie) Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., and Casey McMillen, Craig, Colo., 4.1, $2,344; 8. Gabe Ledoux, Kaplan, La., 4.3; 9. (tie) Cash Myers, Athens, Texas, and Les Shepperson, Midwest, Wyo., 4.5; 11. (tie) Jason Miller, Lance Creek, Wyo., and Todd Suhn, North Platte, Neb., 4.6; 13. Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., 5.7; 14. Beau Franzen, Sidney, Mont., 5.8; 15. Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., NT.
Team roping: 1. Matt Funk, Hermiston, Ore./Bucky Campbell, Benton City, Wash., 4.0 seconds, $16,767 each; 2. Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz./Randon Adams, Logandale, Nev., 4.1, $13,251; 3. Riley Minor, Ellensburg, Wash./Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 4.3, $10,006; 4. (tie) Speed Williams, Deleon, Texas/Allen Bach, Weatherford, Texas, and Turtle Powell, Alpine, Texas/Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 4.4, $5,679 each; 6. JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Texas/Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 4.5, $2,704; 7. Jake Barnes, Scottsdale, Ariz./Clay O'Brien Cooper, Morgan Mill, Texas, 5.0; 8. Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont./Cory Petska, Lexington, Okla., 8.9; 9. Chad Masters, Clarksville, Tenn./Michael Jones, Stephenville, Texas, 9.0; 10. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas/Patrick Smith, Midland, Texas, 9.1; 11. Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo./Kinney Harrell, San Angelo, Texas, 17.2; 12. Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 18.1; 13. Colter Todd, Marana, Ariz./Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 18.5; 14. Jake Stanley, Hermiston, Ore./Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, 22.9; 15. Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz./Victor Aros, Tucson, Ariz., NT.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Billy Etbauer, Edmond, Okla., 89.5 points on Franklin Rodeo's Blue Too, $16,767; 2. Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D., 86, $13,251; 3. (tie) J.J. Elshere, Quinn, S.D.; Bryce Miller, Buffalo, S.D.; and Rusty Allen, Eagle Mountain, Utah, 83, $7,121 each; 6. Shaun Stroh, Dickinson, N.D., 81, $2,704; 7. Justin Arnold, Santa Margarita, Calif., 80.5; 8. Cody Taton, Newell, S.D., 79; 9. Anthony Bello, Oakley, Utah, 77.5; 10. Bobby Griswold, Geary, Okla., 74; 11. Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, Rod Hay, Wildwood, Alberta; Dusty Hausauer, Dickinson, N.D.; Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas; and Chet Johnson, Gillette, Wyo., NS.
Tie-down roping: 1. Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, 6.9 seconds, $16,767; 2. Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, 7.1, $13,251; 3. Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas, 7.2, $10,006; 4. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 7.3, $7,031; 5. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 7.4, $4,327; 6. Tyson Durfey, Colbert, Wash., 8.6, $2,704; 7. (tie) Stran Smith, Childress, Texas, and Jerrad Hofstetter, Portales, N.M., 9.0; 9. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., 9.6; 10. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 10.5; 11. Scott Kormos, Teague, Texas, 11.1; 12. Doug Pharr, Victoria, Texas, 11.9; 13. Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 17.6; 14. (tie) Clint Robinson, Spanish Fork, Utah, and Jeff Chapman, Athens, Texas, NT.
Barrel racing: 1. Lindsay Sears, Nanton Alberta, , 13.91 seconds, $16,767; 2. (tie) Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, Victoria, Texas, and Maegan Reichert, Mt. Pleasant, Texas, 13.94, $11,629 each; 4. Cassie Moseley, Farwell, Texas, 13.98, $7,031; 5. Annesa Self, Valley View, Texas, 14.00, $4,327; 6. Tammy Key-Fischer, Ledbetter, Texas, 14.07, $2,704; 7. Mary Burger, Pauls Valley, Okla., 14.10; 8. Terra Bynum, Colorado City, Texas, 14.17; 9. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 14.24; 10. Jill Moody, Letcher, S.D., 14.25; 11. Deb Renger, Okotoks, Alberta, 14.38; 12. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 19.05; 13. Traci Dawson, Erskine, Alberta, 19.10; 14. Stephanie Fryar, Big Spring, Texas, 19.20; 15. Shelley Murphy, Helena, Mont., 24.37.
Bull riding: 1. (tie) Chance Smart, Philadelphia, Miss., on Growney Brothers's Scoundrel, and Douglas Duncan, Huntsville, Texas, on Corey & Horst's War Zone, 91.5 points, $15,009 each; 3. (tie) B.J. Schumacher, Hillsboro, Wis., J.W. Harris, May, Texas, Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, Seth Glause, Rock Springs, Wyo., Shawn Proctor, Tooele, Utah, Wesley Silcox, Payson, Utah, Zack Oakes, Elk, Wash., Spud Jones, Tohatchi, N.M., Bobby Welsh, Gillette, Wyo., Cody Hancock, Taylor, Ariz., Kanin Asay, Powell, Wyo., Colin McTaggart, Las Vegas, Nev., and Mike Moore, Kankakee, Ill., NS
Attendance: 17,353
Copyright 1996 - 2008 Rodeo Attitude, LLC., All rights reserved.