DALLAS - This is one Turtle that doesn't waste any time.
Team roper Turtle Powell, of Alpine, Texas, arrived at the American Airlines Center needing just $43 to earn his way into the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and it took him just 4.6 seconds Friday night to get the job done.
"It's kind of like having to make a putt from four feet away for $100,000," Powell said.
Powell and partner Cory Petska tied for third place in the first round of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship and the $1,934 each received was good enough for Powell to bump Keven Daniel of Franklin, Tenn., out of the 15th and final spot at the Dec. 4-13 WNFR in Las Vegas.
It also puts Powell in position to win another crystal cup as Tour champion -- he won in 2004 with Monty Joe Petska, who is current partner Cory Petska's uncle -- and a chance to move into the top 10 in the world by the end of this $550,000 rodeo.
"It feels really good to win, but Keven is a good friend of mine and it feels terrible to move out a buddy," Powell said. "I lost the national college team roping title by half a point one year (while attending Vernon Regional Junior College in Texas), so I know how it feels to have the air let out of you. Cory needed this too, but this is hard on him because Keven is the guy I moved out and that's his (regular) partner.
"Coming in 16th you have to win. This takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders. I really hope my regular partner (Travis Graves, who is currently 15th, but not entered here) makes it, but if he doesn't we'll have to go back to the drawing board. It's a big soap opera right now, but the bottom line is we are all friends."
Speed Williams and Michael Jones won the first round of the team roping with a time of 4.1 seconds, a tenth better than JoJo LeMond and Martin Lucero. The $5,156 each won moved Jones to within a little more than $5,000 of Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings heeling leader Randon Adams and strengthened Williams' hold on third place in the header standings.
Williams is attempting to win his third consecutive Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship title, with three different partners.
"I was conservative tonight because I knew my partner was going to throw extremely fast," Williams said. "I wanted to take a high-percentage shot because I knew Michael was going to throw as fast as he has all season long. It is very dangerous to try to be conservative in such a small arena. There are a lot of factors that can multiply and things can get away from you."
"Speed did a good job of setting that steer up so my shot was relatively easy," Jones said. "In a little arena like this you have to be on go at all times."
Canyon, Texas bareback rider Will Lowe is another competitor familiar with success at the American Airlines Center. Lowe, who won here in 2003, 2004 and 2006, got off to a flying start on Friday with a 90-point ride on Classic Pro Rodeo's Wise Guy that won the first round and paid him $5,156.
It was his first ride since the River City Roundup in Omaha five weeks ago, and Lowe figured any sort of rust he might be feeling was mitigated by drawing Wise Guy.
"That horse is dang sure a legend," Lowe said. "He's carried a lot of guys to the pay window."
Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo., who has led the world tie-down roping standings since winning RodeoHouston in March, is not playing it safe, trying to sit on his substantial advantage, and his aggressive approach paid off with a win Friday night.
Riding his 13-year-old gelding Cody, Peek had a time of 7.4 seconds to edge Stran Smith of Childress, Texas by a tenth of a second.
"A guy can slow down and think that he is comfortable," Peek said, "but you're never comfortable with the field of athletes like we have today. Guys like Trevor (Brazile). You name it. Every one of those guys out there can beat you on any day. So you can never get comfortable, because they can catch up."
Bull rider Steve Woolsey of Payson, Utah, showed his readiness for the Wrangler NFR despite a two-month stint on the sidelines with separated ribs by winning the first round with a 92-point ride on Rafter H Rodeo's Crazy Train. Shawn Proctor (85) and B.J. Schumacher (82) had the only other successful rides.
Jesse Kruse didn't know anything about the mount he drew in the saddle bronc riding tonight, "but it dang sure worked out" with the Great Falls, Mont., cowboy securing an 89-point ride on Western Trails' Rattle Snake Shake to edge 2006 World Champion Chad Ferley by one point.
With his usual mount, Willy, unavailable, steer wrestler Luke Branquinho went with Gunner, the horse that took him to the 2004 world championship, and didn't miss a beat. He won the first round with a time of 3.8 seconds, which was two tenths ahead of Cash Myers.
Defending World Champion Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, grieving for her grandmother Delores, who died Nov. 2, won the first round of the barrel racing in 12.22 seconds. She was followed by 2006 World Champion Mary Burger (12.44) and Lindsay Sears (12.56).
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. 7
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Will Lowe, 90 points on Classic Pro Rodeo's Wise Guy, $5,156; 2. Kelly Timberman, 87, $3,867; 3. (tie) Kaycee Feild and Bobby Mote, 86, $1,934 each; 5. (tie) Steven Dent and Tim Shirley, 84; 7. Chris Harris, 83; 8. Justin McDaniel, 81; 9. Josi Young, 75; 10. Royce Ford, NS.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Luke Branquinho, 3.8 seconds, $5,156; 2. Cash Myers, 4.0, $3,867; 3. Gabe Ledoux, 4.2, $2,578;
4. (tie) Jason Miller and Les Shepperson, 4.3, $645 each; 6. Stockton Graves, 4.5; 7. Dean Gorsuch, 4.6; 8. Ken Lewis, 6.7; 9. Trevor Knowles, 14.2; 10. Wade Sumpter, 17.5.
Team roping: First round: 1. Speed Williams/Michael Jones, 4.1 seconds, $5,156 each; 2. JoJo LeMond/Martin Lucero, 4.2, $3,867; 3. (tie) Jake Barnes/Clay O'Brien Cooper and Turtle Powell/Cory Petska, 4.6, $1,934 each; 5. Matt Sherwood/Randon Adams, 5.1; 6. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 7.0; 7. Travis Tryan/Walt Woodard, 9.8; 8. Jake Stanley/Marty Becker, 10.1; 9. Colter Todd/Cesar de la Cruz, 10.6; 10. Logan Olson/Broc Cresta, NT.
Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Jesse Kruse, 89 points on Western Trails Rodeo's Rattle Snake Shake, $5,156; 2. Chad Ferley, 88, $3,867; 3. Billy Etbauer, 87, $2,578; 4. Cody Wright, 85, $1,289; 5. (tie) Jesse Bail and Jess Martin, 83; 7. J.J. Elshere, 80; 8. Bobby Griswold, 79; 9. (tie) Justin Arnold and Anthony Bello, 78.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Josh Peek, 7.4 seconds, $5,156; 2. Stran Smith, 7.5, $3,867; 3. Doug Pharr, 7.7, $2,578; 4. Hunter Herrin, 8.6, $1,289; 5. Seth Childers, 10.8; 6. Mike Johnson, 16.6; 7. Trevor Brazile,18.1; 8. Tuf Cooper, 19.0; 9. Jeff Chapman, 19.7; 10. Jerrad Hofstetter, NT.
Barrel racing: First round: 1. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr,12.22 seconds, $5,156; 2. Mary Burger, 12.44, $3,867; 3. Lindsay Sears, 12.56, $2,578; 4. Jill Moody, 12.60, $1,289; 5. Terra Bynum,12.67; 6. Brenda Mays, 12.88; 7. Christina Richman, 12.89; 8. Tiffany Fox, 12.97; 9. Annesa Self, 17.45; 10. Shelley Murphy, 17.75.
Bull riding: First round: 1. Steve Woolsey, 92 points on Rafter H Rodeo's Crazy Train, $5,156; 2. Shawn Proctor, 85, $3,867;
3. B.J. Schumacher, 82, $2,578; 4. (tie) J.W. Harris, Stormy Wing, Howdy Cloud, Jake Wade, Kanin Asay, Chance Smart,
Wesley Silcox, NS.
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