OMAHA, Neb. --- When Isaac Diaz and Justin McDaniel were roommates at Vernon (Texas) College last year, they wrote down their goals on a big white chalkboard in their dorm room. Thursday night, they both moved a little closer to crossing off the biggest of them.
McDaniel won the bareback riding event at the River City Roundup with an 87-point ride on Buetler & Son Rodeo's Full Deck, and Diaz matched him with a win in the saddle bronc riding, scoring 86 points on Powder River Rodeo's Sundown at the Qwest Center.
McDaniel's $3,750 payday moved him into second place in the world standings, ahead of Jess Davis and Royce Ford. For Diaz, it may have meant simple survival in his bid to reach the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
The Stephenville, Texas, cowboy arrived at this third-round event of the Ariat Playoffs knowing he was under the gun. He stood eighth in the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour standings and only 10 advance to the Tour Championships in Dallas, Nov. 9-11. He was 14th in the world standings, and only the Top 15 reach the Wrangler NFR.
"I hadn't done much in two months since I won a round at Dodge City (Kan.), so I really needed this," Diaz said. "It doesn't get me where I need to be, but this helps out a lot. You can never say you have enough money to be safe. It's kind of a dream come true."
Diaz, who just turned 21 on Sept. 15, conceded he felt a bit more than the customary nerves for the Thursday performance because of what was at stake and also because he had never seen Sundown ridden.
"I'd never even heard of him," Diaz said. "I asked around, and people said you could score well on him and he was everything they'd said he'd be. When you have a horse that good, you can even get away with a bobble or two, although you don't want that. I felt good going in because (fellow saddle bronc rider) Taos Muncy told me that all the other riders were talking about the horse and what I might be able to do on him."
The win moved him up one position to 13th in the world standings.
McDaniel is in the midst of a hot streak that includes a win in the second round of Ariat Playoffs in Puyallup, Wash., that has carried him nearly to the top of the bareback riding standings.
"In August, I realized I was close to the bottom of the Top 15," said McDaniel, of Porum, Okla. "I wanted to try to win $30,000 before September. God has been blessing me with buckers, and it seems like everything is falling into place. I guess I have a shot at that buckle."
Canadian Lindsay Sears broke the Qwest Center record in barrel racing with a time of 13.55 seconds, but it will have to carry an asterisk. The cloverleaf pattern was slightly shortened this year and the barrels repositioned. Seven of the 12 competitors in Thursday's show bettered the previous record of 14.32 seconds, set by Sherry Cervi in the larger pattern in 2005.
Sears, who rides a 7-year-old mare named Martha, has moved up to second in the world standings since changing her approach in April to start with the left barrel instead of the right.
"It felt like she really ran hard tonight - like she really fired," Sears said. "She almost ran out from underneath me. It was a good feeling to have."
The tie-down roping was an Oklahoma sweep, with Blair Burk of Durant winning with a time of 8.9 seconds to beat Hunter Herrin of Apache (9.2), Mike Johnson of Henryetta (9.5) and Barry Burk of Ponca City (9.9). Burk won with a horse he purchased from Brazilian tie-down roping champion Fred Werneck this spring.
"Tour events have always been a big part of my rodeo program," Burk said. "I've won Omaha and Dallas in the past, and the fans have always been great to me over the years. Anywhere you can win big money is an opportunity to step up."
River City Roundup - Round 3 Ariat Playoffs
Qwest Center, Omaha, Neb.
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., 87 points on Beutler & Son's Full Deck, $3,750; 2. (tie) Jason Jeter, Mansfield, Texas, and Tom McFarland, Wickenburg, Ariz., 86, $2,344 each; 4. (tie) Will Lowe, Canyonlands, Texas; Jason Havens, Prineville, Ore. and Royce Ford, Briggsdale, Colo., 84, $313 each.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Shawn Greenfield, Newkirk, Okla., 3.6 seconds, $3,750; 2. Casey McMillen, Craig, Colo., 3.8, $2,813; 3. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 4.1, $1,875; 4, Joey Bell Jr., 4.2, $938.
Team roping: First round: 1. David Key, Caldwell, Texas/Kory Koontz, Sudan, Texas, 5.0 seconds, $3,750; 2. Colter Todd, Marana, Ariz./Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 5.2, $2,813; 3. Keven Daniel, Franklin, Tenn./Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 5.3, $1,875; 4. Chad Masters, Clarksville, Tenn./Allen Bach, Weatherford, Texas, 5.6, $938.
Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Isaac Diaz, Stephenville, Texas, 86 points on Powder River's Sundown, $3,750; 2. (tie) Ryan Mapston, Belt, Mont., Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La. and Jeff Willert, Belvedere, S.D, 83, $1,406 each.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Blair Burk, Durant, Okla., 8.9 seconds, $3,750; 2, Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 9.2 seconds, $2,813; 3. Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 9.5, $1,875; 4. Barry Burk, Ponca City, Okla., 9.9, $938.
Barrel racing: First round: 1. Lindz Sears, Nanton, Alberta, 13.55 seconds (arena record), $3,750; 2. Jill Moody, Letcher, S.D., 13.64, $2,813; 3. Bittany Pozzi-Pharr, Stephenville, Texas, 13.76, $1,875; 4. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 13.81, $938.
Bull riding: First round: 1. Colin McTaggart, Brentwood, Calif., 89 points on Powder River's Holy Moly, $3,750; 2. Ted Bert, Modesto, Calif, 87, $2,813; 3. Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, 80, $1,875; no other qualified rides.
