DALLAS – A few minutes after the team roping ended at the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship, presented by the Texas Stampede, Chad Masters got a text message. "Almost got you," it said.
It was old friend Speed Williams letting Masters know that Williams' Sunday win in the finals at the American Airlines Center had put the world championship in a virtual dead heat, a $2,053 difference heading to the Dec. 6-15 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Williams and partner Dean Tuftin were third in the semifinals and won the finals in 3.7 seconds -- just a tenth of a second off the arena record -- to finish the weekend with $17,145 and make sure that the header category will be the closest race at the Wrangler NFR. A race within a race.
"Actually, the goal coming in here was to catch Chad and go to Vegas with the lead," Williams said, "but this is good. Chad is one of my best friends. I am actually rooting hard for him to do well in Vegas. Just not as hard as I'm rooting for myself."
Williams, of Deleon, Texas, is taking aim at a ninth team roping gold buckle, to break the record he shares with former partner Rich Skelton.
Tuftin used the big weekend in Big D to increase his lead in the heeler standings over Michael Jones to just more than $24,000 and the pairing of Jimmy Edens and Ryan Motes came through with a second place result in the semifinal round Sunday to qualify for the Wrangler NFR, bumping header Matt Funk and heeler Cody Hintz.
Edens joins his brother Tommy in making the field. There will be three sets of brothers competing in Las Vegas, the Edens joining Clay and Travis Tryan along with twins Jake and Jimmie Cooper, and a father-son pairing of Brandon and Mike Beers.
Brittany Pozzi-Pharr broke the arena record with a time of 11.62 seconds in winning the barrel racing final, barely edging Vickie Solmonsen who finished in 11.68. Pozzi-Pharr had originally planned to leave her AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year Stitch home for this event and ride Potato Chip, but Potato Chip suffered a strained tendon two weeks ago and Stitch was brought into service.
"It is hard for him to get started here because he so big and long-strided," Pozzi-Pharr said about Stitch, "but he worked great today When he nailed that first barrel (in the finals), I knew it was going to be a good run."
The $22,655 Pozzi-Pharr earned for the weekend equaled the rodeo-best earned by bull-riding champion Dave Samsel and pushed her regular season prize money record to $164,521. It is the highest season total in any of ProRodeo's seven events and gives her a $53,000 edge on Canadian Lindsay Sears entering the Wrangler NFR.
Samsel earned the Texas Stampede Crystal Cup in bull riding by getting a 91-point score on Multi-Chem's Hot Damn on a re-ride. Hot Damn stumbled coming out of the chute on Samsel's first turn and Samsel elected to ride the same bull on the re-ride.
"You only have a few seconds to decide," Samsel said, "and I just figured I knew more about Hot Damn. I was more confident about my chances with him. I've seen a lot of guys win on him and any bull that kicks and spins fits my style."
A 90-point ride on the 2005 U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. Saddle Bronc of the Year Miss Congenialty gave Australian Anthony Bello the championship and $18,982.
"Miss Congenialty lived up to her reputation," Bello said. "I've never seen her have a bad day. She's the one you want to draw."
Justin McDaniel also had a 90-point ride on Classic Pro Rodeo's Fancy Free to win the bareback riding event, although he was less than sure that the ride was good enough at the time.
"It felt really good," McDaniel said, "but I thought I might have bobbled a little bit on one of the jumps. I was sure tickled when I heard the score."
All-around cowboy Josh Peek, of Pueblo, Colo., saved his best moment for last, completing a 7.2-second run to win the tie-down final. His combined earnings in tie-down roping and steer wrestling of $12,246 moved him back into second place ahead of Cash Myers in the all-around world standings.
Fellow Coloradan Wade Sumpter captured the steer wrestling final in 3.5 seconds, edging Shawn Greenfield by two-tenths of a second.
Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Bareback riding: Semifinal round: 1. Tom McFarland, Wickenburg, Ariz., 86 points on Classic Pro Rodeo's Romeo, $4,898; 2. (tie) Jason Havens, Prineville, Ore., and Jason Jeter, Mansfield, Texas, 85, $3,062 each; 4. Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., 83, $1,225; 5. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 82; 6. (tie) Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash., and Chris Harris, Itasca, Texas, 79. Finals: 1. Justin McDaniel, 90 points on Classic Pro Rodeo's Fancy Free, $9,797; 2. Jason Havens, 87, $6,531; 3. Tom McFarland, 84; 4. Jason Jeter, 78.
Team roping: Semifinal round: 1. David Key, Caldwell, Texas/Kory Kootz, Sudan, Texas, 4.1 seconds, $4,898 each; 2. Jimmy Edens, Gatesville, Texas/Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas, 4.6, $3,674; 3. Speed Williams, Deleon, Texas/Dean Tuftin, Prineville, Ore., 4.7, $2,449; 4. Jake Barnes, Scottsdale, Ariz./Clay O'Brien Cooper, Morgan Mill, Texas, 5.1, $1,225; 5. Chad Masters, Clarksville, Tenn./Allen Bach, Weatherford, Texas, 5.7; 6. (tie) Keven Daniel, Franklin, Tenn./Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo., and Colter Todd, Marana, Ariz./Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 9.5; 8. Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont./Walt Woodard, Stockton, Calif., NT. Finals: 1. Speed Williams/Dan Tuftin, 3.7 seconds, $9,797 each; 2. David Key/Kory Koontz, 3.9, $6,531; 3. Jake Barnes/Clay O'Brien Cooper, 4.4; 4. Jimmy Edens/Ryan Motes, NT.
Steer wrestling: Semifinal round: 1. Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 3.4 seconds, $4,898; 2. Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., 3.6, $3,674; 3. Matt Reeves, Pampa, Texas, 3.8, $2,449; 4. Shawn Greenfield, Lakeview, Ore., 4.0, $1,225; 5. Todd Suhn, North Platte, Neb., 4.3; 6. Casey McMillen, Craig, Colo., 5.2; 7. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 13.4; 8. Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif., NT. Finals: 1. Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 3.5 seconds, $9,797; 2. Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., 3.7, $6,531; 3. Matt Reeves, Pampa, Texas, 4.0; 4. Shawn Greenfield, Lakeview, Ore., 4.5.
Saddle bronc riding: Semifinal round: 1. Anthony Bello, Oakley, Utah, 85 points on Powder River's Big Chill, $4,898; 2. Billy Etbauer, Edmond, Okla., 80, $3,674; 3. Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 79, $2,449; 4. Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D., 78, $1,225; 5. Isaac Diaz, Stephenville, Texas, 72; 6. (tie) Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas, Ryan Mapston, Belt, Mont., and Cody Wright, Milford, Utah. Finals: 1. Anthony Bello, 90 points on Powder River Rodeo's Miss Congenialty, $9,797; 2. Cody DeMoss, 89, $6,531; 3. Chad Ferley, 85; 4. Billy Etbauer, 0.
Tie-down roping: Semifinal roound: 1. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 7.0 seconds, $4,898; 2. (tie) Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., and Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 7.7, $3,062 each; 4. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., 7.9, $1,225; 5. Joseph Parsons, Marana, Ariz., 11.3; 6. Jake Hannum, Ogden, Utah, 16.3; 7. Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, 17.0; 8. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, NT. Finals: 1. Josh Peek, 7.2 seconds, $9,797; 2. Hunter Herrin, 10.1, $6,531; 3. Mike Johnson, 11.0; 4. Clint Cooper, NT.
Barrel Racing: Semifinal round: 1. Vickie Solmonsen, Riverton, Utah, 11.79 seconds, $4,898; 2. (tie) Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, Victoria, Texas, and Jill Moody, Letcher, S.D., 11.91, $3,062 each; 4. Brandie Halls, Carpenter, Wyo., 11.95, $1,225; 5. Terra Bynum, Colorado City, Texas, 12.02; 6. Tana Poppino, Big Cabin, Okla., 12.05; 7. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 12.12; 8. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 12.23. Finals: 1. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, 11.62 seconds (arena record), $9,797; 2. Vickie Solmonsen, 11.68, $6,531; 3. Brandie Halls, 11,86; 4. Jill Moody, 16.77.
Bull riding: Semifinal round: (tie) Ted Bert, Modesto, Calif., Dave Samsel, Haslet, Texas, Cody Buller, Glendive, Mont., J.W. Harris, May, Texas, Colin McTaggart, Las Vegas, Nev., Steve Woolsey, Payson, Utah, Richard Echols, Frierson, La., Logan Knibbe, Rockdale, Texas, 0. Finals: 1. Dave Samsel, 91 points on Multi-Chem's Hot Damn, $9,797; 2. J.W. Harris, 87, $6,531; 3. Richard Echols, 86; 4. Steve Woolsey, NT.
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