Monthly Archives: December 2017

LAS VEGAS – Tim O’Connell is on a mission. The reigning world champion bareback rider has another Montana Silversmiths gold buckle on his mind, and he is taking advantage of every opportunity he can to gather a second one. On Friday night, he matched moves with Calgary Stampede’s Y Not Cyrstal for 87 points to finish in a tie for third place for the second straight night at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I needed to bare down,” said O’Connell, 26, of Zwingle, Iowa. “I did, and I feel like I made the very best I could on that horse.” It was the second time in just a few months that the Iowa cowboy had been matched with Y Not Cyrstal. The two danced across the arena dirt three months ago in Puyallup, Wash., for 85.5 points, so he knew what to expect. “I’m not sure if I could have done much more on him tonight,” he said. “I felt like it was a dog fight the whole time. I held my own, and he held his own. It combined for another great score and another place. That horse bucked harder than what he did with me in Puyallup.” He added another $13,327 payday to his bank account. He has pushed his NFR earnings to nearly $37,000 and his season total to $238,270 – he leads the world-standings race by more than $68,000 over the No. 2 man, Tanner Aus of Minnesota. “At the end of the day, all I can do is my job and focus on what I have underneath me,” O’Connell said. “I split third and fourth (place) with an 87. That shows the caliber of horses that are out there … the caliber of the horses that we brought to the NFR and the caliber of competitors. “It’s an amazing event, and these are probably the rankest guys going down the road. I’m very blessed to compete against them. I’m very blessed to get on these animals.” He has eight more chances, beginning with Saturday’s eliminator pen, which features the hardest-to-ride horses in the game. He will be matched with C5 Rodeo’s Virgil, the 2017 Bareback Horse of the Year. It should be a solid test of both athletes’ abilities on the sport’s grandest stage, but O’Connell knows as well as anyone that he must tend to the business at hand. “Whatever you get on is going to send a little shiver down your spine,” he said of the 15 horses that will be in Saturday night’s performance. “I’m looking forward to it, however it shakes out. I know it’s going to be a heavyweight matchup, and I’m ready for a fight.” Like any other prize fight in Vegas, there are dreams of cashing in. The difference between rodeo and boxing, though, is that there are no guarantees. Paydays are important, especially for O’Connell and his wife, Sami, are expecting a baby boy in March. “Knowing that I have a wife and child on the way is always on my mind,” he said. “It really puts life into perspective. When it’s time to climb in there, you have to put that away. You can’t think about other things than riding a bucking horse. “Everyone has their own reasons for competing, but at the end of the day, we all climb in there, and we know what our job is and what we need to do.” O’Connell does it pretty well.

LAS VEGAS – Weston Pender had never fought in front of an audience until Friday afternoon. He didn’t let it intimidate him. In fact, he became the first man in freestyle bullfighting history to do a front flip over his animal during his 82-point bout in the first of three days of qualifying for the Bullfighters Only Las Vegas Championship. “I knew I had a pretty chargey bull, and I’ve been wanting to do a front flip for a long time,” said Pender, 21, of Brookhaven, Miss. “I wanted to be first guy in history to do it. Once I did it to start the fight, that was a huge motivator for me.” It worked quite well and brought a capacity crowd at the Tropicana Casino and Resort to its feet. Pender advanced to next week’s championship and will be joined by Miles Jones and Conner Rowley. The final two days of qualifiers begin at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. “I could’ve been a little more fundamentally sound, but I feel like I kept my bull engaged,” Pender said. “There were just some things I know I need to keep working on.” That’s bound to happen with a young bullfighter. Pender’s first steps in the sport came earlier this year when he took part in the BFO Developmental Camp in Sikeston, Mo. From there, he advanced to the BFO Super Camp in Decatur, Texas. His invitation to compete in Las Vegas is just another move toward his hope to be one of the best in the business. “I feel like I made a decent fight, especially since that was my first full-size fighting bull to call for ever,” said Pender, who attended East Mississippi Community College on a rodeo scholarship and began cowboy protection there while helping bull riders in the practice pen. “There has been a learning curve, for sure, but between God and Aaron Ferguson, I couldn’t thank them enough for this opportunity.” Ferguson is the founder and CEO of Bullfighters Only, which, in just three years, has become the preeminent freestyle bullfighting organization in the world. “I lived a dream today that not a lot of people get to be part of, and it means a great deal to me,” Pender said. “The Developmental Camp was, by far, the best experience I’ve ever had. They all believed in me, and I kept hanging with it. “I work at a feed yard, so I get to step off my horse and fight mean little calves all the time. When you call for that Spanish-bred fighting bull, it’s a completely different ballgame. He’s 90 mph, and he’s hunting you.” The hunt goes both ways, and Pender has at least one more shot to continue it in Las Vegas. Advancing to Las Vegas Championship Weston Pender, Miles Jones and Conner Rowley

LAS VEGAS – The only difference from his second-round victory in 2017 and his Round 10 round title a year ago is that Garrett Smith gets to enjoy the experience a little more. Everything else was the same Friday night at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “That’s my second round win on the same bull,” said Smith, 22, of Rexburg, Idaho. “I was really excited last night when they said I had him. That bull fits me really good. I’ve been on him three times, and I’ve actually won the rodeo every time I’ve been on him.” The bull is Rafter J Rodeo’s J Lazy, and Smith actually . On Friday night, he and Smith danced across the Thomas & Mack Center dirt for 87 points. He pocketed $26,231 for winning the round and pushed his NFR earnings to $48,448. The biggest prize came in the form of closing the gap even more on the world-standings leader, three-time world champion Sage Kimzey. Smith has now earned $253,797 in 2017 and trails Kimzey by $11,548. “It’s a good feeling having a fun race like this and have everyone cheer you on,” said Smith, who also rode J Lazy at Cheyenne, Wyo. “My confidence is pretty high at the moment. It feels pretty good. “Tonight was the spinner pen. It only gets harder from now on, so it should be good watching.” He concluded Friday night by attending the Montana Silversmiths Go-Round Buckle Presentation at the South Point. Because he last round title came on the 10th night, there was no presentation. “That is pretty exciting,” he said. “Last year they just gave us our buckles, said good job, and we left. Last year I had it on before I even got to the locker room.” He keeps a simple approach to riding bulls. That’s been key to his season, so there’s no reason to change now. “As long as I just keep smiling and keep my hand close, it’s going to be good watching either way,” Smith said. “I’m having fun.” It shows.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. CoBurn Bradshaw, 89.5 points on Calgary Stampede Tiger Warrior, $26,23;. 2. Sterling Crawley, 83, $20,731; 3. Brody Cress, 82.5, $15,654; 4. Cody DeMoss, 81.5, $11,000; 5. Audy Reed, 78, $6,769; 6. (tie) Taos Muncy and Jake Wright, 76.5, $2,115. Tie-down roping: 1. Trevor Brazile, 7.4 seconds, $26,231; 2. Cade Swor, 7.7, $20,731; 3. Marcos Costa, 8.1, $15,654; 4. Cory Solomon, 8.4, $11,000; 5. Tyson Durfey, 8.8, $6,769; 6. Shane Hanchey, 9.0, $4,231. Barrel racing: 1. Barrel Racing: 1. Amberleigh Moore, 13.54 seconds, $26,231; 2. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 13.62, $20,731; 3. Hailey Kinsel, 13.65, $15,654; 4. Nellie Miller, 13.74, $11,000; 5. Sydni Blanchard, 13.8, $6,769; 6. Kellie Collier, 13.83, $4,231. Bull riding: 1. Garrett Smith, 87 points on Rafter G Rodeo J Lazy, $26,231; 2. (tie) Joe Frost and Sage Kimzey, 86.5 points, $18,192; 4. Trey Benton III, 85.5, $11,000; 5. Jordon Hansen, 84.5, $6,769; 6. Cole Melancon, 78.5, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – Tanner Aus knew bareback riding at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo was going to be steller. “The competition here is incredible,” said Aus, who earned a share of the second-round victory Friday night after an 87.5-point ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Scarlet Fever. “Everyone showed up to ride. Everyone is in shape. Everyone’s ready.” That includes Aus, a three-time NFR qualifier from Granite Falls, Minn. He shared the victory with Richmond Champion of The Woodlands, Texas, and the two cowboys each earned $23,481. Aus remains No. 2 in the world standings with $170,138, but he still trails the leader, Tim O’Connell, by more than $68,000. It helps, though, to have a great horse. In bareback riding, half the score comes from the animal, and the other half by how well the cowboy rides. “She had just a monster trip today,” Aus said of Scarlet Fever. “I watched that horse before. R.C. Landingham won a round on that horse here last year, so I was pretty happy to have that one. I had a little slow start last night, so it was good to get a good one under my belt.” While he was disappointed in not earning a check in the opening round, Aus didn’t let it bother him. “There’s just way too much up for grabs here, so you’ve got to get refocused, and that’s what I did,” he said. “You have to focus on your fundamentals, and you have to finish strong, be in the position you are supposed to be in when you are supposed to be there. You can’t get crazy. “You can get too excited and override a horse and set yourself up for failure. You really have to stick to your game plan, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.” Every night is vital in Las Vegas. The NFR features an $8 million purse, the biggest in the game. There are eight more nights in the 2017 season for the Minnesota cowboy to cash in. He and his wife, Lonissa, are expecting their first child next spring. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about my wife and the baby we’re expecting,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it very much. But I try to block it out. “The NFR is just blocking out distractions. There are a lot of distractions in this city. Trying to relax during the day has actually been the toughest thing since I’ve gotten here.” He’s happy with the money he’s earned so far, but he knows he has a lot of ground to make up if he has any hopes of catching O’Connell. “You definitely know the mark that’s been set and what you’re shooting for,” Aus said. “Sometimes that’s kind of a daunting task, but I think you just have to stay focused. You can only ride a horse as good as you can and what you are prepared to ride for. “The goal is to stay focused.”

LAS VEGAS – The first-round jitters surprised even Richmond Champion, who is competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the third time in four years. “Last night was the most nervous that I’ve ever been,” said Champion, who failed to catch a check on opening night but more than made up for it in Round 2 by finishing in a tie for first place. “I said that last year, and it topped it. I was tight. “It was a good wakeup call for me. It was a little disappointing, but it forced me back to the fact that we’re here, we’re back to work. Tonight, I could feel the confidence and felt at home before I got on. That’s a nice feeling.” So was his ride on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Fancy Free. The two athletes matched moves for 87.5 points, and Champion shared the round victory with Tanner Aus of Granite Falls, Minn. Both cowboys pocketed $23,481. By collecting his first paycheck of the NFR, Champion pushed his season earnings to $134,678. He sits fifth in the world standings, and he’s excited to get off to a solid start. “I’ve never won money this early,” said Champion, who shared the win in Guymon, Okla., on the horse in 2014. “I looked at a few videos of when Caleb (Bennett) got on her here, and I watched Kaycee Feild get on her here. We didn’t cover the ground she normally does. She was spectacular. I was having to hustle to keep up with her.” This is his first round victory since his inaugural NFR in 2014. That year, he won twice and finished with more than $108,000 in 10 days. A year ago, he placed in just three rounds, so this was the perfect way to kickstart his 2017 finale. “It’s good to be back in the winner’s circle,” he said. “Last year’s finals was a challenge. This is a goal checked off the list for this year. You don’t want to let any opportunity go by, so this is an awesome night.” Now the cowboy from The Woodlands, Texas, hopes it just starts the ball rolling. He’s looking forward to what the next eight rounds has to offer. “I was thinking about tomorrow night before I got out of the arena tonight,” Champion said. “We’ve got it going now. The high here is like nothing else. I can’t wait, because every night is a new opportunity. This is a dream come true to have this win coming this early. You never want to run short of confidence here. “You need to stick to the basic things, keep a smile on your face and keep moving forward.” That smile won’t be leaving any time soon.

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Tanner Aus on Pickett Pro Rodeo Scarlet Fever and Richmond Champion on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo Fancy Free, 87.5 points, $23,481 each; 3. (tie) Jake Vold and Tim O’Connell, 87, $13,327 each; 5. Jake Brown, 86.5, $6,769; 6. Orin Larson, 85, $4,231. Team roping: 1. Dustin Bird/Russell Cardoza, 3.9 seconds, $26,231; 2. Charly Crawford/Joseph Harrison, 4.5, $20,731; 3. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 4.6, $15,654; 4. Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koontz, 4.7, $11,000; 5. Luke Brown/Jake Long, 4.8, $6,769; 6. Chad Masters/Travis Graves, 5.1, $4,231.

1. Tanner Milan, 3.5 seconds, $26,231; 2. Tyler Pearson, 4.0, $20,731; 3. (tie) Kyle Irwin and Jon Ragatz, 4.1, $13,327 each; 5. Nick Guy, 4.2, $6,769; 6. Tyler Waguespack, 4.3, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – Steer wrestler J.D. Struxness has a lot of faith in the horse he’s riding at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and well he should. “He worked good,” Struxness said of Peso, a 14-year-old sorrel gelding he owns. “He remembered being back in the building. I feel like we got a pretty good start. He ran all the way through there and gave me a chance to make a good run at the end of the arena.” The Appleton, Minn., cowboy stopped the clock in 4.3 seconds, finishing Thursday’s first round in a five-way tie for third place. He earned $7,531 and pushed his earnings to just shy of $94,000. The biggest thing, though, was that he moved up three spots to No. 10 in the world standings. “I knew that steer was going to run a little bit, so I just tried to get a good start,” he said. “We were able to make a good run to break the ice for in our first run.” With fellow steer wrestler Jacob Schofner hazing, Struxness has the confidence in himself, his horse and Schofner as he makes his runs at his second straight NFR. A year ago, Struxness earned nearly $129,000 in Las Vegas and finished fourth in the 2016 world standings. “Hazing is probably the hardest part of bulldogging out here,” Struxness said. “He kept the steer straight for me, and we were able to make good run on him. “This is where we make our money at the end of the year. To get a good start, it just helps motivate you to have a good 10 days from here on out.” With a purse of $8 million, the NFR is the world’s richest rodeo. Go-round winners will earn more than $26,000. “Being out here is still exciting,” said Struxness, who attended Missouri Valley College and Northwestern Oklahoma State University on rodeo scholarships, winning the 2016 college championship while at Northwestern. “I think it’s just as exciting as it was last year. It’s a fun, electric building to be in. All the money we get to run at this week is awesome. I couldn’t be more excited to be out here again. “At this point, we’re just going to work with what steers we have. The biggest goal is to get them all thrown down this year and just try to win as much as we can when we can.” He’s well on his way.

LAS VEGAS – Tyler Pearson knew when he arrived in the Nevada desert that he was going to have to go full speed if he intended to catch the No. 1 man in steer wrestling, Montanan Ty Erickson. Pearson entered the National Finals Rodeo No. 3 in the standings, more than $53,000 behind Erickson. During Thursday’s opening go-round, Pearson made a solid move by grappling his steer to the ground in 3.9 seconds to finish second in the round. “To even place here in the first round is a good start,” said Pearson, 32, of Louisville, Miss. “If you miss the barrier at all, you might not catch your steer, so the start is everything.” Pearson and round winner Tyler Waguespack – the reigning world champion – were the only two cowboys to post times of less than 4 seconds. Five bulldoggers finished in a tie for third place with 4.3-second runs, so that cushion on time was beneficial to Pearson. The last time the Mississippi man competed at the NFR was 2013. That year he finished with $40,000 by placing in one round and finishing fourth in the 10-run average race. Through one night of the 2017 campaign, he has earned nearly $31,000 – that includes the $20,731 for being runner-up and the $10,000 bonus each contestant earns for qualifying. He now has pushed his season earnings to $140,649, just less than $500 ahead of Waguespack. But he is within $23,000 of Erickson. He will need to remain speedy and steady if he has hopes of adding a gold buckle to his trophy case. Of course, he has a lot of help, primarily in the form of his horsepower: Scooter, the steer wrestling horse of the year, and Metallica, the hazing horse. “Scooter did good,” Pearson said of the horse, a 12-year-old sorrel gelding he co-owns with fellow bulldogger Kyle Irwin, also a traveling partner. “Kyle was the first one out on him, and he missed the barrier just a tick. He still made a good run, and Scooter just got faster.” Pearson and Irwin aren’t the only ones that ride Scooter. Waguespack also rode the talented sorrel to the top. Erickson, the man they’re all chasing, also is riding the horse of the year. That’s how rodeo works; the competition with each other follows that of man vs. beast. In order to beat the field, the winner must handle the steer first. “We got that first one over with, so now we can just go play,” Pearson said. “I was glad to get that one under the belt, so now we can go try to win something. “It’s a relief to sin something in the first round. Now we can let our hair down a little bit.”

LAS VEGAS – Tim Bingham likes it when his mind is clear on the back of a bucking bull. It showed Thursday night during the first round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, where he matched moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Backup for 85.5 points to finish in a tie for third place. He earned $13,367. “I went back to the old, natural muscle memory, and everything worked out,” said Bingham, 26, of Honeyville, Utah. “Last year it took me to Round 9 before I placed, so I was starting to tell myself, ‘You’re running out of bulls.’ To get on the first bull, place and get it out of the way, it just kind of frees up your week.” Bingham has pushed his season earnings to nearly $130,000 on the season. He sits eighth in the world standings, but the key is having that momentum rolling into the final five nights of the ProRodeo season. He was quite happy to catch a paycheck on the opening night of the 10-round championship … all while riding through the discomfort of a bone contusion he suffered late in the rodeo season. “I wasn’t necessarily questioning how it would go,” he said. “I felt completely confident. I was prepared and ready to get on, but I haven’t been on hardly anything or any practice bulls like I usually do. I just kept riding all year long and stayed tuned up for the finals. “This year, with this leg being so sore, I had to go more at it like recovery, take a break and freshen up for reparation. Mentally-wise, both rounds are great, so when I came here, I was just confident that my head was right as long as I could toughen it out and try to forget about the leg pain while I was riding.” Before the rodeo, he receive a cortisone injection to help alleviate pain. That seemed to work, and he found himself at the pay window for just the fifth time through 21 rides at the NFR. “Today it felt like it was back before it was sore,” Bingham said. “That probably gave me a little bit of confidence. Just the fact that when I jumped on that bull and couldn’t feel any pain, I was like, “OK, well, it has gotten to be a little bit better, so I must be good to go.” At  least he was on Thursday night.

LAS VEGAS – Garrett Smith knew when he arrived in Las Vegas that he had a little ground to make up if he has any chance to win the bull riding world championship. He started Thursday night by placing in a tie for third place in the opening round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He rode Frontier Rodeo’s After All for 85.5 points to share that spot with Tim Bingham of Honeyville, Utah; each cowboy pocketed $13,327. Most importantly, Smith moved to within $20,000 of the world-standings leader, three-time reigning world champion Sage Kimzey. “Yeah, this makes up a little bit of ground,” said Smith, the No. 2 man in the standings from Rexburg, Idaho. “I’m excited to get the night out of the way now and just have fun.” He’s been doing that all season. He has pushed his 2017 earnings to $227,566. What’s even better is that he has nine more nights to add to that total. That’s vital, because the world championship is given to the contestants who earn the most money through the season, including the 10 days of the NFR. “It’s good to have one down and just get on rolling and hopefully stay that way,” he said. “I’m excited, and I have a really good one (Friday).” Smith will test his mettle on Rafter G Rodeo’s J Lazy during Friday’s second round. He knows it’s important to have a good dance partner, since half the score comes from the bull. But he also realizes that he will need to take care of his end of the bargain if he’s going to find success. “Bull riding is basically 100 percent mental,” Smith said. “If anyone looks at it it is all in your head. Getting on a roll and getting that confidence, and then you can just go do what you know how to do. As long as your mind doesn’t get in the way, you should be able to ride most of them. Just don’t think too much.” It has worked well for Smith, who learned a great deal from a bull riding veteran. “Last year I traveled with Tag Elliott from Utah, and he taught me a lot about the mental side of rodeo,” Smith said. “He’s really good with that. He never looks like he cares about anything. He’s just calm, cool and collected all the time. “I just said, ‘That’s how I want to be.’ I based what I do off what he did.” It could be the perfect approach to that elusive gold buckle.

LAS VEGAS – Thursday night was something Mason Clements had been waiting for since he first arrived in Sin City earlier this week. “All day long I’ve been saving my energy, my focus and my adrenaline for that first, opening ride,” said Clements, a bareback rider from Santaquin, Utah, who matched moves with Frontier Rodeo’s Times Up for 85 points to finish in a tie for third place in the opening round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I’ll tell you what; I felt so comfortable being here. Everything was right. It’s like I was born here.” He may not have been born inside the Thomas & Mack Center, home of ProRodeo’s championship, but he was born in Las Vegas. Now 25 years old, he’s playing on the sport’s biggest stage for the first time, and he has quickly proven why he belongs here. “I was so ready for that moment to nod my head in this arena,” said Clements, who pocketed $13,327 and moved up four spots to 11th place in the world standings. “That feeling of walking up and strapping that rigging on that horse, and feeling the atmosphere and the people. You feel the history; you feel that this is sacred ground.” It is. Only the best compete in Las Vegas each December. As he prepared to ride, he noticed his good friend and four-time world champion, Kaycee Feild, in the stands watching him. “It was a surreal moment,” Clements said. “I wish more than anything that he was sitting here riding with me.” For now, though, Field will be content watching a fellow Utahan on the backs of some of the toughest bucking horses in the world. Only the top 100 bareback broncs are selected to be part of the festivities. “I think we all stood on our toes to watch, because it was a straight-out riding contest,” Clements said. “My hat’s off to all 14 of the others; well done.” The night featured high scores, which was a testament to both the animals and the cowboys riding them. “This gives me more motive and confidence,” he said. “Every night is going to be the same; strap your rigging on and get that feel-good feeling. This is the place to be. You’ve driven and dreamed and worked … everything to get to this moment. Every night is brand new. It won’t ever get old.” Clements is just living the excitement of ProRodeo’s grand championship; he should enjoy every moment.

LAS VEGAS – Tim O’Connell knew something about his first-round bareback horse Thursday at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I actually won the opening round here in 2015 on that horse, and I haven’t seen him since 2015 either,” O’Connell said of J Bar J’s Dilly Bar, which he rode for 85 points to finish in a tie for third place in the first go-round. “He got hurt, changed owners, and I didn’t really know what to expect here. It’s like seeing a new horse again, so I knew I had an opportunity. “At the end of the day, I needed to do jus the very best I can, and for me, I can’t worry about what everybody else is doing. You can get caught up in that moment and do too much and get yourself in trouble.” There is no trouble. In fact, O’Connell added $13,327 to his pocketbook and pushed his season earnings past the $225,000 mark. He extended his world-standings lead to more than $78,000 over the No. 2 man, Minnesotan Tanner Aus. “You want to talk about a rank start to bareback riding, that was it,” he said. “I don’t think 84 placed in the opening round, and a couple of years ago, that won the first round.” Actually, a pair of 84s finished in a tie for sixth place, so he was almost right. But the high scores showed both the animal athletes and the caliber of bareback riders in this field of 15 competing for the world championship. That’s another thing O’Connell understands; he won the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle a season ago, and he’d love to take a second one back to his home in Zwingle, Iowa. “I knew I had a job to do on one particular animal, and I did everything to the best of my abilities,” said O’Connell, who attended both Iowa Central Community College and Missouri Valley College on rodeo scholarships. “I felt really solid for the first round.” This marks his fourth straight qualification to the NFR, ProRodeo’s grand finale. His consistency in riding is one of the reasons he remains at the top of the game. “Everything felt good tonight,” he said. “I felt like I was the aggressor. I felt like I had a good start. I got to see everything, and I was in great position. “I felt like I really got ahold of him. When he finally let me turn loose and go after him, I felt like I really did the best to my abilities.” That’s why he is a champion.

LAS VEGAS – A year ago, Orin Larsen waited until the sixth go-round before he earned a paycheck at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. That changed dramatically in 2017. On Thursday night, he rode Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist for 86.5 points to finish second in the opening go-round. He pocketed $20,731 and pushed his season earnings to $129,971. Most importantly, he moved from 10th to sixth in the world standings. “Coming off last year being hurt is really a relief to coming back healthy and riding good, so I’m very fortunate with the way things have started,” said Larsen of Inglis, Manitoba. “I didn’t know anything about the horse, but I knew he was the one to have; everyone else said he was the one to have. He gave me every opportunity he could, and I took advantage of it.” That’s important in Las Vegas, which features the biggest purse in the game. Larsen finished second to fellow Canadian Jake Vold, who won the round with an 87.5-point ride on Kesler Rodeo’s Oakridge. “It was pretty sweet to have two Canadian boys to kick off the week one and two,” Larsen said. “Let’s keep that tradition going. It’s a heck of a deal, and we are pretty excited to keep things rolling.” Things can change in a hurry in Las Vegas, especially with such a big payday. Larsen knows that as well as anyone. He hopes to keep pushing forward over the next nine nights and see where the cards fall on the 2017 season a week from Saturday. “That’s the one thing about the NFR; you can come in 15th and still win the world,” he said. “That’s happened multiple times in this arena. Anything can happen in Vegas, and I’m just excited for it to keep going. “It was a high scoring round, and everyone rode really good. The horses were great. It was one of the best first rounds I’ve seen in a long time.”

LAS VEGAS – Ryan Jarrett has won countless go-rounds in his 11 qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Thursday night marked the first time in his career that Jarrett has won the opening go-round. He roped and tied his calf in 7.5 seconds to win the round. By doing so, he added $26,231 to his 2017 payroll and pushed his season earnings to $132,286. He has moved up three spots to No. 5 in the tie-down roping world standings. “To win the first round means a lot, but I’m just going to try to build off it the rest of the week,” said Jarrett, the 2005 all-around world champion. “If we draw good and rope good, things will pan out.” He’s found a little gem in his horse, Snoopy, a 7-year-old sorrel gelding that he has raised and trained. The two found success at the All American Finals in Waco, Texas, this past October, and that secured his plans to use the mount in Vegas. “He’s never been ridden here,” he said. “I thought it would fit him. Tonight went really good. I was hoping he would attend to business like he did. He’s no seasoned vet, so you can’t expect him to do everything correct.” Jarrett understands the importance of a good horse. He’s not looking for one with the most power, but he knows he needs one that has its wits about him. “You just need something that really fits you and lets you rope to your abilities and do your thing,” Jarrett said. “He still has to be strong and tough. Some of the greatest horses that go down the road aren’t very good in here. “I was ready for tonight.” It showed.

LAS VEGAS – On the first night of his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, saddle bronc rider Hardy Braden finished first. Braden matched moves with Cervi Rodeo’s HATitude Alpha Dog for 87.5 points to win the opening go-round and pocket an additional $26,231. It was a great way to kickstart his inaugural run at ProRodeo’s grand championship. “I just wanted to do well, so this was a good start,” said Braden, who pushed his season earnings to $139,004. “It is a little bit of pressure, but it’s still just my main goal to do as well as I can do.” He did just that on Alpha Dog, a horse that has guided others to success inside the Thomas & Mack Center over the years. “Talk about a cool horse,” he said. “I thought, ‘What a cool horse that I would love to have,’ and low and behold, this was my first time to get on him and here at the NFR in the first round, and it just paid off. It was the perfect match to help him overcome any first-NFR nerves that may have come his way. He tried to manage all the spirited happenings that occur with the spectacle that is ProRodeo’s championship. “I wasn’t any more nervous than I thought I’d be,” Braden said. “In my mind, I kept telling myself that it isn’t any bigger than San Antonio or Houston, and I’ve been to those a few times. “I just didn’t want to let the pressure get to me.” He did a pretty good job in a field of seasoned veterans. Among the other 14 saddle bronc rider are past world champions Jacobs Crawley, Zeke Thurston, Jesse Wright and Taos Muncy. “This helps take the pressure off me to have a round win because I have one in my pocket,” he said. “Really you just go on and do the best you can with what you have. I like having the pressure off, but I’ll try to win another one.”

Barrel racing: 1. Nellie Miller, 13.64 seconds, $26,231; 2. Kassie Mowry, 13.68, $20,731 ; 3. Hailey Kinsel, 13.69, $1,5654 ; 4. Kathy Grimes, 13.85, $11,000; 5. Tillar Murray, 13.89, $6,769; 6. Ivy Conrado, 13.90, $4,231. Bull riding: 1. Trey Benton, 90 points on Big Stone Rodeo’s Mortimer, $26,231; 2. Roscoe Jarboe, 87, $20,731; 3. (tie) Garrett Smith and Tim Bingham, 85.5, $13,327 each; 5. Joe Frost, 84, $6,769; 6. Boudreaux Campbell, 82.5, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – There is a new king of the Bullfighters Only Roughy Cup. After Weston Rutkowski’s reign in the opening two years of the championship, Tanner Zarnetski of Texarkana, Texas, earned the prestigious trophy Thursday afternoon at the Tropicana Casino and Resort. “It means a lot to come out on a platform such as this with the best bullfighters in the world to come out on top,” Zarnetski, who won his opening-round bout with an 85-point fight to kick-start the 12 bullfights, then followed with an 81-point bout with WAR Fighting Bulls’ Chute Boss to claim the title. “After you step out there in a pen like this with a bull like that, then you pretty much lose all your thoughts and let your body take over. It’s mostly reaction. After years of being in circumstances like that, you learn to use your muscle reaction and reading bulls.” It paid off well. He earned $7,500 for the victory and pushed his season earnings to $15,166. More importantly, he sets himself up well for next week’s BFO Las Vegas Championship, which pays $25,000 to the winner. “I think this sets me up really good for next week,” he said. “My personal confidence is boosted, so going into the preliminary rounds, I’ve got a good mindset. “We’re all looking forward to that payout.” First it was getting through 12 of the rankest fighting bulls in the BFO. Several men were knocked to the ground, left bruised and bloodied. But that’s the nature of freestyle bullfighting. The men have to get as close to danger as possible while staying out of harm’s way, but that was harder Thursday than many realized. “It was quite a bit of hard work today,” Zarnetski said. “They tried to bring in the best bulls for us to go up against, and it really showed. I think it was a good show for everyone to see. “Fortunately, I made it to the short round with a great bull, and I was a little more light on my feet. That made a lot of difference.” Results 1. Tanner Zarnetski, 81 points on WAR Fighting Bulls’ Chute Boss; 2. Dayton Spiel, 76; 3. Cody Emerson, 75.

Tie-down roping: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 7.5 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Marcos Costa and Trevor Brazile, 7.9, $18,192; 4. Cade Swor, 8.1, $11,000; 5. J.C. Malone, 8,.2, $6,769; 6. Caleb Smidt, 8.3, $4,231.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Hardy Braden 87.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo HATitude Alpha Dog, $26,231; 2. CoBurn Bradshaw, 87, $20,731; 3. Ryder Wright, 86.5, $15,654; 4. Cody DeMoss, 85.5, $11,000, 5. (tie) Heith DeMoss, Zeke Thurston and Jake Wright, 85, $3,667 each.

1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.1 seconds, $26,231; 2. Jr. Dees/Tyler McKnight, 4.3 seconds, $20,731; 3. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 4.6, $15,564; 4. (tie) Charly Crawford/Joseph Harrison and Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.8, $8,885 each; 6. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.9, $4,231.

Bareback riding: 1. Jake Vold 87.5 points on Kesler Champion Rodeo Oakridge, $26,231 ; 2. Orin Larson, 86.5, $20,731; 3. (tie) Mason Clements and Tim O’Connell, 85, $13,327 each; 5. J.R. Vezain, 84.5, $6,769; 6. (tie) Steven Dent and Caleb Bennet, 84, $2,115 each. Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.5 seconds, $26,231; 2. Tyler Pearson, 3.9, $2.-731; 3. (tie) Scott Guenthner, Jon Ragatz, Rowdy Parrott and Chason Floyd, 4.3, $7,531 each.

Illinois man hoping to climb new heights chasing BFO world championship LAS VEGAS – Toby Inman isn’t a man of danger, but it seems to lurk around every corner he turns. It’s how he makes a living, whether as a bullfighter or with Toby’s Tree Service, a business he owns in his hometown of Davis Junction, Ill. He faces danger from towering heights trimming trees, and he looks at it square in the eyes as he maneuvers within inches of the raging horns of powerfully agile beasts. He’s pretty good at both. He is the No. 2 man in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings heading into the Bullfighters Only Las Vegas Championship, set for 2 p.m. Dec. 7-10 and 13-16 at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. “I’m the old guy, and the old guy still wants to win,” said Inman, 34, who came out of retirement a little more than a year ago to be part of the BFO. “I don’t have anything to prove, but to come back and jump in without training wheels, I’m pretty proud of myself.” He should be. Over the course of the 2017 season, Inman earned several key victories and placed well at other stops en route to earning more than $25,000. He can more than double his season earnings in Sin City, with the Las Vegas Championship winner pocketing $25,000. With that, he can overtake the season leader, Weston Rutkowski, and has a chance to pocket the $50,000 bonus paid out to the BFO world champion. “The money doesn’t necessarily motivate me; fighting bulls motivates me,” he said. “Vegas and the finals motivates me. I’m just excited to be a participant and be a top contender at my age. I definitely don’t show it a lot, but I still grin ear to ear, and it’s because of that. I’m thankful for the opportunity.” Inman has earned that chance. A decade ago, he was one of the top freestyle bullfighters in the game. He stepped away from it for about six years to focus on his business in Illinois, but Bullfighters Only not only got him back to work in the arena, it sparked a focus. He has long been recognized as one of the smoothest men in freestyle bullfighting. He makes moves around the athletic bulls with ease, and his tall frame and equally athletic talent allow him to score big points. He is one of nine top bullfighters who will compete in the third annual Roughy Cup to kickstart the Las Vegas festivities Thursday. All nine advance to the Las Vegas Championship, which begins Dec. 10, while 27 other men will try to earn their place through three days of qualifiers. “I’m excited because fans continue to help us reach our initial goal, which is making freestyle bullfighting a mainstream event,” Inman said. “We’re able to do this because of the fans.” Of course, having an opportunity at the big cash in Vegas doesn’t hurt either. “I’ve got skid loaders and other things on my Christmas list that I’ve got to buy for myself,” he said with a laugh. “For the most part, though, I still like to do it and have fun with it. “It’s exciting that my friends and family – and even new fans – get to see my progression. They can see that I still enjoy it and can still do it well.” He has plenty of reasons to be happy with where he is, whether it’s atop a tree or jumping a fighting bull. BFO’s Seeded Bullfighters Weston Rutkowski Toby Inman Kris Furr Dayton Spiel Schell Apple Justin Josey Zach Call Tanner Zarnetski Cody Emerson Las Vegas Championship Schedule All performances begin at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7: Roughy Cup – a stand-alone competition featuring the top nine athletes in the BFO. The event has become a staple for BFO fans. Friday, Dec. 8-Sunday, Dec. 10: Qualifier Rounds – An open door for the sport’s rising talent, providing a chance to compete at the elite level. Nine of the 27 bullfighters competing will advance to the Preliminary Rounds. Wednesday, Dec. 13-Thursday Dec. 14: Preliminary Rounds – Winners from each performance advance to Championship Saturday. Friday, Dec. 15: Wild Card Round – Bullfighters will get one final chance to advance to Championship Saturday. Saturday, Dec. 16: The 2017 BFO world champion will be crowned at the completion of a 9-man semifinals, followed by the 3-man Hooey Championship Round.