Monthly Archives: December 2019

LAS VEGAS – Just when Lady Luck looked as though she were angry with Coleman Proctor, he was dealt a winning hand. After three rough rounds – a couple of penalties in the opener and two no-times to kick start his 10 days in Sin City – Proctor and his heeling partner, Ryan Motes, cashed  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – J.D. Struxness doesn’t have to hit the gaming tables to make money in Sin City. He’s doing quite well at the Thomas & Mack Center, home of the National Finals Rodeo since 1985 – nine years before he was even born. On Sunday night, he placed for the fourth time in as  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When things don’t go a competitor’s way, that person could either pout, blame others or move forward in a positive way. Ty Breuer is no prima donna. When he suffered a no-time in Round 3, he realized the missed opportunity, then he made up for it in Sunday’s fourth go-round of the  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Frontier Rodeo has been known to have many of the best horses in the world of ProRodeo, so Orin Larsen knew he had something special even before he got on Night Fist for the fourth round of the National Finals Rodeo. “When you have a Frontier horse, you have to take advantage  Continue Reading »

North Carolinian earns top seed with his victory in Qualifier Round LAS VEGAS – In his heart, Chase Blythe knows he belongs among the very best in Bullfighters Only. On Sunday afternoon at the Tropicana Las Vegas, he put himself in position to test his theory. He posted the highest-marked fight of the Qualifier Seeding  Continue Reading »

Bareback riding: 1. Orin Larsen, 90 points of Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist, $26,231; 2. Clint Laye, 88, $20,731; 3. (tie) Ty Breuer and Caleb Bennett, 87, $13,327 each; 5. (tie) Kaycee Feild and Trenten Montero, 86.5, $5,500 each. Steer wrestling: 1. Bridger Chambers, 3.6 second, $26,231; 2. (tie) Cameron Morman and Ty Erickson, 3.7, $18,192  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – J.D. Struxness is one of the hottest steer wrestlers early at the National Finals Rodeo. Struxness – a three-time NFR qualifier from Milan, Minnesota, now living in Alva, Oklahoma – placed for the third time in three go-rounds in Las Vegas, stopping the clock in 4.3 seconds Saturday to finish in a  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t really a sigh of relief for Tim O’Connell, but the reigning three-time world champion bareback rider felt some comfort after his third-round ride at the National Finals Rodeo. “It’s nice to get through the first “E pen” healthy and unscathed,” O’Connell said, referring to the “Eliminator Pen” of horses, known  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The most difficult-to-ride bareback riding horses in ProRodeo are always featured in the third round of the National Finals Rodeo. Over the last two years, Clayton Biglow has struggled in the “Eliminator Pen” of bucking horses and hasn’t managed to get through Round 3 with a score. That changed Saturday night, as  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Michael Jordan is the best example of greatness while competing in less than optimum health. He played one of the best games of his career in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals after what trainers described as a bout of food poisoning. If the National Finals Rodeo were any comparison, tie-down  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – No matter how much he wanted to portray the part of Elsa in “Frozen,” Tanner Aus just couldn’t let it go. On Thursday’s opening night of the National Finals Rodeo, Aus was saddled with a no-score and took himself out of the chance to win some money in the average, a large-paying  Continue Reading »

Bareback riding: 1. Tanner Aus, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage, $26,231; 2. Trenton Montero, 89, $20,731; 3. Kaycee Field, 88, $15,654; 4. Tim O’Connell, 87, $11,000; 5. Clayton Biglow, 86, $6,769; 6. Caleb Bennett, 84, $4,231. Steer wrestling: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.8 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 4.1, $18,192  Continue Reading »

Bareback riding: 1. Tanner Aus, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage, $26,231; 2. Trenton Montero, 89, $20,731; 3. Kaycee Field, 88, $15,654; 4. Tim O’Connell, 87, $11,000; 5. Clayton Biglow, 86, $6,769; 6. Caleb Bennett, 84, $4,231. Steer wrestling: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.8 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 4.1, $18,192  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When Tim O’Connell returned to the game in June after rehabilitating an injury he suffered a year ago at the National Finals Rodeo, he was hungry for a fourth straight world championship. Through two nights of ProRodeo’s grand finale, that voracity has grown. “I’m starving,” said O’Connell, who rode Kesler Rodeo’s Uptown  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – In the world of rodeo, each bareback ride can be likened to a major title fight. As a horse jumps and kicks, it’s throwing punches and the cowboy, who returns blows with spur strokes in rhythm with the animal. The battles over the first two nights of the National Finals Rodeo have  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Garrett Smith had just ridden one of the rankest bulls in ProRodeo for 91.5 points on Friday night to win the second round of the National Finals Rodeo. It was a thrilling ride, but he was most fascinated by what happened directly afterward. “I don’t remember my get off, but I didn’t  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The National Finals Rodeo can be a vindictive setting for ProRodeo’s greatest stars. The best way to combat that is to find the positives in every situation that arises. That’s vital, because hitting the dirt one night could disappear with a championship ride the next. If that’s not enough, there’s a great  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Bareback rider Ty Breuer wanted to get off to a good start at the 2019 National Finals Rodeo. After the first two nights, he’s done it. He posted a solid score on Thursday night, then followed it up on Friday with an 87.5-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Black Kat, good  Continue Reading »

Bareback riding: 1. Trenten Montero, 90.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetic’s Prairie Rose, $26,231; 2. Tim O’Connell, 89.5, $20,731; 3. Richmond Champion, 89, $15,654; 4. (tie) Clint Laye and Ty Breuer, 87.5, $8,885 each; 6. Taylor Broussard, 87, $4,231. Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, J.D.  Continue Reading »

Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, J.D. Struxness and Scott Guenthner, 4.3, $15,795 each; 5. Matt Reeves, 4.7, $6,769; 6. Kyle Irwin, 4.9, $4,231. Team roping: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 4.1 seconds, $26,231; 2. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 4.6, $20,731; 3. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.7, $15,654; 4. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior  Continue Reading »

Trenten Montero, 90.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetic’s Prairie Rose, $26,231; 2. Tim O’Connell, 89.5, $20,731; 3. Richmond Champion, 89, $15,654; 4. (tie) Clint Laye and Ty Breuer, 87.5, $8,885 each; 6. Taylor Broussard, 87, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – Garrett Smith understands how important it is to get off to a good start at the National Finals Rodeo. Apparently, the word is spreading in the bull riders’ locker room. During Thursday’s opening round of the 2019 championship, Smith was one of 10 cowboys to ride their bulls, a big number in  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The obstacles that come any contestant’s way at the National Finals Rodeo can be varied and be plentiful. That’s why a simple-but-straight-forward approach is best when competing at ProRodeo’s grand finale. It’s what has worked for steer wrestler J.D. Struxness in his two previous qualifications to Las Vegas, and it propelled him  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – On opening night of the 2019 National Finals Rodeo, Tim O’Connell scored 88 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Two Buck Chuck and was just a point off the first-round record. It was a tremendous way to start his sixth NFR, however, there were four guys who had better scores, three of whom  Continue Reading »