About: Ted

LAS VEGAS – There isn’t a hotter tie-down roper over the last five rounds of the National Finals Rodeo than Ryan Jarrett. He has placed each of those nights, including at least a share of two round wins, and has pocketed $90,526 heading into Saturday’s final round of the 2018 ProRodeo season. He has increased his season earnings to $168,077 and has moved up to fourth in the world standings. More importantly, he can surpass the $100,000 barrier if he has a strong finish. On Friday night, he roped and tied his calf in 8.7 seconds to finish sixth in the ninth round of this year’s NFR. That’s a fantastic flurry that has proven beneficial to the Comanche, Okla., cowboy, who failed to collect a check on the first four nights of this year’s championship. But a late scramble is nothing new to Jarrett, who was raised on a dairy farm in Summerville, Ga. He earned his spot to compete in Las Vegas by winning the rodeo in Kingman, Ariz., on the final day of the regular season. He entered the NFR No. 15 in the world standings. Having moved up 11 spots is proof of the talent Jarrett possesses, but he had established that early in his career. He won the 2005 all-around title, claiming the most coveted Montana Silversmiths gold buckle in the game by doing well in both steer wrestling and tie-down roping. Since that season, he has focused his attention on roping, and he’s been one of the best in the business ever since. Counting his qualification in bulldogging 13 seasons ago, he has 12 qualifications to ProRodeo’s grand finale. His best finish in tie-down roping came in 2006, when he finished fifth. He has a solid chance to better that this year, and it will come down to Round 10 to decide. Though he’s out of the race for the world title, Jarrett makes his living in the game he loves, and he’s done quite well for himself in a week’s time. That’s a good thing. He and his wife, Shy-Anne, are expecting their first child, a baby girl, in two months. Life is about to change for the Jarretts, but in one of the most positive ways possible. Now, he is riding that wave as he closes out another solid campaign.

Ty Breuer said today he will be unable to compete in Saturday’s 10th round of the National Finals Rodeo. He has suffered an elbow injury to his right riding arm. Breuer becomes the third bareback rider to be knocked out of the competition by injury, joining Bill Tutor, who suffered a broken collarbone, and Will Lowe, who has a broken wrist. Breuer, who was set to be matched with two-time Bareback Horse of the Year Virgil on Saturday night, finished his fourth NFR with $36,231.

Bareback riding: 1. Shane O’Connell, 89 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Black Leg, $26,231; 2. Mason Clements, 88.5, $20,731; 3. Orin Larsen, 87, $15,654; 4. Richmond Champion, 86, $11,000; 5. (tie) Kaycee Feild and Clayton Biglow, 85.5, $5,500 each. Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.7 seconds, $26,231; 2. Bridger Chambers, 3.8, $20,731; 3. Scott Guenthner, 4.0, $15,654; 4. (tie) Jacob Talley and Will Lummus, 4.1, $8,885 each; 6. Curtis Cassidy, 4.2, $4,231. Team roping: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Chase Tryan, 3.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koontz and Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 4.1, $15,795 each; 5. Erich Rogers/Clint Summers, 4.2, $6,770; 6. Rhen Richards/Quinn Kesler, 4.6, $4,231. Saddle bronc riding: 1. (tie) Chase Brooks on Dakota Rodeo’s Bartender and Rusty Wright on Rosser Rodeo’s Floodtide, 90 points, $23,481 each; 3. CoBurn Bradshaw, 89, $15,654; 4. Clay Elliot, 87.5, $11,000; 5. Zeke Thurston, 86.5, $6,770; 6. Cort Scheer, 86, $4,231. Tie-down roping: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 7.3 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Tuf Cooper and Tyson Durfey, 7.4, $18,193 each; 4. Shane Hanchey, Caleb Smidt, Jake Pratt and Cory Solomon, 7.6, $5,500 each. Barrel racing: 1. Taci Bettis, 13.57 seconds, $26,231; 2. Carman Pozzobon, 13.70, $20,731; 3. Amberleigh Moore, 13.71, $15,654; 4. Stevi Hillman, 13.72, $11,000; 5. Tammy Fischer, 13.81, $6,769; 6. (tie) Nellie Miller and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 13.84, $2,115 each. Bull riding: 1. (tie) Joe Frost, on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Lumberjack, and Chase Dougherty, on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Dirty Dan, 89.5 points, $24,327 each; 3. Roscoe Jarboe, 71.5, $16,500; 4. Tyler Bingham, 67.5, $11,846; 5. Eli Vastbinder, 60.5, $7,615; no other qualified rides.

LAS VEGAS – There’s likely nothing Ryan Jarrett hasn’t tried to change his luck at one point or another during his ProRodeo career. “I know I won the other night in pink, but I’ve been wearing black ever since, and I’m sticking with it,” said Jarrett, the 2005 all-around world champion from Comanche, Okla. “I’ve got an old belt on that I wear every day. I hung up the other one with the all-around (gold) buckle and just changed a few things up. “If it ain’t going good, I will change it up and try to get it rolling on my side.” It’s working, or at least it seems that way. After failing to secure a paycheck on the first four nights of the National Finals Rodeo, Jarrett has filled his pockets four straight rounds. He’s won at least a share of two rounds, including the outright win on Wednesday night to win the eighth round. “I like the calf I had,” he said after posting a 7.3-second run to collect another $26,231. “I thought it fit my style. I got me a good start, and he was out there a little bit. I got him off his feet, and it was perfect timing, nothing out of whack. It went really good.” Yes, it did. He entered the NFR a week ago No. 15 in the world standings, securing the last spot in the field on the final day of the regular season. Over the last four nights, he has moved all the way up to fifth in the world standings. He has earned $86,295 in the City of Lights, more than doubling his earnings since arriving. He sits at $163,847 for the season. “I’m looking forward to (Friday) night,” Jarrett said. “The first few rounds weren’t worth you know what, and here we are now. It’s a totally different atmosphere. I couldn’t ask for it to be better.” Jarrett isn’t handling all this on his own. He’s got a fantastic support system, including his wife, Shy-Anne, and his father, DeJuan, who came out from his Summerville, Ga., home to handle some of the labor involved. Part of that is taking care of Jarrett’s horse, Snoopy. “Dad comes over (to the arena) at 6:30 or 7 (a.m.) and feeds, then I come mid-morning to get him out,” he said. “We put some different ointments on his legs and get him out and let him roll a little bit. We just want to make sure everything is good, make sure he feels good and tend to him.” Horse and rider seem to be doing very well, and the proof is in the money.

LAS VEGAS – Jim Boy Hash is a college rodeo coach in western Kansas and is an Oklahoma Panhandle State University graduate. He also raises bucking horses. Orin Larsen is from Inglis, Manitoba, who graduated from the College of Southern Idaho and Panhandle State. He also rides bucking horses. On Thursday night, Hash-raised, Hi Lo ProRodeo-owned Pretty Woman and Larsen matched moves inside the Thomas & Mack Center for 87 points to finish third in the eighth round of the National Finals Rodeo. It earned Larsen an additional $15,654. “Caleb Bennett had that horse earlier in the week and didn’t get along with it,” said Larsen, who now lives in Gering, Neb. “It’s just your typical eliminator horse. She dang sure gave me the test. I’m happy to come out on top. “I thought that would be kind of cool to win the round again, from a Panhandle State kid to a Panhandle State horse. We got third, and I’m not turning up my nose at that.” The third and eighth rounds feature the hardest-to-ride horses in bareback riding called the “eliminator” pen. Larsen has excelled on those horses; he was 87 points both nights, riding the Calgary Stampede’s Trail Dust last Saturday. He made Thursday’s ride look easier than it was. “It didn’t feel that great,” he said. “There were a lot of things going on. I know I was swinging and hitting something; I just didn’t now what I was hitting. That’s how the eliminator pen is supposed to be. It’s the kind of pen where the boys become men.” In his eight nights in the Nevada desert, Larsen has earned $76,846. He has pushed his season salary to $207,501 and moved up one spot to third place in the world standings. He trails the No. 2 man, Tim O’Connell, by less than $20,000 and the leader, Caleb Bennett, by less than $33,000. “I’m pretty fortunate to come here and make the money,” Larsen said. “I’m able to do that and enjoy it.”