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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 for being the most difficult-to-ride at the NFR. “But I’m looking to get in that top five. There have been five guys in front of me, and come (next) Saturday night, I don’t want one guy in front of me.” The relief is gone, and the focused has returned. After missing most of the 2019 regular season because of an injury, he entered the NFR sixth in the world standings. On Saturday night, he rode Powder River Rodeo’s Black Leg for 87 points to finish fourth in the third round, worth $11,000. That pushed his NFR earnings to $48,500 and moved him to fifth in the world standings with $161,668. “I had a great horse in a pen of hard horses,” said O’Connell of Zwingle, Iowa, now living in Marshall, Missouri, with his wife, Sami, and their son, Hazen. “I feel like I had a strong start and that I was very patient waiting for her to break, not trying to do too much. There was an 89 posted before me; normally when that happens, I start thinking about going after the round win, but I knew what that horse could probably do under me. “She doesn’t really have a set pattern, but I knew she was going to go left. She can make a really tight circle, so I stayed patient until she broke and made a smart ride. I didn’t do anything that was going to put me in jeopardy.” Being in control on a powerful bucking horse, especially an “Eliminator,” is only for the elite in the game. In order to register high scores, bareback riders will spur from above the shoulders back to their riggings, then push their feet back to the neck of the horse before the animal’s front hooves hit the ground. “She gave me the stuff to make a great bareback ride,” he said. “I was up, I was down and I beat her to the ground. I was in control of my upper body. I was pretty happy with a fourth-place check in the ‘E pen’ and an 87. “Right now, I’m happy with how things are going. I feel great; I feel aggressive. Out of the six times I’ve been here, I don’t have any pressure on me this year. I feel confident. I feel deadly on everything under me.” That confidence shows in glowing ways. He has his equipment dialed in, as is his body, which can take a beating on the backs of the best bucking animals in the world. His pre-NFR workout regimen has him conditioned well to handle the stresses of Las Vegas in December. “I’m enjoying this time out here with my wife, my family and my little boy,” O’Connell said. “I’m excited. I really think this is the best start to my Wrangler NFR career.”

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 three-way tie for fourth place in the third go-round of ProRodeo’s grand finale. He has now earned more money ($51,321) than any other bulldogger in Sin City and has moved from 10th to fourth in the world standings with $134,150. This marks the Minnesota cowboy’s third qualification to the NFR in four years, and he’s been quite successful in the Nevada desert. In 2016, he won at least a share of four rounds and placed in two others, pocketing nearly $130,000 over 10 days. A year later, he earned almost $110,000 at the NFR. Last year, he missed competing for the world championship, finishing the regular season 27th in the standings. That provided him with solid motivation as he pushed his way into the top five with seven nights remaining on the 2019 campaign. The key to his success this week has been consistency, which also is what catapulted him to the intercollegiate national title while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He was solid through all four runs at the College National Finals Rodeo that year, and he has proven that to be a valuable tool in Las Vegas. With his former rodeo coach and current traveling partner Stockton Graves serving as his hazer, Struxness has made runs in the same area of the Thomas & Mack Center arena each of the opening three rounds. Graves, a seven-time NFR qualifier, took over the Northwestern program right before competing in Las Vegas for the last time in 2011. Struxness is actually one of two former Northwestern bulldoggers competing at this year’s championship – he is joined by Kyle Irwin of Robertsdale, Alabama. Both serve as proof of the talent that comes out of Alva, a community of 5,100 people; Northwestern has been dubbed the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo. Now Struxness would like to add a Montana Silversmiths gold buckle to his resume, but he knows the key will be to remain consistent through the final seven nights of ProRodeo’s premier event.

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 enough to finish the second round in a tie for fourth place. He pocketed $8,885. “I’ve been on Black Kat a couple of times,” said Breuer of Mandan, North Dakota. “He’s been around a long time and is the one you want at Beutler rodeos, especially the short rounds. You know that one is going to do it every single time. That’s a good horse and has been for a long time.” Breuer’s pretty good, too. This is his fifth NFR qualification, and he had a fantastic regular season. An illness kept him on the sidelines a good portion of the season, when he wasn’t off the rodeo trail to take care of the family ranch. In fact, he earned $88,699 while competing at just 27 rodeos. By claiming his money in Vegas on Friday night, he pushed his season earnings to $107,584. If he keeps riding horses that well, he’ll keep adding to it over the next eight nights. He’ll have to score big, though. Through just two nights, bareback riders have posted four scores in the 90s. “The horses and the cowboys are that good,” he said. “It’s better than it has been, and it’s fun to be part of it. When 90s are winning rounds, that’s pretty awesome.” For Breuer, part of the excitement of his round-placing ride on Friday came with working through the rust that has developed. It’s been more than a month since he was on a bucking horse, so he needed to get back in the rhythm with his mount. “It just felt good that I got stuff rolling again,” Breuer said. “I haven’t been on in a while. It felt so good to get on a horse where I could get my feet moving again and get everything rolling again. Now he wants to keep the momentum going. Sometimes it takes just one quality ride to make everything better. He and the other 14 bareback riders will face the toughest-to-ride horses at the NFR on Saturday night when they dip into the “Eliminator Pen.” It will be a test of their mental and physical fortitude as well as their endurance of riding bucking horses back to back for 10 nights in a row. “It takes a couple rounds to get the soreness out, but then a guy feels good about the 10th one,” he said with a laugh. Whether he’s sore heading into Round 3 or not, he’ll feel pretty good about his riding.

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 incentive each round, with go-round winners pocketing $26,231. “It’s really important to stay positive here,” said J.D. Struxness, who cashed in for the second straight go-round Friday night to kickstart his run through the NFR. “I felt like we had a decent start tonight; maybe not the best we needed but still decent. To get here and place on them and keep the ball rolling is important.” He rolled to a 4.3-second run, finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the round. With that, he pocketed $15,795 on Friday night and pushed his season earnings to $126,816 – nearly $34,000 has come in the opening two rounds of this year’s championship. “It was kind of rough from the beginning, and my steer ran pretty hard,” he said. “I ran him down a way and was still able to be 4.3 on him. I’m thankful for that, and it placed me in the round. I was able to set the pace, and then it got rolling after that.” Prior to his run, the fastest time posted was Matt Reeves’ 4.7, so Struxness set the mark. Two-time world champion Tyler Waguespack upended the standard, posting a 3.6 to win the round and the lion’s share of the payout. Now, Struxness has eight more nights to step up his game. He now sits fifth in the world standings and trails the leader, Ty Erickson, by less than $30,000. “To keep that going, we just have to keep taking those cuts at the barrier, getting the best start we can and keep throwing the steers down,” said Struxness, 25, of Milan, Minnesota, who is utilizing his former rodeo coach, Stockton Graves, as hazer to help keep the steers lined up each run. “Stockton has done a great job taking care of the horses and making sure they’re ready every night. “Having someone who has been here and done it before, I know our horses are working good. He knows what to do hazing for me, and we just go out there and give them hell every night.”

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 land on my head, so that’s pretty impressive,” said Smith, who shared a wry smile that was both descriptively funny and truthful at the same time. “That’s two nights in a row.” He was one of just three of the 15 bull riders to cover their bulls for the qualifying eight seconds, and each earned a bit of a bonus. Each round pays out $84,615, and the remaining three spots ($22,000) were split among the three who placed, with each earning $7,333 in addition to their original earnings. For Smith, he pocketed $33,564. “We rode 10 bulls (Thursday) night, so we went from riding 10 to three,” said Smith, 24, of Rexburg, Idaho. “That’s quite a change.” The bulls held the advantage from the beginning. As the eighth cowboy to go, Smith was the first to make a qualified ride, matching every move Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Gold threw at him. He was joined in the winner’s circle by five-time world champion Sage Kimzey and Boudreaux Campbell. Through two nights in Las Vegas, Smith has earned $47,795 and has pushed his season earnings to $171,769. He has moved from seventh to fourth in the world standings. “I’ll take that,” he said. “It is better than sitting at home like last year.” Injuries kept the Idaho cowboy from advancing to the NFR a year ago – he finished 23rd in the 2018 standings. He’s already making a statement in his return to ProRodeo’s grand championship. He didn’t know much about Black Gold, but he made it work to his advantage. “I knew he (spun) right,” Smith said. “All they told me was he was a handful. It was either going to work, or it was going to be good-watching. To be (91.5) in another rodeo is great, but to do it in front of all these people for this much money is incredible. “Riding him was like letting a balloon loose. It was going by really fast, and at one point, I closed my eyes, and it worked out.” A key, he has said, is to feel good while competing at this year’s NFR. Injuries have hampered him in his early rodeo career, but he finally himself completely healthy toward the end of the 2019 regular season. “I feel awesome,” he said. “My knees aren’t even sore, so that’s impressive.” He’s also taking a different approach to his mental game, which is a big part of finding success in this sport. “What really helps me is I can go bulldog (wrestle steers), and it takes my mind completely off bull riding,” Smith said. “If you start overthinking stuff, that’s when you mess up, and that’s when it goes south in a hurry. Just to do something else takes your mind completely off it. “Having that really takes everything off bull riding, so when you go back, you go back fresh.” Bull riding is mostly a reactionary sport, so letting his mind get out of the way of his athleticism is key. It’s led to success early in this year’s championship, and he hopes it will keep rolling through the final eight nights in Sin City. “I only got on one bull before getting here,” said Smith, now competing at the NFR for the third time in four years. “That worked out pretty good. I’m really good at not thinking.”

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 been impressive, and it looks to continue through the final eight nights of the 2019 season. “I knew it was going to be like this, and I expected nothing else,” said Richmond Champion, who earned his second straight paycheck on Friday night by finishing third in the second go-round with an 89-point ride on J Bar J’s Straight Jacket. “I knew I had the horse. Those seem to be the most nerve-wracking times, because you don’t want to mess it up. I think that’s the best I’ve ever had him. “Sparky (Dreesen of J Bar J) told me he was fresh, and he was going to be all there. He was right. That horse was awesome.” With that, Champion added another $15,654 to his season earnings. Combined with his Round 1 victory and the $10,000 bonus each contestant receives when they arrive in Las Vegas, he has earned $51,885 in a couple of days. That’s an NFR best, only matched with barrel racer Emily Miller. As for his ride, an 89-point marking will win most rodeos throughout the year. In fact, it would win most rounds at the NFR, but there may be a changing of the tide inside the Thomas & Mack Center. Opening night featured three 90-point-plus rides, and NFR rookie Trenton Montero won Friday’s round with a 90.5-point ride; three-time champion Tim O’Connell was second at 89.5. “Good for Trenton,” Champion said. “I had goosebumps for him. That was awesome, then Tim made a great ride. We’re just going to be repeating ourselves all week, but it is a good feeling.” While the experience in Sin City is magical because of all the great things about the championship, it also is one of the most stressful situations cowboys face all year. They’re chasing after big bucks every night, and they’re all battling for the Montana Silversmiths gold buckles that go to the world champions in each event. For the bareback riders, they’re also getting on the 100 best bucking horses in the game, all divided into five pens to keep the opportunities equal for each contestant. Their Round 3 and Round 8 draws come out of the “Eliminator Pen,” best known for featuring the hardest-to-ride horses in the game. “They were picking the pen for (Saturday), and I just walked out of the room,” he said. “Whatever I get is the one I’m supposed to have. Tomorrow isn’t about what anyone else is doing; it’s about what you are doing, which is whatever it takes to ride whatever they draw you. It’s a pen full of dragons, so bring your armor and come to war. “It is not a fun day. You just want it to be over. But that is why we are here, that is why we ride 10 and bring all sorts of horses, because you are not a world champion if you can’t ride these.”

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 Flash for 89.5 points to finish as the runner-up in Friday’s second go-round of the NFR, his second straight paycheck in as many nights. “Keep feeding them in here, because I’m coming.” He has earned $37,500 so far in Las Vegas and has pushed his season earnings to $150,668; a big part of that was the $20,731 he pocketed Friday. “My feet feel fast; they feel deliberate,” said O’Connell, 28, of Zwingle, Iowa. “I had two great horses to start this thing off. I couldn’t be more excited about how they both went. I was honestly a little upset with myself how I rode (Thursday) night to finish that horse. I made some corrections (Friday), and I feel like I made a great ride. I feel like I really finished him off.” Bareback riding is a tough game, possibly the toughest in rodeo. Cowboys strap a rigging onto their mounts, then wedge their hands into the equipment, basically tying themselves to the horse. Even “easy” rides can be hard on the body, and adjustments made are done mentally. His three Montana Silversmiths gold buckles are proof that O’Connell is one of the best in the game at making modifications. “I have prepared myself to be the very best in the world on five different calibers of horses,” he said. “This is a different caliber than (Thursday) night, a different riding style, but I take what I did and the mistake I made into consideration with the horse I have under me. I felt like it was a smarter move.” On his opening-round horse, O’Connell got flashy, opening his legs wide to create exposure between him and the animal on each spur stroke. That can be appealing to judges, but it also can put the cowboy in a compromising position. “The judges weren’t marking you for getting extra exposure,” he said. “When that horse shot forward and left me that last second and a half, it cost me. That half second could have cost me a half a point, which cost me about $7,000. “That $7,000 might mean a world title, so what I did (Friday) was make sure I stayed gathered up. I just (spurred back) to my rigging, exposed out and (pushed my feet) down to make sure I beat that horse to the ground every jump.” Saturday’s third round will feature the “Eliminator Pen,” the toughest-to-ride bareback horses in the game. It’s a rugged test of each cowboy’s ability and determination through eight seconds of hell and intense athleticism. “We’ve got our buckers (Saturday),” O’Connell said. “Truthfully, that’s where you separate the guys that really put in the hard work compared to the guys who didn’t. “We brought the rankest horses in the world. This is the best bareback riding you’re ever going to watch. I’m thankful to be part of it, and I’m excited to be in this hunt.”

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 an event that features not only the top 15 bull riders but also the top 100 bulls in the country. In fact, Smith’s 87-point ride on Hy Test of Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics would have won many rounds inside the Thomas & Mack Center, but that didn’t happen Thursday. He posted the sixth-best ride of the night and settled for the smallest payout of the night. Still, that was worth $4,231, which moved his season earnings to $138,305; he remains seventh in the world standings. Two years ago, Smith placed in a tie for third with an 85.5-point ride in the opening round. In his inaugural run at the NFR, an 87-point ride to finish second in the second round. That’s just a testament to the kind of opener it was at this year’s NFR. The key moving forward is to continue to ride. It’s easier said than done, though. It’s been 25 years since a cowboy has ridden all 10 bulls at the NFR, last done by Brazilian Adriano Moraes in 1994. A year ago, Chase Dougherty rode seven of 10 bulls to claim the average title, which is worth $67,269 at the conclusion of the NFR. But there is plenty of money remaining in the go-rounds. Each night, the winning bull rider will pocket $26,231. Heading into the final nine nights of ProRodeo’s grand finale, trails the leader, five-time world champion Sage Kimzey, by $124,002. If everything goes Smith’s way, he can move into the lead just after the NFR’s midway point. In Friday night’s second round, he was set to ride Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Gold, a 6-year-old black bull that is bucking in Las Vegas for the third straight year. It’s just another golden opportunity for the Rexburg, Idaho, cowboy.

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. 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 Nogueira, Tate Kirchenschlager/Tyler Worley and Jake Cooper/Caleb Anderson, 4.8, $7,333 each.

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. 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 Nogueira, Tate Kirchenschlager/Tyler Worley and Jake Cooper/Caleb Anderson, 4.8, $7,333 each. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Jesse Wright, 89.5 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Awesome Sauce, $26,231; 2. Rusty Wright, 85.5, $20,731; 3. Jacobs Crawley, 84.5, $15,653; 4. Brody Cress, 78, $11,000; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: 1. Marty Yates, 7.3 seconds, $26,231; 2. Tyler Milligan, 8.2, $20,731; 3. (tie) Haven Meged and Shad Mayfield, 8.6, $13,327 each; 5. (tie) Tyson Durfey and Taylor Santos, 8.7, $5,500 each. Barrel racing: 1. Dona Kay Rule, 13.69 seconds, $26,231; 2. Hailey Kinsel, 13.73, $20,731; 3. Emily Miller, 13.74, $15,654; 4. Amberleigh Moore, 13.78, $11,000; 5. Ivy Conrado-Saebens, 13.83, $6,796; 6. Lisa Lockhart, 13.85, $4,231. Bull riding: 1. Garrett Smith, 91.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Gold, $33,565; 2. Sage Steele Kimzey, 84.5, $28,065; 3. Boudreaux Campbell, 82, $22,987; no other qualified rides.

Bareback riding: 1. Richmond Champion, 91.5 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Night Crawler, $26,231; 2. Clayton Biglow, 90.5, $20,731; 3. Caleb Bennett, 90, $15,654; 4. Tilden Hooper, 88.5, $11,000; 5. Tim O’Connell, 88, $6,769; 6. (tie) Orin Larsen and Clint Laye, 87.5, $2,115 each. Steer wrestling: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Bridger Chambers and J.D. Struxness, 3.8, $18,192 each; 4. Stetson Jorgensen, 4.0, $11,000; 5. Tyler Waguespack, 4.1, $6,769; 6. (tie) Will Lummus, Tyler Pearson and Cameron Morman, 4.3, $1,410 each. Team roping: 1. Tyler Wade/Cole Davison, 4.0 seconds, $26,231; 2. Matt Sherwood/Hunter Koch, 4.1, $20,731; 3. Erich Rogers/Kyle Lockett, 4.3, $15,654; 4. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 4.5, $11,000; 5. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.6, $6,769; 6. (tie) Riley Minor/Brady Minor and Luke Brown/Paul Eaves, 4.7, $2,115 each. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Zeke Thurston, 88  points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Sue City Sue, $26,231; 2. (tie) Bradley Harter and JJ Elshere, 86.5, $18,192 each; 4. (tie) Spencer Wright, Chase Brooks and Brody Cress, 86, $7,333 each. Tie-down roping: 1. Shane Hanchey, 7.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. Taylor Santos, 8.1, $20,731; 3. Haven Meged, 8.3, $15,654; 4. (tie) Tyson Durfey and Marty Yates, 8.4, $8,885 each; 6. Michael Otero, 8.6, $4,231. Barrel racing: 1. Emily Miller, 13.63 seconds, $26,231; 2. Lisa Lockhart, 13.70, $20,731; 3. Stevi Hillman, 13.75, $15,654; 4. Nellie Miller, 13.90, $11,000; 5. (tie) Jessica Routier and Jennifer Sharp, 13.97, $5,500 each. Bull riding: 1. Stetson Wright, 92.5 points on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Monte Walsh, $26,231; 2. Boudreaux Campbell, 92, $20,731; 3. Tyler Bingham, 90, $15,654; 4. Jordan Hansen, 89.5, $11,000; 5. Sage Kimzey, 87.5, $6,769; 6. Garrett Smith, 87, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – Clayton Biglow has scored at least 90 points at the National Finals Rodeo a few times, but rarely has he marked such a high score to finish second. Biglow, a four-time NFR qualifier from Clements, California, owns the arena record with a 93-point bareback ride, a feat he accomplished in the fifth round of the 2018 championship. On Thursday during the opening round of this year’s finale, he rode Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Ain’t No Angel for 90.5 points. “I’ve had some good starts in the past, and I’ve had some bad starts, but obviously, in this situation that I’m in, it’s great to have that,” he said. “I’m probably going to forget about it by the time I (end the night).” He held the lead for more than half an hour, but fellow bareback rider Richmond Champion won the opening round by scoring a point better than Biglow – Champion was awarded a re-ride, then posted the winning ride when his opportunity allowed a little later in the round. Still, Biglow pocketed $20,731 and pushed his season earnings to $212,683. He owns a lead of nearly $26,000 over the No. 2 man in the world standings, four-time champion Kaycee Feild. He entered the 10-day championship No. 1 in the world standings and wants to leave as such and collect his first Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. “Now its on to tomorrow,” he said, matter-of-factly mentioning that his focus remains steady on what lies ahead. It all began with him knowing his horse well. Ain’t No Angel is one of the better-known broncs from Cervi Rodeo, a Colorado-based livestock firm “I got on that horse in Houston this year,” said Biglow, 24, who attended Feather River College on a rodeo scholarship. “Out of all her trips this year, she probably had her weakest trip with me that day, and she was still good. “That horse absolutely loves this arena. I think they’ve been 90 on her every time they’ve had her here.” Biglow loves this place, too. A year ago, he won the fifth round and placed on six other nights, pocketing more than $110,000 in process. “I’ll take second if that’s the worst it’s going to get here this week,” he said. “I’m one of those guys that if something good happens, I like to forget about it and work on what you did wrong rather than focus on what you did right.”

LAS VEGAS – Richmond Champion admitted to first-round jitters Thursday during the opening night of the National Finals Rodeo. He was able to work through them rather quickly, though. After his first Pickett Pro Rodeo horse, Nighlivin, didn’t live up to his potential, Champion was awarded a re-ride, where he was matched with Pickett’s Night Crawler. It was nearly a match made in heaven for the bareback rider. “Nightlivin is out of the right-hand deliver and usually does the same thing Night Crawler does out of the left,” said Champion, 26, of The Woodlands, Texas, now living in Stevensville, Montana, with his newlywed bride, Paige. “Nightlivin is just a little young and had an off day, but I was definitely excited to see Night Crawler for the reride.” It paid off. He posted a 91.5-point ride to win the opening round by just a half point over the No. 1 man in the game, Clayton Biglow. Champion pocketed $26,231 and pushed his season earnings to $167,060. What’s more impressive, though, is the three rides that were at least 90 points in the first round. “That first round was crazy; we strive for that caliber of horse,” he said. “That’s a testament to the work the guys are putting in and all the contractors and all their breeding. I told the guys when we put this pen together that there is not a horse I wouldn’t want to get on. I don’t know if it has ever been quite this good. “I think round for round, the quality and the competitiveness between guys and evenness among horses, the level is going up. It’s exciting to be part of.” Even if he had to get on two horses in the opening night. “Getting on that second horse definitely wasn’t any less nerve-wracking,” he said. “I had the NFR jitters, and the first one’s out of the way. When you find out you have that kind of opportunity, especially after what had just been done, I was pretty excited to get on another horse.” He has learned to make the adjustments necessary to compete in ProRodeo’s most elite level. He first qualified for the NFR in 2014, and this marks his fifth trip to Las Vegas in six years. He’s won a boatload of money in Sin City, and he has nine more nights to keep adding to that total. “The more you do something, the better you get at it, so I hope I’m still improving every year,” Champion said. “We’ve got new guys coming in like Clayton Biglow and Taylor Broussard that are constantly stepping up their game. If you want to stay relevant, you have to keep evolving and changing and pushing the envelope. “Everyone in that (locker) room is doing it, so you might as well get on board.”

Canadian claims BFO Roughy Cup to secure his bid for championship belt LAS VEGAS – Aaron Mercer had a goal in mind when he arrived in Georgia for the Bullfighters Only Development Camp in April. He accomplished it on the first day of the 10-day Bullfighters Only Las Vegas Championship, winning the prestigious BFO Roughy Cup and collecting $10,000. Mercer has now distanced himself from the field and can’t be caught in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings. “It’s just unfathomable,” said Mercer of Calgary, Alberta. “A year ago, I would have never expected to be in this dirt, much less holding this (Roughy) Cup in my hand. It’s surreal, but it’s become a reality.” He did it by having a spectacular 2019, setting a regular-season earnings record with $61,350. He was going to be hard to catch, but it changed from unlikely to impossible after Thursday’s performance at the Tropicana Las Vegas. “This morning started out good, because (Justin) Josey and I just talked bullfighting and came up with a plan for how we wanted this day to go,” Mercer said. “We just wanted to do good. We’ve been helping each other throughout the year. “Josey came out and put on a fight, and I was able to put on a fight after, then I was lucky enough to win it. I just kept my head about me heading into the short round. The competition was broken down into a long round featuring four brackets – the traveling partners were in the same round. Only the winner of each round advanced to the Hooey Championship Round. Josey posted 82.5 points to own the lead for a few minutes, before Mercer topped it with an event best 87-point bout. He was joined in the Hooey Championship Round by Dayton Spiel, Toby Inman and Beau Schueth. “It’s still Vegas, but in reality, it’s just another bull,” said Mercer, whose 85-point fight in the final round pushed him to the title. His final-round bull was a handful. At one point, the angry bovine became wrapped up in Mercer’s shorts and slammed him to the dirt. The Canadian regathered himself and finished off the fight much like he has all season. “I get hit and knocked down quite a bit, but you have to get up and just go for it,” he said. “I could barely see my first bull. I got knocked down and had sand in my eyes, and I couldn’t see anything but a black blob. You just have to trust yourself.” He has plenty of trust, and in one day, he clinched the Roughy Cup and the one-of-a-kind BFO championship belt, handcrafted by RB Buckles and Ride Hard Leather. “This is beyond words right now,” Mercer said. “I’ve never worked so hard for something in my life. It’s paying off. “I just want to be a role model for anyone else out there that wants to do this.” BFO Roughy Cup Results Round 1: 1. Dayton Spiel, 78 points; 2. Weston Rutkowski, 77.56; 3. Anthony Morse, 71. Round 2: 1. Dylan Idleman, 81 points; 2. Beau Schueth, 80.5; 3. Chance Moorman, 79.5 (Scheuth advances to final round because of an injury to Idleman). Round 3: 1. Toby Inman, 83 points; 2. Kris Furr, 82.5; 3. Tucker Lane, 81.5. Round 4: 1. Aaron Mercer, 87 points; 2.  Justin Josey, 82.5; 3. Dekevis Jordan, 74.5. Hooey Championship Round: 1. Aaron Mercer, 85 points; 2. Beau Schueth, 84.5; 3. Dayton Spiel, 76; 4. Toby Inman, 75.5.

LAS VEGAS – The difference between winning the first round of the National Finals Rodeo and finishing in a tie for sixth place was just four points. Or in a single slip from an athletic bucking horse. Both happened Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, where Orin Larsen rode Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Shady Nights for 87.5 points to finish in a tie for bottom hole in the payout with fellow bareback rider Clint Laye, pocketing $2,115 each. “We got started, and I’ll take that,” said Larsen of Inglis, Manitoba, now living in Gering, Nebraska, with his wife, Alexa. “I think anyone who makes the finals on numerous occasions still gets the first-round jitters. I was fortunate enough to get on at the Canadian Finals (Rodeo), so I worked some of the kinks out as I went along. “But it’s still nothing like bucking at the Thomas & Mack. To get a score like 87.5, I’m pretty tickled.” It is a big score, and oftentimes it’s going to get a big check. At most rodeos, cowboys win the bareback riding with a score like that. But Thursday’s bareback riding was phenomenal, with Texan Richmond Champion winning the round with a 91.5-point ride. “We were talking about that in the dressing room that it would be the rankest first round of bareback riding we’ve seen,” Larsen said. “I think we hit the nail on the head.” And the slip? “That’s just rodeo,” he said. “To get a score like 87.5, I’m pretty tickled. It just shows that the horsepower I had there that I can get that kind of score after the horse slipped.” He has pushed his season earnings to $185,558 and still sits third in the world standings, less than $550 behind the No. 2 man, Kaycee Feild. Larsen is chasing a world championship in Las Vegas, chasing his dreams, but he also knows he rides for something else. Family has always been something special for the Larsen clan, who grew up in Manitoba on the family’s ranch. Orin’s older brother, Tyrel, and Tyrel’s wife, Chaney, are expecting their second child and recently learned that the baby suffers from spina bifida in utero; Chaney Latham will have surgery next week at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to help the fetus as much as possible. “Tyrel and Chaney have thousands and thousands of prayer warriors out there for them,” Orin Larsen said. “That baby, no matter how it comes out, will be perfect the way he is. I’m pretty excited to meet him in March. We just pray the surgeons will do the best they can for what they are dealing with, and everything will go as smoothly as possible. “My mom is torn between staying for the NFR and going to Johns Hopkins. I told her, ‘You better get a plane ticket before they sell out,’ so I think she will do that. If I wasn’t competing, I would be there, too.” That bond between brothers is strong, and it’s vital for each family members’ success. Rodeo has been part of that. In 2015, both Orin and Tyrel (saddle bronc riding) qualified for the NFR. “Family has been a huge thing throughout my career,” Orin Larsen said. “Whenever you see one of your own kind in danger, you have a pretty large obstacle in your way, so you do whatever they need you to do at the drop of a hat. Tyrel and Chaney both know we would bend over backwards multiple times for them if they needed it, and they would do the same for us.” For now, though, he is focused on the tasks at hand, and that’s riding bucking horses for another nine nights to try to reach that most cherished prize, the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle that is awarded to the world champions. “You have to enjoy this experience,” Larsen said. “That’s it. It’s not going to last forever. It’s kind of funny to think I’m 28 years old and in the second half of my career. Once your career is done, you just have the memories, so I’m just soaking it all in and enjoying myself.”

BLACKFOOT, Idaho – In its inaugural year of being nominated for a major award, the Gem State Classic Pro Rodeo has claimed the ultimate prize. On Wednesday night, the rodeo associated with the Eastern Idaho State Fair was awarded the 2019 Small Rodeo of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. It’s a recognition of the best events in a given year of the nearly 700 events across the country. “It was an incredible evening for us as a committee, but it was also a big deal for anyone that’s associated with the Eastern Idaho State Fair,” said Valorie Smith, chairwoman of the volunteer group that organizes the annual rodeo. “I think it’s proof that people who truly care do an amazing job of putting on a fantastic community event.” And, quite obviously, it was an award-winning event for the people in ProRodeo. The award was based on votes of PRCA members, which includes other rodeos, various contract personnel and contestants. “We focus on the cowboys, and I believe that’s one of the reasons we received the nomination,” said Smith, who noted that Blackfoot’s rodeo unseated Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, Oklahoma, the five-time reigning Small Rodeo of the Year. The PRCA committee awards are separated into four categories – large indoor, large outdoor, medium and small – and there are five nominees in each division. Just by being nominated, the Gem State Classic Pro Rodeo was recognized as one of the top 20 rodeos in the country. With the award, it joins RodeoHouston, the Pendleton (Oregon) Roundup and the Black Hills Roundup in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, as 2019 winners during the annual PRCA Awards Banquet, held Dec. 4 in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

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 beat the previous mark of 89 points with rides in the 90s. “I don’t now if in the history of this event that three guys have showed three 90s in the first round, and that’s just our hopper pen,” he said, explaining that the opening round is supposed to be the most fun horses they can get on over the 10 nights of ProRodeo’s championship event. “These were just supposed to be the nice ones. “We are here, and we are here to play. We mean business. You are going to see a dog fight all the way to Round 10.” O’Connell is the three-time reigning world champion bareback rider, but among the top 15 men who compete in the rugged event, there is a strong comradery. They are a team, and they look at the game as such. When one rides well, the others are cheering him on. It’s never mano-y-mano; it’s always every cowboy matched with whatever horse, and the rides can be poetry, yet also body bending. But the name of the game is to win as much money as possible, and that’s to have a better score than most everyone else in the field. “I caught fifth tonight, but I still have nine more rounds to pluck away at these guys,” said O’Connell, who added $6,769 Thursday and pushed his season earnings to $129,938. “It’s so important to catch checks each night. It’s so important to stay solid in the average. The guy that wins the average here is probably going to be the guy that wins the world. “I’m solid; I’m excited. This could have been taken away from me so fast. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it so far. There are some little things to work on to make sure I’m ready for (Friday) night.” He understands the importance of winning the average by having the best cumulative score of the 10 December nights of the NFR. In his three world titles, he won the first two average championships outright, then spit the average a year ago with Steven Dent. Still, he trails the leader, Clayton Biglow, by nearly $83,000. That means the Californian is in the driver’s seat, but that doesn’t mean his path can’t be detoured. O’Connell has faced his own road bumps along the way this season. He suffered a severely damaged shoulder after his final-round ride last December and sat out of action until late June. Then, he pushed the gas pedal down and earned more than $100,000 in the final three and a half months of the season to advance to the NFR. “I’m not being hunted (like the last three years); I’m the hunter,” said O’Connell, 28, of Zwingle, Iowa, now living in Marshall, Missouri, with his wife, Sami, and their son, Hazen. “There’s a little pressure off me, but I do believe everyone needs to look over their shoulders, because I do plan on coming here and taking care of business.”

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 to a top payday during Thursday’s first go-round. He stopped the clock in 3.8 seconds to finish in a tie for second place in the opener of the 10-day marathon, collecting $18,192 in the process. That pushed his season earnings to $111,022 and moved him to seventh in the world standings. “It feels great to get a good start, make a nice run,” said Struxness of Milan, Minnesota, now living in Alva, Oklahoma, home of his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “I broke the ice and got some good money.” It came down to strong fundamentals. He called his first-round steer one that was in the middle of the pack in the herd. “You want to place on the really good ones and stay in the average on ones that are a little stronger,” he said. “I think getting a good start and getting close to the barrier was the key. The horses worked good. They let us catch up and do a good job on the ground. Everything went as planned.” In rodeo timed events, the steers and calves are afforded a head start, with a barrier rope crossing the timed-event box that signals whether or not the animal was provided the appropriate advantage. A good run means the horse’s shoulders hit the barrier at the same time it is released. Leaving too late means playing catch-up, and inside the Thomas & Mack Center, that likely will leave cowboys out of the money. Leaving too early and breaking the barrier results in a 10-second penalty, which not only would hurt chances at round money but also likely would hamper the chances of catching an average payout at the end for having one of the top cumulative times on 10 runs. “Stockton (Graves) and I were watching videos of him, and we thought we had a good chance to catch up with him,” Struxness said of his coach at Northwestern, who is serving as hazer at the NFR. “Having a good hazer out here is important. Their job is tough, because we’re actually going before we nod, and we know when we’re going to nod. They have to get a start with us. “Stockton did a great job last night. Having a guy and a horse that do that on the other side is great. It helps speed everything up.” Graves is a seven-time NFR qualifier, and Struxness was the first Northwestern cowboy to win a national title, having done so after winning the bulldogging title at the 2016 College National Finals Rodeo. Struxness is riding Graves’ horse, Freeway, while the coach is riding a haze horse owned by Kody Woodward. “Our main concern was to get that start and make a solid run,” Struxness said. “We wanted to break the ice and make sure we hit that start like we did. We knew if we did that, our confidence would be up, and we could roll through the week.

The battle for the Bullfighters Only world title will culminate in Sin City LAS VEGAS – For the past three years, Weston Rutkowski has been the figurehead that every man in Bullfighters Only has strived to unseat during the 10-day Bullfighters Only Las Vegas Championship. The target has shifted heading into this year’s grand-finale, which takes place Dec. 5-14 at the Tropicana Las Vegas. Aaron Mercer of Calgary, Alberta, leads the BFO Pendleton Whisky World Standings with $61,350 in 2019 earnings and carries a $23,000 plus lead over second-place Rutkowski. “I am pumped – very excited,” said Mercer, who will be competing in Las Vegas for the first time. “I’ve got to bring my A game, perform as good, if not better, than I have all year.” He’s eyeing a one-of-a-kind championship belt that goes to the winner, handcrafted by RB Buckles and Ride Hard Leather. His performance has been spectacular since bursting onto the scene in April, and he has a chance to add to it at the Tropicana this December. “Mercer has been fighting lights out all year, and he’s drawn really good,” said Beau Scheuth, the No. 6 bullfighter in the standings from O’Neill, Nebraska. “He’s been able to stay healthy and go to all the events he wanted to. That’s a deadly combination. It’s not that he just went to them, but he did really good at all of them. “He’s been consistent all year, and that’s what you like to see. You want to go up against guys like that. That’s why I want to fight in the BFO.” Rutkowski knows he’s gone from the hunted to the hunter, and he’s OK with that. He knows the opportunities await him over the next few days in the Nevada desert. “Mercer’s had a great year, but because you had a great year doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a world title,” said Rutkowski of Haskell, Texas. “There are 10 days in Vegas, and it’s going to come down to what you do in Vegas. There’s a lot of money to be won. “I know as far as when it comes down to the last few events, usually the one who does the best at those will win the title. I’m going to try to fight my bulls and be fundamentally sound.” That sounds easier than it is, though. In freestyle bullfighting, there are tremendous variables. The pressure is intense, and it intensifies with the fact that it is broadcast around the world on Facebook. Throw in some of the baddest bulls in the game, and anything can happen. Money is the name of the game and dollars equal championship points. The bullfighter who finishes the season with the most money will win the world title. That’s why Vegas is such a vital part to the race for the championship; over a hundred thousand dollars are up for grabs in Sin City. “This year was totally different for me because I got hurt in April and missed a few bullfights,” Scheuth said. “It’s a longshot for me to win the title, but there’s still a possibility.” The year was vastly different for Rutkowski, who has been a dominant force in the BFO since its inception. Two years ago, he became the first freestyle bullfighter in the sport’s history to cross $100,000 in a single year, and he repeated that feat again last year. “I work hard, day in and day out, to be a world champion,” he said. “This is why I wake up every day and what I think about when I go to bed every night. I’m behind right now, but that’s just fueling my fire. I can’t wait to get to Vegas and see what happens.”

New Year’s Eve Roping & Concert to feature Texas-based artists FORT WORTH, Texas – For most in the rodeo world, the Coopers are the first family of rodeo, with the patriarch being eight-time world champion Roy Cooper, who has shared his lineage with his three sons: Clint, Clif and Tuf. For Jarrod Morris, Clif and Tuf were just a couple of boys he went to school with in Decatur, Texas. “It’s funny to me that you go to school with these guys, then when people ask me where I’m from and I tell them, they ask if I know the Coopers,” said Morris, a country artist who will be one of two acts performing at Tuf Cooper’s New Year’s Eve Roping and Concert on Dec. 31 at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth; it’s a family-friendly event all evening. “When you tell them that you know the Coopers, they just lose their minds.” He’ll experience it in full force on New Year’s Eve, which will commence with the roping featuring 27 of the top tie-down ropers in ProRodeo at 7:30 p.m., followed by a concert featuring Morris and Shae Abshier and the Nighthowlers starting at about 9:30 p.m. “This is pretty exciting,” Cooper said. “Jarrod is a hometown guy I grew up with, and he’s an up-and-coming artist. He’s got some good songs out on the radio right now. He’s a good dude. He just doesn’t sing the songs, though; he lives the lifestyle. He shoes horses every day, so it’s great that he’s going to be part of the night. “Shae grew up in Stephenville, and he’s Texas Country but with a little more rock ’n’ roll twist. The last couple of years, he’s become popular. This thing’s going off into the new year, so I’m sure there’s going to be some night howling.” That’s the way the evening has been set up from the beginning. Cooper and other organizers – including his mother, Sherry – want event-goers to enjoy some tough competition in a relaxed atmosphere while also partaking in some great regional music. For Morris, he began his music career while attending college a decade ago, picking up a guitar in his apartment and playing through his free time. Then he started playing for people who are close to him, and it’s taken off from there. “I have a pretty honest family and an honest friend group, so if you’re not good at something, they’re going to tell you,” he said. “In general, they were pretty positive. It started playing out. I just released my first album at the beginning of this year. “It was a long process getting to that point.” Now 28, he’s been focused on performing and writing music for the last four years. When he’s not on the road, he’s found shoeing horses around north Texas, carrying on a trade he learned from his brother-in-law while in high school and college. “I was living in Florida, and I had quit a job I was working and started playing beach bars,” Morris said. “I knew I had to move back to Texas, because there’s such a good infrastructure for music. I started working for my brother-in-law again and ended up starting my own shoeing business. Now I shoe horses Monday-Thursday, then go do shows for the weekend.” At the end of December, he’ll share the stage with Abshier and the Nighthowlers. “Last year’s roping and concert was such a big event that I was tickled to death they would even consider me to play it this year,” Morris said. “Sherry went to my CD release party earlier this year, and I’ve stayed in touch with Clif some, so it’s really cool that they’re having me play it. It’s incredibly humbling. “This is where tradition country meets rock ’n’ roll. My stuff might be a little more laid back, because I like to talk to people and keep it pretty informal. Shae’s going to play loud and fast.” It’s also going to be a fun night for the artists, cowboys, sponsors and all the fans who want to take it all in, just as it was intended to be.

DECATUR, Texas – Most champion racehorses have a great pedigree, with outstanding bloodlines coming from both sire and dam. The same is true for four-time world champion Tuf Cooper, whose father, Roy, is best known as the “Super Looper,” a ProRodeo Hall of Fame cowboy with eight gold buckles. On his mother’s side, Cooper’s grandfather, Clifton Smith, was a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, while his uncle, Stran Smith, is a 10-time NFR qualifier and the 2008 world champion tie-down roper. “This is what I was born to be, a cowboy,” said Cooper, 29, of Decatur, Texas. “This is what God created me for. This is my calling today. Tomorrow it might change; 10 years from now it might change. “But I love this job, and I’m so fortunate to have this job. My goal is to do this as long as I can. I told my dad that I wanted to qualify for the NFR when I’m 50. That’s going to be taking care of good horses and taking care of my body.” He’s doing a pretty good job so far. He has qualified for the NFR 11 times and this year sits fourth in the tie-down roping world standings with $105,592. He moved to third in the all-around standings with $159,756, about $23,000 behind the leader, roughstock cowboy Stetson Wright. He won two go-rounds and placed in two others at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping in late November, and the nearly $23,000 he pocketed in Mulvane, Kansas, moved him up one spot in the all-around world standings. “Anybody can be a champion, but to live a lifestyle that I want to live as a champion is the same thing that being a cowboy means to me,” said Cooper, who credits his success to his family and close friends as well as his sponsors, Rock & Roll Denim, Panhandle, Platinum Performance, Bloomer Trailers, American Hat Co., Tate Branch Auto Group, MGM Grand and OE Outlaw Equine. “A champion is a good loving, hard-working, respectable man that cares about others, cares about animals and cares about the country that we live in.” That definition fits him to a tee and has since he was a little boy growing up in north Texas. He has three older siblings, all of whom have qualified for the NFR – barrel racer Shada and tie-down ropers Clint and Clif. His favorite childhood memory centers around roping. “My childhood was in the dirt,” he said. “That’s where I wanted to be. That’s where we were all the time.” He still toils in the dirt and does so at rodeo arenas all across the country. He owns three tie-down roping world championships (2011-12 and ’14) and the 2017 all-around gold buckle. He earned the latter after adding steer roping to his repertoire and has qualified for the NFSR each of the past three seasons. “My team roping wasn’t going so well,” he said with a laugh, “and I wanted to win the all-around.” He stands a good chance, but it’ll come down to who does the best in Sin City from Dec. 5-14. While he has always loved being a cowboy and all that it stands for, Cooper has gained a better perspective about what he does and how he does it. Life on the rodeo trail isn’t easy, with all-night drives and traveling tens of thousands of miles to compete for a living. There are no guarantees in this sport – the only way to make money is to beat most of the contestants in the field. “In 2016 when we didn’t ProRodeo, I learned so much about myself, my industry and my job,” said Cooper, who married his wife, Tiffany, on New Year’s Eve last December. “I learned how much I actually love what I get to do. Since I was 13, roping has been a job for me. “I realize how fortunate I was to get to wake up and be a cowboy. It’s the coolest thing in the world. I never really understood, because I had been treating it like it was a job. I found out how fortunate I am to put on my American Hat cowboy hat and do what I do. Once I learned to love the process, there’s no way to beat that. Every part of the day is my favorite part of the day.” He lives every day with Tiffany, whom he’s been with for several years. They are more than a married couple; they are a team. She travels the country with him, driving and doing so many other things necessary for the team to win. “It’s so cool to be with her,” he said. “I love being married. She does everything for me but nod my head.” While the all-around title in ProRodeo is the most coveted – “It’s the most prestigious title in the game,” he said. “I love it, and that title is so cool.” – he knows the road to a second goes through Las Vegas and what he does in tie-down roping there. It’s been five years since he last won a tie-down roping gold buckle, and he would love to keep adding to his collection. “All roads lead back to impatience on my part,” Cooper said. “Knowing I could do it and wanting it so bad, I was impatient with the process instead of trusting my style and my ability. “There’s so much money in Vegas that season leads don’t matter. You’ve got to make 10 good runs. As long as you qualify. Tyson (Durfey) won the world coming from 14th a few years ago. You’ve got to do well in Vegas, focus on 10 runs and 10 calves.” That’s easier said than done. The Thomas & Mack Center can be the toughest place to play the game. There’s a $10 million purse, and go-round winners will earn $26,231 each night. That adds a ton of pressure. But he’s been through that before. He was raised by  Continue Reading »

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Cervi Rodeo has been around professional rodeo for half a century and has many accolades that come with that type of experience. For the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park, the Cervis’ circle I brand has been a key part of the event’s success over the last five years. The rodeo committee and the town of Estes Park are expecting that to continue, as the town recently agreed to renew its contract with Cervi Rodeo for another five years. “We are excited that the town of Estes Park has been successful in renewing its agreement with our livestock producer,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “Over our first five years with the Cervi family, we have been nominated virtually every year for the PRCA’s Medium Rodeo of the Year, and we believe the Cervis have a great deal to do with that. We’re also excited to have a Colorado-based firm to produce our rodeo every year.” Mike Cervi founded Cervi Rodeo in 1967 and was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2003. Over that time, the outfit was twice named the PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year. He has now handed the operation over to his sons, Binion and Chase. The firm also produces the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo as well as many other top rodeos across the country. It has been innovative with its outreach program to fill roughstock events and helping rodeos network with each other. “They have demonstrated a passion to give back to the rodeo community, and they have always provided innovative parade ideas,” Purdy said. “They arrange great bucking horses and bulls for our rodeo each year, and they also recognize that the town owns Rooftop Rodeo, and Cervi Rodeo is the provider. We all know what to expect, and that makes our relationship very strong.”

REXBURG, Idaho – After injuries kept him from qualifying for the 2018 National Finals Rodeo, bull rider Garrett Smith was a man on a mission. A fractured pelvis suffered at Couer d’Alene, Idaho, in August 2018 forced Smith to miss the final month of the regular season, and he finished 23rd in the world standings – only the top 15 cowboys on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season advance to ProRodeo’s grand finale. He more than made up for it this year. “I finally got healthy the last month of this year,” said Smith, 24, of Rexburg, who returns to the NFR for the third time in four years. “You’ve got to learn to ride when you’re not healthy, but it makes a huge difference on how you ride when you’re healthy. It helped to have a good last month, and it was a lot more fun. “That last (two) weeks of September, I won the four rodeos I entered.” That was worth $14,568 and catapulted him to No. 7 in the world standings with $123,975. In fact, he was one of 16 bull riders to have earned more than $105,000 through the regular season, the first time in ProRodeo history that has happened. “The money is crazy this year,” he said. “There’s no one that would have thought it would take $100,000 to make the finals. That’s how tough the bull riding is getting and how much these rodeos are adding for us as far as money. They’re helping us out tremendously.” “Added” money is how much cash each committee puts into the pot, which is added to the contestants’ entry fees to make up the total purse. The more money that’s added at a rodeo, the more attractive it is for the cowboys to attend. After all, this is how they make a living. “This is really good for rodeo, and I think it’s just going to keep getting bigger,” he said. “It’s great to be part of it. There’s no telling what the future will hold for bull riding and the PRCA.” Money doesn’t just pay bills and cover the expenses that come along the way, but dollars equal championship points. The contestants in each event that finish the year with the most money won will be crowned world champions. He’s been close before. He finished the 2017 regular season No. 2 in the world standings, then suffered an injury at the NFR and fell to fifth despite winning a round, placing in two others and finishing eighth in the average standings. He finished the 10-round affair, then opted for surgery afterward. This year, he’ll have some ground to make up once he arrived in Las Vegas. He trails the leader, five-time world champion Sage Kimzey by more than $121,000, but that ground can be made up inside the Thomas & Mack Center. If everything goes his way, Smith can catch Kimzey by the halfway point of the 10-round championship. “This NFR probably means more to me because I came through so many injuries to come back for it,” said Smith, who credits much of his success to his sponsors, Idaho Project Filter, CINCH, Resistol, Rodeo Vegas, Rodeo Tax, Rodeo Graphics, Truth Bucking Stock and Streamline Sports Chiropractic & Physical Therapy. “I’d just like to finish it healthy once; that would be nice.” This might be the first year he enters ProRodeo’s marquee event in perfect health, but he didn’t start this season that way. He tried to return to action a little more than two months after his 2018 injury, but that didn’t work out. He came back in January, but that, too, was early. He didn’t come back again until late February, then went on a tear. That included his victory at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, where he pocketed just shy of $30,000. “It’s hard coming off an injury, because you don’t know what’s going to hurt,” he said. “I was kind of hesitant. If you’re hesitant in this deal, it doesn’t work out a lot. “Winning the RAM Finals was huge. That helped me out not only in the standings, but also confidence-wise. When you’re hurt for that long, you’re waiting for that one big win that helps you out.” Smith has learned to overcome adversity and adjust to obstacles that have come is way. He’ll have to likely do both at the NFR, the most stressful 10 days in the game. It’s been three decades since a cowboy has ridden all 10 bulls in Las Vegas, so it’s a tough stretch for any man in the mix. “I was on a roll going into the finals in ’17, so that was probably the best year I’ve ever had,” Smith said. “Just to make it back this year is just going to be awesome.” Through every surgery, every recovery, every bad stretch, he has had many people he’s leaned on, whether it’s his father, Lynn; mother, Valorie; or brothers Wyatt and Payson. Wyatt Smith was a 2014 NFR qualifier in steer wrestling, and Garrett served as his hazer during the final five rounds. “I don’t really know where I’d be without them,” Garrett Smith said. “Having Wyatt make it and show us the way is big. Payson is always there for support. What means the most is having someone to call and talk to. You give those guys a call, and they’ll cheer you up right and keep you humble. “I’ve also got a bunch of support from Allen Teller; that’s who I have all my bulls with. He’s like a second dad. He’s the one who taught me all about bull riding and keeps my head where it should be. Without him, I wouldn’t be anywhere.” Whether they’re with him in Vegas or cheering him on from a distance he understands how important they are to his career. Now, he’ll make a run at the $10 million purse. “A lot of what changed for me this  Continue Reading »