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LAS VEGAS – When it comes to taking care of Hell on the Red, Kylie Weast is not pulling any punches. She has an army of people at the ready, because Reddy deserves it. From having the right blanket to keeping the sorrel mare’s legs wrapped right, every minute detail is covered. It’s paying off. Weast and Reddy have found the pay window at the National Finals Rodeo during the first three rounds and have earned $36,654 in the process – $6,769 of came during Saturday’s third round, when the tandem rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 13.70 seconds. That marked the second straight night the two finished with the exact same time, which is good. “We’re making the same run every time, and we’re looking at this like it’s a different rodeo every night,” said Weast of Comanche, Okla. “I have a game plan every time I go down that alleyway, and she’s being responsive to my game plan.” What’s most interesting is that Reddy is just 6 years old, but she has solid genetics. That’s being proven inside the Thomas & Mack Center, home to ProRodeo’s grand finale. This is a rough place to play the game, with fast turns and tight corners in an arena roughly the size of a hockey rink. Five of the 15 cowgirls in the mix have failed to finish among the top six through three nights, and Weast is one of just two ladies who have earned money in each round. “I feel confident in my mare,” she said. “She’s still sound, and I feel she’s feeling well. We’ve just got to do everything during the day to prep for each night. Right now, everything is working, and we’re probably not going to change it.” Her mother, Renee Ward, rides Reddy when Weast can’t. Every chance they get, they try to make sure the red mare is in the right frame of mind when it’s time to make a run. “I try to get out there every day, but like (Sunday), Mom is actually riding and tuning,” Weast said. “We need to make little adjustments.” She trusts her family and their expertise. The family operates Youree Barrel Horses, which raises and trains horses for these types of races. Her mother qualified for the NFR in 1985, the first year the championship took place in Las Vegas. Her grandmother qualified multiple times, and her sister, Janae Ward Massey, was a three-time qualifier in the early 2000s and won the world title in 2003. They know the game as well as any person in this 15-lady field. “It’s wonderful,” she said. “I’m so excited that all my family is going to be here (Sunday). It’s put a little pep in my step.” What also has her excited is what they see in every run they’ve made in Sin City. “We don’t really know how fast we’re going, but we know when we make a good run,” Weast said. “(Saturday) night, I had a little bobble that probably cost me a 10th of a second. I knew exactly where I lost my time.” Each hundredth of a second matters. Had she improved by a 10th of a second, she would have finished second instead of fifth, the difference of nearly $14,000. That can change in a heartbeat, especially with the preparation Weast and her family are putting in on a daily basis.

LAS VEGAS – Most guys might have a bad attitude if Lady Luck hadn’t found them yet in Sin City. Richmond Champion isn’t most guys. He opened Thursday’s first round by getting on a horse that didn’t have its day, so he was awarded a re-ride. His second horse wasn’t much better, so he failed to place. During the second round, he finished just out of the average. “I’ve been on more horses than anybody, but it’s been anticlimactic,” said Champion, 25, of The Woodlands, Texas. “This is Vegas, so you never know what you’re going to get. You come here and do your job, and you can’t really force it.” He didn’t have to during Saturday’s third round, thanks in large part to his equine partner, a powerful bay stallion that is the perfect fit for the “eliminator” round of bareback horses. “I found out last night that I had Special Delivery,” he said. “That is one off the bucket list for me. I’ve never had that horse, but I’ve been in the same pen with him a million times, so I was excited. Everyone talks about how big he is. You literally sit down on him, and it’s like a table between your legs. He is such a beast, but that’s what you crave.” The two matched moves in the Thomas & Mack Center dirt for 83.5 points, and Champion finished fifth in the go-round. His first NFR paycheck of 2018 was worth $6,769. “He didn’t have quite the day I was hoping for, but we broke the ice,” Champion said. “To do that on E-pen night is a good thing.” Every dollar counts in ProRodeo. Not only does it help cover bills and such, but each dollar is a championship point; the contestants in each event who earn the most money at the end of the season will be crowned world champions. Champion understands the ins and outs of ProRodeo’s marquee event. Now in his fourth NFR appearance, he’s seen the good and the bad that comes with playing for the biggest pay in the game. “I always look at the finals as kind of a building experience,” he said. “This is where I strive to have that thought in mind. Every day is just a stepping stone. Don’t get overwhelmed, and don’t freak out if things go bad. “There’s a lot of time left.” Yes, there is. He has seven more nights to cash in, but he finds great comfort in the fact that he found the pay window in the pen of bucking horses that are best known for being the hardest to ride. “That is where the glory is,” Champion said. “It is in these nights where you get on the baddest of the bad on the biggest stage of rodeo. It always feels good whether you are on the pay sheet or got a score. No one comes in the locker room thinking, ‘I’m going to beat you.’ Everyone is thinking about beating that animal. “We feed off each other. If you can knock that one down, then I can knock this one down. That’s what it’s all about.”

1. Tim O’Connell, 88.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Craig at Midnight, $26,231; 2. Orin Larsen, 87, $20,731; 3. Steven Dent, 85.5, $15,654; 4. Bill Tutor, 85, $11,000; 5. Richmond Champion, 83.5, $6,770; 6. Kaycee Feild, 81.5, $4,231.

1. Scott Guenthner, 3.3 seconds, $26,231; 2. Ty Erickson, 4.0, $20,731; 3. Curtis Cassidy, 4.1, $15,654; 4. Hunter Cure, 4.3, $11,000; 5. (tie) Tanner Brunner, Will Lummus and Nick Guy, 4.6, $3,667 each.

Isaac Diaz became the second saddle bronc rider in two nights to ride for at least 90 points. He won Saturday’s third round. Team roping: 1. Derrick Begay/Cory Petska, 4.0 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Trey Yates and Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.1, $18,193 each; 4. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.2, $11,000; 5. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, Clay Smith/Paul Eaves and Luke Brown/Jake Long, 4.3, $3,667 each. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Isaac Diaz, 90 points on Sutton Rodeo’s South Point, $26,231; 2. Jake Wright, 89.5, $20,731; 3. Chase Brooks, 87, $15,654; 4. CoBurn Bradshaw, 86.5, $11,000; 5. (tie) Zeke Thurston and Wade Sundell, 86, $5,500 each. Tie-down roping: 1. Marty Yates, 7.0 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Sterling Smith, Rhen Richard and Jake Pratt, 7.3, $15,795 each; 5. Ryle Smith, 7.5, $6,770; 6. Caleb Smith, 7.9, $4,231. Barrel racing: 1. Amberleigh Moore, 13.59 seconds, $26,231; 2. Jessica Routier, 13.62, $20,731; 3. (tie) Stevi Hillman and Hailey Kinsel, 13.67, $13,327 each; 5. Kylie Weast, 3.7, $6,770; 6. Ivy Conrado, 13.74, $4,231. Bull riding: 1. (tie) Sage Kimzey, on Rosser Rodeo’s Custer, and Tyler Bingham, on Salt River Rodeo’s Rocky Road, 88 points, $23,481 each; 3. Dustin Boquet, 84.5, $15,654; 4. Jeff Askey, 83.5, $11,000; 5. Joe Frost, 83, $6,769; 6. Trey Benton III, 81.5, $4,231.

LAS VEGAS – After two blah rounds to open the 2018 National Finals Rodeo, Tim O’Connell made a mental note that his run for a third-straight world championship would start during Saturday’s third go-round. It was a good choice. O’Connell rode one of the rankest horses in ProRodeo, Powder River Rodeo’s Craig at Midnight, for 88.5 points to win the round and earn his first paycheck of this year’s NFR. Of course, it’s the biggest one can get, $26,231 and pushed his season earnings to $223,481. He now owns a lead of $35,553 over the No. 2 man, Utahan Caleb Bennett. “I’m just really glad that the NFR started, and it only has eight rounds this year,” O’Connell said with a laugh. “I told my wife last night that I really love these rounds. In my training, we work on these rounds, we live in these rounds.” The third and eight rounds in Las Vegas feature the “eliminator” pen of bareback horses, meaning they are the toughest to ride in ProRodeo. Of the 15 men who tried Saturday night, only 11 had qualified rides. That’s tough to do in bareback riding, where a rider’s hand is virtually locked onto the back of a bucking horse. Craig at Midnight gave O’Connell a big test. The big, gray gelding is the 2016 Bareback Horse of the Year, and he proved again Saturday why he is so tough to ride. “He is going to hit you,” said O’Connell, the two-time and reigning world champion from Zwingle, Iowa. “He is going to come at you. He is going to change it up on you. If he feels you getting tapped off, he is going to change the ballgame on you, and he did. He hit me so hard on the back of the head on the fifth jump that I think my neck roll came over the top of my head. He’s just going to do whatever it takes to get you on the ground. You have to be willing to fight.” O’Connell always is, but that’s a mentality that comes with competing in the toughest event on a cowboy’s body. He shares that psychological philosophy with others in the bareback riders locker room. “There are 14 other guys that have no backup in them,” he said. “Every night, you’ve got 14 of the other best guys who have put in the work, have put in the training, and they’re breathing down your neck. The first two nights, I felt like this thing was starting to get away from me. “I decided to call my coach, and we made a rigging change. We just told each other that the NFR was eight rounds this year.” And he rode possibly the biggest horse at this year’s NFR to help get the NFR monkey off his back. A year ago, O’Connell rodeo Craig at Midnight for 85 points while also battling the flu. “I love that animal,” O’Connell said. “He is so big and so strong. He is going to test you. He solidifies all the work you put in is worth it. “I was really excited when I saw my name next to him (on the draw sheet), and it sent a shiver down my spine at the same time. That’s what this pen of horses does. You can look up and down that list, and if you’re comfortable with any of the horses next to your name, I’m not sure if you should be a bareback rider.”

LAS VEGAS – There is a much different atmosphere to this desert community come early December. It’s not the chill in the air, though it has arrived. Las Vegas becomes a cowboy town for 10 days, whether it’s the dealers wearing boots and hats or the Western-related shops that fill convention centers across town. The National Finals Rodeo brings a different taste to Sin City. Tanner Brunner is taking it all in. Finally, on Saturday night, he cashed in for the first time at the National Finals Rodeo by stopping the clock in 4.6 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place in the third go-round. “This has been great,” said Brunner, 25, of Ramona, Kan. “I’m just trying to enjoy everything and taking it one day at a time, one steer at a time and just having fun the whole time. “It’s always good to get some money going, but there are seven head left. It’s a marathon and not a sprint.” By finishing among the best on the third night of this year’s championship, Brunner pocketed $3,667 and pushed his season earnings to $98,193. More importantly, he’s got some momentum heading into the final seven nights of the rodeo season. He’s got a little help in the form of Miss Kitty, a talented mare owned by fellow bulldogger Sean Mulligan, who also serves as Brunner’s hazer – he helps keep the steer lined out straight to give Brunner the best opportunity possible. “She’s just outstanding,” Brunner said. “She is so sharp and is really good in this building. We were maybe a tick too aggressive the first two (rounds), but she worked great tonight, and the hazing horse has been outstanding as well.” That means a great deal in rodeo. The animals are always half of the equation. Brunner can’t make his move to wrestle the steer to the ground without having the horse to get him there. While there is great pomp and circumstance that comes with the NFR, there is also a different feel inside the arena. It’s pressure-packed and quick, and the 10 December nights can evaporate quickly. “I just have to keep trusting in my starts,” he said. “Don’t back down. It’s a 10-head average, so just keep going at it.” Every night, the NFR’s grand entry introduces every state from which a qualifier lives, so Brunner rides behind the Kansas flag. Born and bred in the Flint Hills and a Kansas State University graduate, he smiles with pride every night as he celebrates before a crowd of about 17,000 people. “It’s a sense of pride that I can represent my home state,” Brunner said. “This is how we make a living, and this is where it all happens. It’s an unbelievable feeling being out here, being able to do this at the pinnacle of your event. “I look forward to hopefully coming back again.”

LAS VEGAS – After entering the National Finals Rodeo with a banged up left knee, Orin Larsen needed all the luck Las Vegas could give him. That didn’t happen over the first two nights of ProRodeo’s grand finale, but he more than made up for it Saturday night. He rode Calgary Stampede’s Trail Dust for 87 points to finish as the runner-up in the third go-round, pocketing $20,731 in the process. It is his first paycheck of his year’s championship. “This is the third time I’ve been on that horse this year,” said Larsen, 27, of Inglis, Manitoba. “That horse is pretty reliable. He just bucks down the chutes. I’ve won a bunch of money on him, and I was happy to have him. No matter how my physical appearance may look, it was pretty nice to have that one.” With his knee wrapped in ice and a significant limp, Larsen was all smiles as he walked out of the arena. He conquered a beast in the toughest pen of bareback horses in the world – the third round features the “eliminator” horses, known for being the toughest to ride. Special Delivery is definitely that. It also provides grand momentum for the cowboy now living in Gering, Neb., with his wife, Alexa. He also has seven more nights to earn as much Las Vegas cash as possible. “I wanted it sooner than later, but I’m pretty greedy,” he said with a smile. “I wanted the first round, and I wanted last night, too. At this point, I know I’m out of the average, so I’ll take whatever I can get.” The average is based on the best score through 10 rides. The top eight cumulative scores when the NFR concludes next week will earn bonus money. After being bucked off Friday night during the second round, Larsen has put himself on the outside looking in regarding an average payout. That means he will need to earn money through the go-rounds. By doing so on Saturday night, Larsen pushed his season total to $161,386. He knows the rest of his 2018 season will be done with pain in his knee, but he has grown accustomed to it in his career – two years ago, he placed in the final five rounds despite having a serious rib injury. “It’s going to be really sweet when I don’t have to ride with pain at the NFR,” he said. “Hopefully that will be next year. The Justin Sportsmedicine Team has done an awesome job with me. I use them as much as I can.” The tape may keep his knee in place, but it’s that focused demeanor that will pave the way for more money to come his way over the next seven rounds.

LAS VEGAS – Kylie Weast’s first run at the National Finals Rodeo will always be memorable. Sprinting down the alleyway and into the Thomas & Mack Center floor is an exhilarating experience for any barrel racer who has ever done it, but Weast made the most of her first experience by rounding the cloverleaf pattern in 13.86 seconds to finish sixth in Thursday’s first go-round. “I was nervous all day, but once I got in the car at the hotel, I took a deep breath and felt better,” said Weast, a first-time NFR qualifier from Comanche, Okla. “When I got to the arena, everything was fine.” Yes, it was, and so was Hell on the Red, a 6-year-old sorrel mare she calls Reddy. In fact, the speedy mount reared a little as they entered the alley, then went to work. “She took off with me a little bit in the alleyway, but I think I have her a little bit under control now,” Weast said. “I think just a tick down the pen a little bit going into the first barrel, and she didn’t burn off the first turn like I prefer. She turned her last two good enough. I was happy with her performance.” It’s not easy on horses inside that environment, either. The animals can feel the pressure that comes with the NFR, and nearly 17,000 fans were packed into the coliseum to witness ProRodeo’s grand championship. “The atmosphere is just so incredible,” she said. “I realized it was just another rodeo, and my nerves went away. “Placing is such a relief. That’s all I wanted to do, and thankfully I got the last (place) in the round. I just wanted to get in the groove of things here, so to get a check was icing on the cake.” There’s a great amount of pomp and circumstance that comes with competing on the biggest stage in the game. By getting the first round under her belt, Weast now can find time to relax and get into a rhythm. “I’m starting to get a smidge tired, but I got up pretty early this morning and rode both horses I brought,” she said, referring to Reddy and her backup, Wolfy, a 9-year-old sorrel gelding. “I can go out there and let my hair down and relax. I think that’s going to help a lot. I just need time with my orses and know that I’ve done everything I can to help Reddy perform at her best.” Weast pocketed $4,231 on Thursday night and pushed her season earnings to $114,946. She is eighth in the world standings, but she has nine more nights to improve on that – go-round winners earn more than $26,000 per night. “It’s cliché, but I’m just going to try to focus on one run at a time,” Weast said. “I can’t think about the nights ahead of me. We’ll take each run, then go from there and adjust how we need to after that.” That’s a solid game plan, one that could play huge dividends.

1. Tilden Hooper, 87.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Ankle Biter, $26,231; 2. Steven Dent, 87, $20,731; 3. Clayton Biglow, 86.5, $15,654; 4. (tie) Mason Clements and Kaycee Field, 85.5, $8,885 each; 6. Shane O’Connell, 84, $4,231.

1. Tyler Pearson, 3.8 seconds, $26,231; 2. Will Lummus, 4.0, $20,731; 3. (tie) Scott Guenthner and Hunter Cure, 4.1, $13,327 each; 5. (tie) Blake Mindemann and Tyler Waguespack, 4.2, $5,500 each.

Cort Scheer won for the second straight night, setting a Round 2 record at the National Finals Rodeo with a 92-point ride on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Larry Culpepper. Bareback riding: 1. Tilden Hooper, 87.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Ankle Biter, $26,231; 2. Steven Dent, 87, $20,731; 3. Clayton Biglow, 86.5, $15,654; 4. (tie) Mason Clements and Kaycee Field, 85.5, $8,885 each; 6. Shane O’Connell, 84, $4,231. Steer wrestling: 1. Curtis Cassidy, 3.8 seconds, $26,231; 2. Will Lummus, 4.0, $20,731; 3. (tie) Scott Guenthner and Hunter Cure, 4.1, $13,327 each; 5. (tie) Blake Mindemann and Tyler Waguespack, 4.2, $5,500 each. Team roping: 1. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 4.0 seconds, $26,231; 2. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.1, $20,731; 3. (tie) Bubba Buckaloo/Chase Tryan and Rhen Richard/Quinn Kesler, 4.6, $13,327 each; 5. Aaron Tsinigine/Trey Yates, 4.8, $6,769; 6. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.9, $4,231. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cort Scheer, 92 points on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Larry Culpepper, $26,231; 2. Ryder Wright, 88, $20,731; 3. Jake Wright, 87.5, $15,654; 4. Zeke Thurston, 85, $11,000; 5. (tie) Wade Sundell and Clay Elliot, 84.5, $5,500 each Tie-down roping: 1. Marty Yates, 7.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. Caleb Smidt, 7.8, $20,731; 3. (tie) Tuf Cooper and Ryle Smith, 8.0, $13,327; 5. Shane Hanchey, 8.1, $6.769; 6. Reese Riemer, 8.2, $4,231. Barrel racing: 1. Lisa Lockhart, 13.65 seconds, $26,231; 2. Amberleigh Moore, 13.67, $20,731; 3. Kylie Weast, 13.7, $15,654; 4. (tie) Tracy Nowlin and Jessie Telford, 13.74, $8,885 each; 6. Jessica Routier, 13.76, $4,231. Bull riding: 1. Joe Frost, 90 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Misfire, $33,565; 2. Chase Dougherty, 84.5, $28,065; 3. Koby Radley, 84, $22,988; no other qualified rides.

LAS VEGAS – It’s said that familiarity breeds success, and steer wrestler Blake Mindemann experienced that first-hand Friday night during the second go-round of the National Finals Rodeo. “I had actually run that steer in the short round at Salinas (Calif.),” said Mindemann, a first-time NFR qualifier from Blanchard, Okla. “I won the short round and finished second in the average on him, so I knew he was good. It’s a little different setup here, but we knew he was a good chance, and it worked out good.” Now he’s broken the ice, which is oftentimes difficult for newcomers to ProRodeo’s grand championship. The jitters playing on the biggest stage in the game can come back to haunt contestants who can’t make adjustments. “I wasn’t really nervous, but it was cool,” he said. “I think I blacked out for the whole round. It was a big blur, but it felt better tonight. The nerves were pretty clam, and everything felt a lot better. The horse felt better, the run felt better, so that was good.” That horse is Django, a 16-year-old gray gelding owned by Johnny and Jessica Asher. “He fired tonight,” Mindemann said of his mount. “He felt better, more flat. I appreciate Johnny and Jessica for letting me use him and treat him as if he’s my own. I couldn’t be more fortunate to have those guys on my team.” It was a bit different than the night before, where Mindemann finished the opening round in 6.4 seconds, well off the pace to earn a round paycheck. By improving his time by more than two seconds, he finished in a tie for fifth in the second round and pocketed $5,500. “It feels good to finally place,” he said. “I was a little bit behind the barrier, and I ran one to the back end of the arena. Tonight, I got out good and had a good steer. It feels good to win something.” It helped push his season earnings to $93,592 and settles him in 12th place in the world standings. Part of his success comes with having a solid mentor, two-time world champion Hunter Cure, and an experienced hazer, Matt Reeves. Both have been instrumental in putting Mindemann in position to make a substantial living in 10 Vegas nights. “Matt knows what to do, and that’s get out there and put that steer where I need him,” Mindemann said. “That’s what he did tonight. I don’t even worry about what he’s doing over there because I know where he’s going to be. “I’ve been following Hunter around like a puppy dog all week because I don’t know what’s going on. I’m fortunate enough to have those guys that know lead me in the right direction.” Right now, that direction is up. He trails world standings leader Tyler Pearson by $40,000, but that ground can be made up in just two nights in Sin City.

LAS VEGAS – Clayton Biglow is riding a hot streak, and this is the best time in the world for it. Biglow, a 23-year-old bareback rider from Clements, Calif., has placed in the first two rounds at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and has earned more than $31,000 in just two nights of work inside the Thomas & Mack Center. “I’m probably riding better right now with my head,” he said Friday after posting an 86.5-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off to finish third in the second round and add $13,654 to his pockets. “I’m just going into it as more of a business. I’m still having fun, but I’m more intense now. I’m more serious this year.” It’s showing. He remains third in the world standings with $166,320 but he’s closing in on world standings leader Tim O’Connell – he’s now just $31,000 behind the Iowa cowboy and can catch O’Connell by Sunday night if everything goes Biglow’s way. “Everyone has come to ride, and that’s how it should be,” he said. “The match-ups are good, and everyone is riding good. It’s going to be like this all week. “My game plan on every horse is to ride them jump for jump. I like to come into it with a game plan, obviously, but certain horses are different and are going to buck different, so you are going to have to change a little bit.” That’s why sticking to a game plan might not be the best plan. That’s why he allows his feel for the animal to come into play s he can make the adjustments necessary throughout the ride. Now he and the other bareback riders will test their talents – and grit – during Friday’s third go-round, which will feature the toughest-to-ride horses in bareback riding. The “eliminator” pen tends to be a showcase of overpowering bucking horses. But Biglow is confident in what this group of 15 bareback riders brings to the table. “You have to buckle your chin strap and bear down every time,” Biglow said. “It’s bareback riding, so bear down no matter what. You have to go into it with that same mindset. Just because it’s the ‘E’ pen doesn’t mean you change anything.” That’s why he prepares every ride as if he’s getting on the rankest horse in the world. “I like to have that aspect and that grit and determination on every horse I get on,” he said. “If you think you’re getting on one of those eliminator horses, you should be good. Then when the come around, you’ll have that edge; it will kick in without you even knowing it.”

LAS VEGAS – Mason Clements looked at a green sheet of paper that listed his winnings through two nights at the National Finals Rodeo. “It’s not a bad paycheck so far, but it’s hard for me to look at the dollar amount, especially right now for what my goals are and what I want to accomplish,” said Clements, a bareback rider from Springville, Utah. “Yes, it’s very awesome. I’m still placing, but I’ve got 50-yard targets, and I’ve got to keep knocking them down. “I need to just keep doing my job, keep showing up ready to ride and have some fun.” He certainly did that Friday night, matching moves with Calgary Stampede’s Yippee Kibitz for 85.5 points to finish in a tie for fourth place on the second night of ProRodeo’s grand finale. He pocketed $8,885 and pushed his NFR earnings to $39,615 – not too bad for two days’ work. He entered the NFR 10th in the world standings, moved up to sixth after Thursday’s second-place ride, then fell to seventh Friday. Still, he pushed his annual earnings to more than $139,000 and has nine more nights remaining. “This really feels great,” he said of his NFR experience. “It was cool training this year. It was a bit more relaxed; I still accomplished what I wanted to accomplished. I came to the NFR ready to take it. Bareback riding is a physical sport. You take hits the whole eight seconds, whether it’s a 90-point rodeo or a 60-point ride. “My goal was to be prepared for that, but to relax and have a little bit more fun with the training.” His preparation is paying off. He has made more money than any other bareback rider through the first two rounds. It helped that he knew a little bit about his horse, which he rode to a high-80s score in Ellensburg, Wash., two years ago. “I was the runner-up in Ellensburg, and this trip with him was just as similar to the first time,” Clements said. “He has lots of moves, lots of kicking, lots of jumping ahead and lots of power.” It was a good precursor to Saturday’s third go-round, which features the hardest-to-ride horses inn bareback riding. “I’m excited for the heavy hitters; I love them,” said Clements, who will be matched with Northcott Macza’s Spilled Perfume in the third round. “I want lean, mean fighting machines in horses. That is what I train for.” That plan seems to be working out quite well.

LAS VEGAS – Reddy was ready when it came to the second go-round of the National Finals Rodeo, and Kylie Weast reaped the rewards. Weast, a first-time NFR qualifier from Comanche, Okla., pushed her season earnings to $131,600 on Friday night by rounding the cloverleaf pattern inside the Thomas & Mack Center in 13.70 seconds to finish third on the second night of ProRodeo’s grand finale. That was worth $15,654 and increased her Vegas cash to a little less than $30,000. That’s not too bad for just two days of work. It marked the second straight night the Prairie Circuit champion has placed and increased her opportunities for more cash over the next eight nights in Sin City. While this is Weast’s first venture to the Nevada desert to compete for the world title, she has some genetic experience. Her grandmother, Florence Youree, was a multiple-time qualifier who was part of the first NFR field in 1959; her mother, Renee Ward, was part of the field in 1985, the first year the championship took place in Las Vegas; and her sister, Janae Ward Massey, was a three-time qualifier in the early 2000s who won the world title in 2003. But the bloodlines don’t stop there. Weast is also carrying on another family tradition with Reddy, which has the registered name Hell on the Red. The 6-year-old sorrel mare is sired by JL Dash Ta Heaven, which carried Benette Little to the NFR in 2012. That stallion’s dam is Dynas Plain Special, Reddy’s grandmother, was the leading force behind Massey’s gold buckle 15 seasons ago. All three talented sorrels helped their jockeys to the NFR pay window. That season, Massey left Las Vegas with just shy of $112,000 in earnings, and that was well before the championship featured a $10 million purse. The key for Weast, as was the case 60 years ago when her grandmother rounded the finale’s cloverleaf pattern, is making sure Reddy is a physically prepared. But the jockey also needs her time to focus and prepare on the task at hand. The Youree clan operates a business centered around raising and training barrel racing horses. Having a solid run through this 10 days in the City of Lights is good for business, but there’s more to it. Weast has ridden all season to earn the right to compete at the NFR, and this is the icing on the cake. Each dollar not only helps make ends meet, but dollars equal championship points; the barrel racer who finishes the campaign with the most money won will earn the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. The family already has one in its trophy case; another would fit in quite nicely.

Coveted Wrangler Bullfight Tour title heading to Nebraska LAS VEGAS – Beau Schueth has had some big wins in his bullfighting career, but none bigger than his Bullfighters Only Roughy Cup victory on Thursday afternoon at the Tropicana Las Vegas. “Every win holds a special place, but this one is huge,” said Schueth of O’Neill, Neb. “I’ve been out here for four years since the BFO started and slowly kept getting better.” With his victory, he became the first man in 18 years to win the Wrangler Bullfight Tour championship. The tour, which initially wrapped after the 2001 season, returned with the BFO in 2018. “When I started fighting bulls, all I’d do was watch the old Wrangler Bullfight Tour,” he said. “To say I’m the Wrangler Bullfight champion is definitely a humbling feeling I will hold pretty proudly.” Schueth won his opening round, getting the better of Costa Fighting Bulls’ Stone Cold for 83 points to kick off the 10-day Las Vegas Championship. That earned him the right to compete in the Hooey Championship Round, where he was bested Justin Josey of Apache, Okla., and Weston Rutkowski, the two-time defending world champion from Haskell, Texas. “Words can’t describe it,” said Schueth, who missed the competition in Sin City a year ago because of injury. “It just means that much more to come back this year and win the first event. “This whole year, just coming back off the injury, it was about getting my mind right. Having to sit out last year and watch everybody make good bullfights was hard. To come in and win this is huge.” In the final round, he matched moves with Costa’s Little Foot, a stout, little one-horned bull that has been considered one of the best in the BFO for two years. By the time their dance and the dirt came to an end, Schueth walked out with an 89.5-point fight and the victory. “That’s the first time I’ve had him,” he said of Little Foot. “I’ve had his brothers, but I’d drawn around him before today. To get a chance to win on him is dang sure a good feeling.” Josey, who was pushed around by Costa’s Spitfire, finished second with 85, while Rutkowski was forced to disqualify after taking a shot from Costa’s Sid Vicious, the 2017 BFO Bull of the Year. “It feels good to just put down some solid, fundamental bullfights against some top-caliber bulls,” Schueth said. “None of the bulls out today were days off. To get two solid bullfights in this early in the week means a lot.” With the victory, he pocketed $6,000 and moved up to second in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings. He is just $6,300 behind the leader, Rutkowski. “Manuel Costa brought his whole A team today, so to get out of here with the win and get past two tough bulls helps my confidence a lot,” Schueth said.  

LAS VEGAS – The National Finals Rodeo arena set up inside the Thomas & Mack Center is roughly the size of a hockey rink, so things get fast in a hurry in Sin City. Nobody understands that any more than Kyle Irwin, a four-time NFR qualifier from Robertsdale, Ala. He’s seen the good, the bad and the ugly that comes with ProRodeo’s grand championship; that’s why starting the 10-day finale on a good note was important. “The first-round jitters are always there, but I feel like I was a little more prepared for it,” said Irwin, who wrestled his steer to the ground in 4.0 seconds Thursday night to finish in a tie for third place in the opening round. “I like that set of steers; we’ve got to run them three more times. “There were some things that went wrong for some guys, but that’s rodeo. It went good for me, so I was glad for that.” With his run, he added $13,327 to his annual earnings and moved up five spots to ninth in the all-important world standings. “I like the momentum that it can create,” he said. Momentum is key, especially in Las Vegas. Go-round winners earn more than $26,000 per day for 10 rounds. Irwin has pushed his 2018 earnings to just shy of $100,000. “When you get on the right side of momentum here, it’s huge,” said Irwin, who attended Western Oklahoma State College and Northwestern Oklahoma State University on rodeo scholarships. “It’s a good start; now I’ve just got to go at it nine more days.” A big key is the horsepower. Irwin is co-owner of Scooter, the two-time reigning Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year. The powerful sorrel gelding was an important factor to getting off to a hot start. In addition, he and his partner in the horse business, defending world champion Tyler Pearson, earn a percentage of money other cowboys earn while riding Scooter. On Thursday, Tyler Waguespack won the round, and Ty Erickson placed sixth. Both credit their success to Scooter. “My wife, Randa, is pretty good about keeping books on that, and she said Scooter won $43,000 tonight,” Irwin said. “The horse made money, and we made money, so it was a good night. “That horse means a lot, and he takes the pressure off you. Confidence is everything here. He’s the deal-breaker for us.” The deal at the NFR is to continue making good runs and finishing among the top six in each go-round so the money keeps flowing. A year ago, he pocketed more than $115,000 in 10 December nights. He still has a way to go to equal that total, but Irwin has his mind on his business and has the right tools to make it happen.

1. Wyatt Denny, 87 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Night Crawler, $26,230.77; 2. Mason Clements, 86.5, $20,730.77; 3. Kaycee Field, 86, $15,653.85; 4. Will Lowe, 85, $11,000; 5. (tie) Caleb Bennett and Clayton Biglow, 84, $5,500 each.

1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. Blake Knowles, 3.8, $20,731; 3. (tie) Bridger Chambers and Kyle Irwin, 4.0, $13,327 each; 5. Will Lummus, 4.3, $6,769; 6. Ty Erickson, 4.7, $4,231.

1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.2 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, Bubb Buckaloo/Chase Tryan and Luke Brown/Jake Long, 4.6, $15,795 each; 5. Erich Rogers/Clint Summers, 5.0, $6,769; 6. Rhen Richard/Quinn Kesler, 5.7, $4,231.

1. Cort Scheer, 86.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Y U R Friskey, $26,231; 2. (tie) Wade Sundell and Rusty Wright, 84.5, $18,193 each; 4. CoBurn Bradshaw, 83, $11,000; 5. (tie) Zeke Thurston and Jacobs Crawley, 82, $5,500 each

1. Hailey Kinsel, 13.51 seconds, $26,231; 2. Amberleigh Moore, 13.65, $20,731; 3. Ivy Conrado, 13.78, $15,654; 4. Nellie Miller, 13.79, $11,000; 5. Tracy Nowlin, 13.83, $6,770; 6. Kylie Weast, 13.86, $4,231.

1. Trey Benton III, 88.5 points on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s VJV Whiskey Hand, $26,231; 2. Sage Kimzey, 88, $20,231; 3. Joe Frost, 87, $15,654; 4. Roscoe Jarboe, 86, $11,000; 5. Garrett Tribble, 85.5, $6,770; 6. Chase Dougherty, 84, $4,231.