Hitting It Big In Vegas Carolina Cowboy Jerome Davis Wins Bull-Riding Crown At Nfr
Jerome Davis knew what he had to do to win his first bull riding championship Sunday at the $3 million National Finals Rodeo.
He needed not only to stay atop his bull but to finish fourth or better in the round after second-place Terry West of Henryetta, Okla., scored an 89 to take the lead in the final go-round.
Davis, of Archdale, N.C., scored an 84 on The Jam of the Bad Rodeo Co. to finish third in the round to win his first world championship, but it was by the slimmest of margins.
Davis won $72,732 at the NFR for a total $135,280. He beat West by $3,137.
“I knew I had to go out and ride my bull,” Davis said. “I tried to stick to the basics and tried to ride like I had all year.”
Fortunately for Davis, the first bull-riding champion from east of the Mississippi, he didn’t ride exactly like he did all year. At a rodeo in Odessa, Texas, Davis was thrown by The Jam.
“I was tickled to death to draw him again,” he said. “I had ridden him for 6, 7 seconds in Odessa and I knew what he could do.”
Prior to the bull-riding go-round, stock contractor Sammy Andrews said he was retiring his top bucking bull, Dodge Bodacious. On Saturday night, Bodacious sent Scott Breding of Edgar, Mont., to the hospital with a concussion, a bone fracture around his left eye socket and lacerations.
“I’ve got to hand it to Sammy Andrews for turning out a bull like that,” Davis said. “Stock contractors strive to get a bull like that and it says something about Sammy that he’d retire him for the safety of the cowboys.”
Sherry Potter-Cervi of Marana, Ariz., knocked over a barrel on her final run, but still held on to win her first barrel racing championship. Potter-Cervi dropped from second to fourth in the NFR average, but that was good for $8,778 and helped her edge Kristie Peterson by $7,393.
Potter-Cervi entered the NFR leading by $40,837. She finished with $157,172, a record for season earnings. Peterson’s $61,028 won at the NFR broke the record she set last year.
“I lucked out,” Potter-Cervi said. “Last year I had such a great finals, but this year it just didn’t work out the same.”
While Davis and Potter-Cervi won their first world titles, the rest of the events were dominated by former champions.
Dan Mortensen of Manhattan, Mont., won his third straight saddle bronc championship. Mortensen didn’t place in the final round but won $23,073 for second place in the average to finish with $145,325. Dan Etbauer of Goodwell, Okla., was second overall with $118,392.
Billy Etbauer of Edmond, Okla., and Australian Glen O’Neill, who now lives in Mayerthorpe, Alberta, Canada, tied for first place in the round with 83 scores.
Ote Berry won the final steer wrestling go-round and also finished with his fourth world title. Berry of Checotah, Okla., set a seasons earning record in his event with $117,987. He won $58,718 at the NFR.
Rooster Reynolds of Twin Bridges, Mont., won the NFR average to raise his earnings to $99,382. At the NFR, Reynolds won $54,849 and moved from 13th overall to third. In bareback riding, Marvin Garrett of Belle Fourche, S.D., tied for second in the go-round and won his fourth world championship. Garrett, who also won the average, took home $62,020 at the NFR and set a season earning record with $156,732.
Billy Laye, of Bashaw, Alberta, Canada, set an NFR record with a 90 score to win the go-round.
Fred Whitfield of Hockley, Texas, won his second calf-roping title with $146,760. Troy Pruitt of Minatare, Neb., won the final go-round and Roy Cooper of Childress, Texas, won the average for the fourth time in his career.
Doyle Gellerman of Nampa, Idaho, and Britt Bockius of Claremore, Okla., won the final go-round but it was only good enough to get them into second place in the world standings behind Bobby Hurley of Ceres, Calif., and Allen Bach of Toltec, Ariz.
Hurley won the header world title and Bach was heeler champion. Both earned $81,658. It was Bach’s third world title and Hurley’s second. Gellerman and Bockius finished at $76,870.