Cheney’s Gray ties best bareback score
LAS VEGAS – Ryan Gray of Cheney matched the best score of the week to win Monday’s fourth round in bareback riding at the National Finals Rodeo.
Gray scored an 87.5 on One Eyed Jack to win the daily money and climb to sixth from 10th overall with six rounds to go.
Rowdy Buechner of Sandpoint wasn’t as fortunate. The Sunday winner with a score of 87, Buechner was bucked off Monday and fell from third overall to 15th.
Wes Stevenson of Kaufman, Texas, the only other cowboy to score an 87.5 this week – he did it in winning the first round – remained in first place overall with a 337.0. Gray has a 325.5 overall score. Buechner remains at 253.
Will Lowe of Canyon, Texas, placed fifth with an 82 and maintained first place in the world standings with $140,936. Gray was second with $114,104.
Jerome Schneeberger took the lead in the world tie-down roping, standings finishing second in Monday’s the fourth round at the NFR with a 7.3-second run.
Schneeberger, from Ponca City, Okla., topped the season standings with $127,777, followed by Mike Johnson of Henryetta, Okla., at $125,980.
Cody Ohl of Hico, Texas, won the fourth round in 7.1 seconds, and Stran Smith of Childress, Texas, was third in 7.5.
Bobby Welsh of Gillette, Wyo., won the bull riding with 90 points on Shock & Awe. Zeb Lanham of Sweet, Idaho, who was first during the previous two rounds, was second with an 83, and Steve Woolsey of Spanish Fork, Utah, was third at 60.50. Woolsey is the only rider who has successfully ridden all four of his bulls and is the aggregate leader with 315.5 points.
In barrel racing, Shali Lord of Lamar, Colo., won her third consecutive round with a run of 13.82 seconds. Terri Kaye Kirkland of Billings, Mont., and Linda Vick of Hesperia, Calif., tied for second at 14.00. Lord leads the aggregate standings with a time of 55.92 for four rounds and the world standings with $56,286, more than twice her closest competitor.
Ronnie Fields of Oklahoma City topped the steer wrestling round in 3.4 seconds. He’s second in both the aggregate and world standings. Bob Lummus of Folsom, La., and world leader Jason Lahr of Emporia, Kan., tied for second at 3.6.
In team roping, Clay Tryan of Billings, and Patrick Smith of Midland, Texas, won for the second consecutive round, finishing in 4.4 seconds. They lead the world standings with $126,819 apiece. World leader Jeffery Willert of Belvidere, S.D., won the saddle bronc riding with 89 points on Linda Lou, while aggregate leader Billy Etbauer of Edmond, Okla., was second at 86.
In all-around, Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, leads the world standings with $179,983. Canada’s Lee Graves was the event leader with $39,375.