Brazile clinches gold buckle in Las Vegas
Trevor Brazile clinched his sixth Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world all-around title during the sixth round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Brazile, of Decatur, Texas, secured the gold buckle when he and Patrick Smith tied for sixth place in team roping with a time of 4.5 seconds and earned $901. He later added $16,767 with a first in tie-down roping in 7.7 seconds.
Area cowboys in the sixth round included Ryan Gray of Cheney, who earned $8,519 tying for third in bareback riding with Will Lowe of Canyon, Texas, at 86.5. Gray is third in average at 506.
Tyson Durfrey of Colbert was eighth in tie-down roping at 9.8 and third in average at 54.8.
In bull riding, Zack Oakes of Elk, Wash. tied for fifth with 11 others. He is 13th in average at 80.5.
Brazile has earned $325,758 for 2008 and has passed the $300,000 mark for three straight seasons. He is first in the team roping average and ninth in the tie-down average, and is more than $143,000 ahead of second-place Steven Dent of Mullen, Neb.
With his sixth gold buckle, Brazile is tied with Larry Mahan and Tom Ferguson, one behind Ty Murray for career world all-around titles.
Brazile took over the No. 1 spot on the career earnings list from Joe Beaver with $2,933,428 and is closing in on becoming the PRCA’s first $3 million cowboy. Brazile holds the single-season earnings record of $425,315 in 2007.
In team roping, Matt Funk of Hermiston, Ore., and Bucky Campbell of Benton City, Wash., won their second 2008 NFR round in a time of 3.7.
In tie-down roping, Tuf Cooper of Decatur, Texas, followed Brazile with a second-place time of 8.0. Stran Smith of Childress, Texas, is the average leader with an aggregate of 53.0 for six NFR rounds.
In bareback riding, Kaycee Field of Elk Ridge, Utah, took first with a 90.5 ride on Wise Guy.
Justin McDaniel, who finished second with an 88 on Citation, took over the NFR lead with an aggregate of 517 on six rides and $54,086.
In steer wrestling, Beau Franzen of Sidney, Mont., finished first in the sixth round with a 3.8. Standings leader Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, Calif., didn’t place among the top six, but he stayed in first for his sixth consecutive day with $170,083. Stockton Graves of Newkirk, Okla is first in the aggregate.
In saddle bronc riding, Billy Etbauer of Edmond, Okla., had an 88 to win round six on Fu Man Chu. He and extended his world standings lead to $204,194.
In barrel racing, world standings leader Lindsay Sears of Alberta finished first in a 2008 NFR-best time of 13.68 for round six while Brittany Pozzi-Pharr of Victoria, Texas, was second in 13.81.
In bull riding, Shawn Proctor of Tooele, Utah, took first with a ride of 89 on Speed Dial. Standings leader Chance Smart of Philadelphia, Miss., remains in first with $179,917.