Local cowboys get off to good start at NFR

Local cowboys Ryan Gray and Tyson Durfey got off to good starts at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas Thursday night, but not quite as good as bull rider Shane Proctor.

 Proctor, leading the PRCA standings by a healthy margin entering the 10-day rodeo, was second with an 84.5-point ride on Crunch Time to pick up more than $14,000. Seth Glaus won the round with an 86.5 ride on Gangster.

 Gray, a bareback rider who graduated from Cheney High, placed sixth in the first round, earning almost $2,900 for his 84-point ride on Showboat.

Lewis Field, who was leading coming into the 10-day finals, won the go-round and more than $17,500 with an 89 on Bitter Robin.

  Durfey, a Missouri native who calls Colbert home, tied for fifth in tie-down roping. His 7.9-second run paid $3,750.

Multiple-time world champion Cody Ohl won the round in 7.5 seconds.

 Clay Tryan and Travis Graves took the top spot in the team roping world standings, finishing second in the first round with a 4.3-second run.

Header Tryan, from Billings, and heeler Graves, from Jay, Okla., have each earned $129,072 this season.

They passed header Derrick Begay of Seba Dalkai, Ariz., and heeler Cesar de la Cruz of Tucson, Ariz., who stayed at $118,754 after they finished ninth in 9.7 and failed to earn checks.

Header Matt Sherwood of Pima, Ariz., and heeler Cory Petska of Marana Ariz., won the round in 4.1. They moved into third in the world standings with $105,475 for Sherwood and $116,242 for Petska.

Ellensburg brothers Brady and Riley Minor had a no-time in team roping.