Williams, Skelton win 8th straight title
LAS VEGAS – Speed Williams and Rich Skelton won their record eighth straight world team roping title Sunday, finishing the National Finals Rodeo with a season-total of $150,426 each – including $70,392 in the 10-round finale.
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Skelton, the heeler. “No one in the world has ever done what we have done. It is still hard to believe.”
They finished 13th in the round and were fourth in the aggregate standings with a time of 81.4 seconds for nine runs.
“We knew that if he (Skelton) could get a leg, we could still place (earn a check as one of the top eight finishers) in the average,” said Williams, the header.
Clay Tryan of Billings, Mont., and Michael Jones of Stephenville, Texas, won the aggregate title with a time of 77.80 for 10 runs. They also earned $95,101 each in the NFR, which is a record for the event. Chad Masters of Adams, Tenn., and Dugan Kelly of Paso Robles, Calif., split first place in the final round in 4.0 with Jake Barnes of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Allen Bach of Weatherford, Texas.
Dustin Elliott of Tecumseh, Neb., won his first bull riding world title with $193,778, including $50,530 in the NFR.
Paulo Crimber of Haltom City, Texas, won the aggregate with 500.5 points for six rides, narrowly edging Cody Buller of Glendive, Mont., who had 500 points.
Crimber won the final round with an 89.5-point ride. Beau Hill of West Glacier, Mont., who as third in the aggregate race with 499, placed second with an 86.
In saddle bronc, Billy Etbauer of Edmond, Okla., won his fifth world title, taking the final round with a 93-point ride.
Rod Warren of Canada won his third NFR aggregate title with a score of 757.5 points for 10 rides, while Etbauer, who earned $222,591 in season earnings and a record $117,745 in the NFR, was second at 688.5 for eight rides.
“It’s a big honor and a tough job,” said Warren about winning the aggregate title. “I don’t ever come here planning to win the average. I just try to ride every horse the best I can, from the first one I get to the last.”
Kelly Timberman of Mills, Wyo., took the bareback title during his first NFR, finishing with a record $225,180 – $97,961 in the NFR. He won the aggregate championship with 836.5 points for the 10 go-rounds, just missing the record of 839 set by Jason Jeter in 2002 and matched by Cody Jessee in 2003.
Jason Havens of Bend, Ore., won the final round with an 87.5-point ride.
In steer wrestling, Ronnie Fields of Oklahoma City, won the aggregate time championship at 43.2 seconds.
“It feels great to come here and compete against 14 other guys who are the top competitors in the world in this event,” Fields said. “To be able to come out on top on 10 head of steers, it’s a great accomplishment.”
Rope Myers of Van, Texas, and Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Ore., tied for first in the final round at 4.2.
Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, Calif., who wrapped up the world championship Saturday, finished with $193,614.
In tie-down roping, Monty Lewis of Hereford, Texas, won both the world championship with $184,695 in earnings and the aggregate crown in 87.80 seconds for 10 rounds.
Lewis placed fourth in the final round in a time of 8.1. That allowed him to hold on to his first world championship over Stran Smith of Childress, Texas, who earned $182,918. Smith won the final round in 7.2.
Kelly Kaminski of Bellville, Texas, won the barrel racing championship with $179,372, and Molly Powell of Simms, Mont., took the aggregate with a time of 140.93.