Buechner notches 87-point bareback

LAS VEGAS – Rowdy Buechner of Sandpoint, Idaho, and Kelly Timberman of Mills, Wyo., tied for first place with 87-point rides in bareback riding on Sunday night in the National Finals Rodeo.

Wes Stevenson of Kaufman, Texas, was third with an 86. Will Lowe of Canyon, Texas, placed fourth with an 84.5 to push his first-place money total to $136,897. Cheney’s Ryan Gray tied for eighth place on the day with an 82.5 ride.

Buechner is in third place overall after three rides, while Gray is tied for 10th.

Shali Lord of Lamar, Colo., raced to her second straight barrel racing victory, finishing in 14.04 seconds to take the lead in the season standings.

Lord has earned $40,637 in the first three rounds of the NFR to push her season total to $113,185. Linda Vick of Hesperia, Calif., shut out in the first three rounds, is second with $110,866.

Sheri Sinor Estrada of Alamogordo, N.M., was second Sunday at 14:19, and Terri Kaye Kirkland of Billings, Mont., followed in 14:21.

In team roping, Clay Tryan of Billings and Patrick Smith of Midland, Texas, won in 4.0 seconds to reclaim first place in the world standings with $102,735 apiece. Travis Tryan of Billings and Allen Bach of Weatherford, Texas, were second in 4.2 seconds.

In tie-down roping, Justin Maass of Giddings, Texas, won in 8.0 seconds, his first NFR victory. Jerome Schneeberger of Ponca City, Okla., and aggregate leader Blair Burk of Durant, Okla., tied for second with 8.3s.

“I had a big letdown last night,” Maass said. “I had to use two loops and just got lucky to get one tied down. Then to come back and do this tonight, it’s great. It’s an awesome feeling.”

Zeb Lanham of Sweet, Idaho, topped the bull riding competition for the second straight round, scoring 90 points on Satans Own. Bryan Richardson of Dallas was second at 86.5, and Zack Oates of Tonasket, Wash., third at 85.

Billy Etbauer of Edmond, Okla., took the saddle bronc riding with a 90-point effort on Skitzo, while world leader Jeffery Willert of Belvidere, S.D., was second with an 87, and Cody Wright of Milford, Utah, third at 85.5.

Bob Lummus of Folsom, La., won the steer wrestling in 3.9 seconds.

In all-around, Canada’s Lee Graves leads at the NFR with $34,076 in steer wrestling and tie-down roping, while three-time defending champion Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, tops the world standings with $179,983 in total winnings for steer roping, team roping and tie-down roping.