Durfey picks up nice check

LAS VEGAS – Colbert calf roper Tyson Durfey picked up his fourth – and biggest – check after completing his run in 8.2 seconds for third place in the National Finals Rodeo Friday night.

Durfey, who picked up $9,784, tied for third two nights earlier with an 8-flat run. He is 10th in the average because he had a no-time on Monday. Otherwise, his 12.0 on Thursday was his slowest of the NFR. His has won about $26,000 so far.

Stran Smith of Childress, Texas, won the ninth round in 7.2 seconds. Aggregate standings leader Cody Ohl of Hico, Texas, placed sixth in 9.2. Ohl is going after the record of 84.0 seconds on 10 head set by Fred Whitfield in 1997.

Ryan Gray, a bareback rider out of Cheney, scored an 80.5 on Jake Spoon of Burns Rodeo, leaving him a half-point short of a paycheck in seventh place. He remained seventh in the average with 728.5 points for his nine rides. He has placed in just three rounds despite seven scores in the 80s, winning just over $20,000. His highest was a third after scoring an 86 in round three.

Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, increased his first-place, record-setting total in all-around to $391,004 for 2007 by recording a third-place time of 4.4 seconds in team roping with heeler Patrick Smith of Midland, Texas. Brazile clinched the all-around title during the eighth round and came here with the steer roping title. Brazile was first in the tie-down roping world standings with $175,640, while Houston Hutto of Del Rio, Texas, was second with $156,027.