Cheney’s Gray finishes fourth at NFR

Although Cheney bareback rider Ryan Gray, who entered the National Finals Rodeo in third place never made a run at the World Championship, he finished in style. Matched up against Big Bend Rodeo’s Spring Fling, a former PRCA bareback and saddle bronc, Gray scored an 86.6 Saturday, his highest score of the Finals, to finish fourth.

He picked up a check for $6,875 and added another for $17,055.29 because he moved all the way up to a tie for fourth in the average with World Champion Bobby Mote. Gray had almost $94,443,80 entering the Finals where he won $44,819.71 to push his season winnings to $139,263.51, good for sixth place.

Don Hutsell of Ritzville and Sonny Riley of Pomeroy, who own Spring Fling, had a good night in bareback riding because Miss Amerititle of their second stock contracting company, Flying 5 Rodeo, was also out on the final night and took Heath Ford to second with a score of 87.5

Colbert calf roper Tyson Durfey had his second no-time of the Finals, which dropped him to 11th in the average. The Missouri native, who entered the Finals in 12th place, won more than $26,310.08 to finish the season $92,001.59, good for 11th place.