In brief: Cowboy Gray moves in top 10

Rodeo: Ryan Gray seemed to be running in quicksand for the first half of the rodeo season.

Then Christmas arrived.

The Cheney bareback rider who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo the past four years, won more than $22,000 last weekend to vault into 10th place in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings.

His take from Cowboy Christmas, a 30-rodeo gala tied into the Fourth of July Weekend, more than doubled his season winnings, pushing him to more than $38,000.

It was part of an impressive haul for three traveling partners who call themselves the Pride. Bobby Mote of Culver, Ore., a two-time bareback champion, was the big winner with $29,926 won in four states plus Alberta. Jason Havens won more than $13,000, giving the trio a haul of $65,398.

Mote won at Penoka, Alberta, and Greeley, Colo., with Gray second. Gray won at Oakley, Utah, and St. Paul, Ore.

The Cowboy Christmas record is $37,630, set by Hall of Fame cowboy Ty Murray in 1999.

Gray’s total was seventh this year.

Two other area cowboys, tie-down roper Tyson Durfey and bull rider Zach Oakes, remain on track to return to the NFR. Durfey, from Colbert, is eighth with more than $41,000 and Oakes, from Elk, is 15th with more than $36,000.

However, all three local cowboys are expected to compete at the Calgary Stampede this weekend rather than the Cheney Rodeo, which runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Dave Trimmer

Frame set for Publinx

Golf: Recent University High School graduate Hank Frame leaves Friday along with his caddie, his father, Mike, for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in Norman, Okla.

Frame qualified for the event in June at Palouse Ridge GC. He is one of 156 golfers from across the nation to qualify with the winner receiving an invitation to The Masters.

The tournament is July 13-18 at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. There will be two rounds of stroke play and then, after a cut to 64, match play the remainder of the tournament.

Spike & Dig deadline looms

Volleyball: The early entry deadline for Spokane’s Spike & Dig, the largest outdoor tournament in the Northwest, is July 22. Entries postmarked after that date are subject to an additional $30 fee.

The 6-on-6 coed tournament had over 215 teams and 1,500 players last year.

There are divisions for all ages and skill levels.

For more entry forms and more information go to www. spikeanddig.com.