Minor brothers pick up first check at NFR

LAS VEGAS – It took eight rounds of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but the Minor brothers finally earned a paycheck.

 The Ellensburg team ropers, Riley is the header and Brady the heeler, tied for fourth at 4.40 seconds Thursday night, picking up $6,057.69.

 The rest of the Washington contingent didn’t fare as well at the Thomas and Mack Center.

 Tie-down roper Tyson Durfey of Colbert finished out of the money with his run of 7.90 seconds but still moved up to third in the average.

 Cheney bareback rider Ryan Gray bucked off of Times Up and dropped all the way to 10th in the average. Kaycee Feild tied for the top spot, his fifth win in eight rounds, tying an NFR record for a bareback rider. The record was set by Bobby Mote, one of the three cowboys to tie for the eighth-round win.

 J.W. Harris put the heat back on Grand Coulee bull rider Shane Proctor. Harris, the three-time defending champion, has ridden four out of his eight bulls, winning first three times. Proctor has also stayed on four times but has yet to win a round.

Harris is leading the average with two rounds to go.

 Jason Miller made up ground on steer wrestling world leader Luke Branquinho by winning the eighth round in 3.9 seconds.

Miller, from Lance Creek, Wyo., is second in the season race with $161,879. Branquinho, from Los Alamos, Calif., has made $171,538, but failed to earn a check Thursday with a 6.8-second run.

At the NFR, Branquinho leads with $83,798.