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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Cheney’s Gray wins ninth round in bareback riding

Cheney’s Ryan Gray scored 85.5 points on Smack Daddy to win the ninth round in bareback riding.

LAS VEGAS – It isn’t the best Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Ryan Gray has had in his eight trips to Las Vegas, but a little of the disappointment was washed away Friday night when the Cheney bareback rider won the ninth round.

Gray scored an 85.5 on Smack Daddy to win a go-round for the fourth time and pocket $18,629.81. He is ninth in the average, so his dream of winning a world championship has disappeared with the rodeo ending tonight.

“I’ve been winning checks but missed out last night, so that was disappointing,” Gray said. “With five checks and getting second in the fourth round and third in the seventh, I can’t complain. I feel like I’ve been riding as good as I have all year. I’ve stayed consistent. I missed the finals last year, so I was really motivated to get back here, and it’s been great.”

Gray was the only one of the four Washington entries to place.

Tyson Durfey, a tie-down roper from Colbert who is moving to Texas, took a no-time, while Grand Coulee bull rider Shane Proctor saw his dream of winning a second title come to an end when he was bucked off.

The Ellensburg team roping brothers, Riley and Brady Minor, had a time of 5.5 seconds, not enough to place in the money, but they remained in second place in the average.

Elsewhere, J.W. Harris wrapped up his fourth bull riding season championship, tying for first place in the ninth round.

Harris, of Mullin, Texas, scored 87.5 points on Little Shyster to match Trevor Kastner of Ardmore, Okla. Kastner rode Fire Show.