Bareback rider adds to PRC lead in Ellensburg
September 6, 2010 by YH-R Sports
ELLENSBURG — Coming into the Ellensburg Rodeo, bareback rider Steven Peebles already had a $13,000 cushion in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s National Finals Rodeo standings.
After Monday’s performance, the Redmond, Ore., contestant is feeling even more in control as he set a new arena record with a 90-point ride on Calgary Stampede’s Mad Money.
His performance earned him just under $8,900 for the weekend.
“It felt amazing,” Peebles said of the ride. “I’ve seen that horse around a bunch of times. He’s a big horse and it gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.”
The roping team of Keven Daniel and Caleb Twisselman also gained plenty of confidence Monday, roping their steer in 6.3 seconds for the fifth-best average on their way to winning it all with a 17.5-second, three-run average in team roping. They earned nearly $4,800 for the weekend.
But Monday’s finals weren’t just about making the National Finals in Las Vegas, some cowboys were just struggling to keep on the road.
Seth Childers, who was barely in the top 50 in tie-down roping, won the first round, placed fifth in the final round and won the average by four-tenths of a second over Blair Burk, 26.3 to 26.7, on three runs to pocket $7,334.
Bull rider Tylee Lanham of Caldwell, Idaho, was the only one of 12 riders to make the 8-second whistle, riding Blue Northern to 86 points. Lanham finished with $5,269 after earning checks in both rounds and winning the average with 170 points on two bulls.
Interestingly, this was the same bull that had bucked off Lanham last week in Bremerton. “I was just more prepared this week,” he said. “I was madder this week.”
Meanwhile, Lindsay Sears continues to bridge the gap between her and world leader Sherry Cervi in barrel racing. The Alberta cowgirl won her second Ellensburg buckle with a time of 17.06 to win the round — coming within .06 of the arena record set in 2002 by Charmayne James — and she and Cervi both had three-run times of less than 52 seconds.
“There were some great runs today,” she said, “but it doesn’t change your game plan, you just have to run as fast as you can, mistake-free.” Sears’ weekend netted her $6,709.
The NFR begins on the second of December.
Filed under All, Outdoors
