Las Vegas Weekly

December 11, 2009 · 1:29 PM

NFR Day 8 Photo Gallery: Steve Wynn spotted; Trevor Brazile retains lead

By Robin Leach

Steve Wynn and Andrea Hissom at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at Thomas & Mack Center on Dec. 10, 2009.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Hotel mogul Steve Wynn took his lady friend Andrea Hissom to her first rodeo last night here at the Thomas & Mack Center. Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue captured them watching the contests and added them to his latest photo collection.

Newly signed MGM ambassador Trevor Brazile still leads in the tie-down roping world standings with $166,227, and Clint Robinson is second with $132,462. But there’s a challenge as we head into the two final nights of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from five-time world champion tie-down roper Cody Ohl.

Cody is third in the world standings, fourth in the Wrangler NFR average and closing in on that prized gold belt buckle, and it’s possible he could just squeak past Trevor in the last two rounds.

Day 8 highlights

*There were few surprises in the bareback riding in Round 8 of the 51st Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the 25th in Las Vegas. It was no surprise that there was a tie for first place -- five of the eight rounds have ended with ties at the top -- and the cowboys who tied for the victory in front of 17,306 last night are the event’s top two in the PRCA World Standings.

Two-time world champion Bobby Mote and world standings leader Clint Cannon tied for the “eliminator pen” round win with scores of 84.5 points to each earn $15,343 and set up a two-round shootout for the world title.

“The eliminator pen is, by far, the meanest, rankest pen in pro rodeo. Everybody’s got a different look on their face when they come in here whenever it’s the ‘E’ pen,” Clint said in the official NFR report. “I usually shine during the E pen because I condition myself for those types of horses, so it seems to work out for me.”

Bobby leads the Wrangler NFR average race with 672 points on eight head, while Clint is 10th with 567 points on seven head. Clint, however, leads the PRCA World Standings with $266,585, and Bobby is second with $231,986.

Clint and Bobby will grimace through pain in the final two rounds, as both cowboys appeared on the Justin Sportsmedicine injury report after Round 8. Clint will compete while hampered with a left groin strain, and Bobby will climb aboard two more bucking horses with a strained neck.

*Stockton Graves’ solid week got $17,139 better after the Newkirk, Okla., bulldogger won Round 8 with a time of 3.4 seconds. He finished two-tenths of a second ahead of 2006 world champion Dean Gorsuch to cross the $100,000 mark in season earnings and move to seventh in the PRCA World Standings.

Luke Branquinho, the two-time and reigning world champion, continues to lead the Wrangler NFR average standings with a total time of 34.0 seconds but finished out of the money in Round 8. That allowed 2005 world champion Lee Graves to retake the lead in the PRCA World Standings by taking third place and pocketing $10,228 on Canadian Night at the Wrangler NFR. Lee, who sits third in the average, has $189,569 heading into Round 9, and Luke is second with $182,493.

*The team of Travis Tryan and Michael Jones won their third round of the Wrangler NFR, stopping the clock in 3.8 seconds to finish one-tenth of a second ahead of Clay Tryan and Cory Petska. The win moved Travis to third in the PRCA World Standings and Michael to second, just $82 behind heeling leader Jade Corkill. Jake’s partner, 2007 world champion Chad Masters, continues to lead the world standings among headers, but they stand 12th in the Wrangler NFR average and are unlikely to cash an average check in two days.

*Cody DeMoss had to sit and watch the Wrangler NFR from the sidelines last year after finishing 16th in the world, but he’s back in Las Vegas as a competitor and, now, as a round winner. Cody rode Bar T Rodeo’s Robins Best for 87.5 points to win Round 8 by 2.5 over 2007 world champion Taos Muncy and earn $17,139.

“It’s great to be back,” said Cody, who is riding with a torn right ACL. “Last year was an eye-opener for me. I finally started drawing a few good ones, and I just thank the Lord for getting me back here.”

*Shaun Stroh continues to lead the Wrangler NFR average standings with 648 points, and Jesse Kruse leads the PRCA World Standings among saddle bronc riders with $169,309.

*Josh Peek earned his second tie-down roping win of the Wrangler NFR after taking the eighth performance with a 7.0-second run. The Pueblo, Colo., cowboy finished eight-tenths of a second ahead of Tyson Durfey to add $17,139 to his season total. Josh has now earned an event-best $55,841 in Las Vegas to move from 15th to sixth in the PRCA World Standings.

“It was a flawless run," said Josh, who also is competing in steer wrestling at this year’s Wrangler NFR. “I really slowed down and made sure to get a good start -- that calf was a little bit slow and I knew it -- so I made sure I got a really good start, focused on getting (the calf) roped sharp, and then from there I slowed down and went through the motions.”

The tie-down roping win kept Josh mathematically alive in the all-around world standings race, but Trevor Brazile will likely clinch his record-tying seventh all-around crown after Round 9. An average title, however, is more of a realistic goal for Josh, who stands third in the tie-down roping average and sixth in the steer wrestling average.

Trevor leads the tie-down roping world standings with $166,227, and Clint Robinson is second with $132,462. Five-time world champion tie-down roper Cody Ohl remains a threat for the gold buckle, standing third in the world standings and fourth in the Wrangler NFR average. Tuf Cooper leads the average with a total time of 67.7 seconds.

*Bull rider Kanin Asay won his second round of this year’s NFR, taking the $17,139 first-place check thanks to an 87-point ride on D&H Cattle’s Grey Dog. That was eight points better than 2006 world champion B.J. Schumacher -- the only other bull rider to make the eight-second whistle in Round 8 -- and moved Kanin to third in the PRCA World Standings.

Asay’s Round 8 victory moved him atop the Wrangler NFR average standings with a four-head total of 341 points. Reigning world champion J.W. Harris, who has sat out four rounds due to a broken right (riding) hand, continues to lead the PRCA World Standings with $219,275, with two-round winner Corey Navarre in second with $149,010.

*Brittany Pozzi, the 2007 world champion barrel racer, won her second round of the 2009 Wrangler NFR by stopping the clock in 13.77 seconds. That was four-hundredths of a second better than Shelley Morgan and brought Brittany a bit closer to reigning world champion and world standings leader Lindsay Sears. Lindsay finished third in the round to earn $10,228 and holds a $4,796 lead over Brittany in the world standings. Lindsay, who has placed in every round and won Rounds 2 and 7, leads the average standings with 111.0 seconds, while Brittany is fourth with 116.6 seconds.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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