Wrangler NFR Round 9 News and Notes
by ProRodeo.com | Dec 09, 2016
Australian music star Shea Fisher Durfey will serve as the opening act and the national anthem will be performed by contest winner Allie Burgett. RAM Rodeo is the performance sponsor.
WRANGLER NFR LIVE ON TELEVISION, RADIO AND INTERNET
Tonight’s Wrangler NFR presented by Polaris RANGER will be televised live and in HD on CBS Sports Net (DISH Network channel 158 and DirecTV channel 221) from 7-10 p.m. (PT) with Jeff Medders and Butch Knowles announcing, Joe Beaver and Don Gay providing commentary, Suzanne Alexander hosting the pre-show and Kadee Coffman as the sideline reporter. All 10 performances of the 2016 Wrangler NFR will be available live with a video-on-demand option via pay-per-view through FloRodeo.com exclusively in Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. ProRodeo Live is airing coverage on a network of radio stations, including Rural Radio, and online at www.prorodeolive.com with Steve Kenyon as the lead announcer.
BAREBACK O’CONNELL CLOSES IN ON GOLD BUCKLE
Bareback rider Tim O’Connell came to the WNFR in first place in the WEATHER GUARD® PRCA World Standings, and the Zwingle, Iowa, cowboy is trying to leave in first place. He enters Round 9 tonight atop the world standings with $298,118. He has a $103,284 lead over second-place Orin Larsen, which is the largest lead in any event through eight rounds. More importantly for O’Connell, he also leads the average with 675 points on eight head; the average winner in each event earns $67,269.
BEST OF 2016 WNFR SO FAR
| Event | Best scores/times of 2016 WNFR so far | WNFR record |
| BB | 89.5, Jake Vold, Round 4 (second-fastest for that round) | 91.5, Justin McDaniel, 2007; Bobby Mote, 2008 (Rounds 5 and 7); and Will Lowe, 2007 |
| SW | 3.5, Jason Thomas, Round 2; J.D. Struxness, Round 5; Dakota Eldridge, Round 7 | 3.0, Steve Duhon (1986) and Bryan Fields (2001) |
| TR | 3.7, Dustin Bird/Russell Cardoza, Round 8 | 3.3, Chad Masters/Jade Corkill (2009) |
| SB | 89, Jacobs Crawley, Round 5 | 93, Billy Etbauer (2003 and 2004) |
| TD | 6.7, Caleb Smidt, Round 5 (fastest ever for that round) | 6.5, Trevor Brazile (2015) and Cody Ohl (2003) |
| GB | 13.37, Amberleigh Moore, Round 8 | 13.37, Taylor Jacob (2013, Round 6) and Amberleigh Moore (2016, Round 8) |
| BR | 91, Shane Proctor, Round 3 (tied for third-highest score for this round | 96, Cody Hancock (2001) |
NEWS & NOTES
Bareback rider Orin Larsen has a great chance to win his second round in a row as he faces Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s MGM Dirty Jacket, the 2014 and 2015 Bareback Horse of the Year. Caleb Bennett will get on J Bar J’s Pass The Hat; Kaycee Field had an 84-point ride on that horse to split the Round 4 win at the 2015 WNFR. Tanner Aus draws Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie, on whom Steven Peebles had an 83.5-point ride to split the Round 10 win last year. Richmond Champion drew Growney Brothers Rodeo’s Wild N Blue; Jake Brown had an 89-point ride on that horse to win the Clovis (Calif.) Rodeo in April. Saddle bronc rider Jake Wright will try to add his name to the family victory list at the 2016 WNFR when he faces Flying 5 Rodeo’s Sundance. Ryder Wright, Jake’s nephew, won Round 4 on that horse with an 85.5-point ride. Ryder has won four rounds at this WNFR – Rounds 1 through 4 – and Ryder’s father, Cody Wright, won Round 8. Cody Wright draws United Pro Rodeo’s Ropin Dreams, a horse Zeke Thurston split fifth place in Round 4 with an 83.5-point ride. Reigning world champion Jacobs Crawley draws Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Bright Lights, a horse Jake Wright had an 84.5-point ride on to place second in Round 4. Jesse Wright faces Calgary Stampede’s Tokyo Bubbles, a horse on whom Jake Watson split third place in Round 4 with an 84-point ride. Clay Elliott faces Bar T Rodeo’s Lulibelle, a horse Allen Boore had an 84-point ride on to split third place in Round 4. Bull rider Rorey Maier has won $28,192 at this WNFR; he will try to add to that total when he faces Andrews Rodeo’s Midnight Bender, the 2016 Bull of the Year. Shane Proctor won Round 3 on the bull with a 91-point ride. Proctor, who has moved up from 15th to third in the world standings, has a great chance to go to the pay window again as he has drawn D&H Cattle’s SweetPro’s Bruiser, the bull of the night in Round 3 after he bucked off Jeff Askey. SweetPro’s Bruiser also was second in the 2016 Bull of the Year voting. Tyler Smith, who won Round 8, could double up tonight as he faces Andrews Rodeo’s My Brother, a bull that was third in this year’s Bull of the Year standings. Roscoe Jarboe faces Powder River Rodeo’s Stone Sober, named bull of the night in Round 2 after bucking off Scottie Knapp.
Record times and scores for the ninth round of the WNFR:
BB: 90 points, Rowdy Buechner, 2005
SW: 3.2 seconds, Cash Myers, 2001; Derek Daye, 1993; Luke Branquinho, 2007
TR: 3.3 seconds, Chad Masters/Jade Corkill, 2009 (also arena and world record)
SB: 92 points, Dan Mortensen, 2002
TD: 6.6 seconds, Hunter Herrin, 2015
GB: 13.53 seconds, Lindsay Sears, 2008
BR: 95.5 points, Zack Brown, 2003
Courtesy of PRCA