Tutor Shines at All American ProRodeo Finals
WACO, TEXAS – A familiar matchup paid dividends for bareback rider Bill Tutor.
The Huntsville, Texas, cowboy had an 87-point ride on Rafter G Rodeo’s Ankle Biter to win the second round of Bracket III Friday night at the All American ProRodeo Finals presented by Pendleton Whisky at the Extraco Events Center.
“I’ve known the horse and the horse is one that you are always excited to draw,” Tutor said. “I was certainly excited to have the horse here (Friday night). I didn’t change much. I was there to win and ride that horse the best I possibly could. That horse gets stronger as she goes.”
The last time Tutor drew Ankle Biter was in Round 7 of the 2017 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. He had an 83.5-point trip and tied for fourth in the round with Jake Vold and Mason Clements. Tutor earned $7,333 for that ride.
“She is good and has a lot of timing and she’s electric and strong and she bucks hard,” Tutor said. “I was fortunate enough to match her and it made for a good night.”
The top three finishers in Brackets I, II and III advanced to the 9-man/9 teams for team ropers semifinals at 7 p.m. (CT) Saturday. The top four placers in the semifinal round move on to the championship round.
“Whatever I get in the 9-man, I’m going to go at it and see if I can handle what I draw and hopefully move on,” Tutor said.
Success in the All American ProRodeo Finals is nothing new for Tutor.
Last year, he and Shane O’Connell tied in the finals with identical 87-point rides, but O’Connell was awarded the crown because he had an 85-point ride in the semifinals, while Tutor came in at 77.5 points.
Not only was Tutor winning Friday, he was tuning up for the upcoming Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Dec. 6-15 in Las Vegas. Tutor finished fifth in the unofficial 2018 regular season PRCA | RAM World Standings with $119,835.
Tutor is making his second trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He finished 11th in the 2017 PRCA | RAM World Standings and he placed in five round during his Wrangler NFR debut.
“I just need to keep my mind sharp and my body sharp as I get ready for the NFR,” Tutor said. “I’m entered in a lot of rodeos in October and November because the more I ride the sharper I feel. I learned a lot from competing at the NFR last year. That’s the stage that we all want to go to and it’s an honor and a blessing to get to go there.”
For more coverage of the All American ProRodeo, check out the Oct. 19 edition of the ProRodeo Sports News.
Courtesy of PRCA