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Steer Wrestler Riley Duvall Captures Crucial ProRodeo Tour Finale Win

SALINAS, Calif. – Steer wrestler Riley Duvall needed a huge performance at the ProRodeo Tour Finale at California Rodeo Salinas if he had any hope of qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Duvall entered the week $9,357 out of the No. 15 spot in the PRCA | RAM World Standings occupied by Chance Howard. The PRCA regular season ends Sept. 30.

Duvall, however, should be making his fourth trip to the NFR after earning $16,249 at the ProRodeo Tour Finale. Duvall earned $10,000 of that by winning the final four sudden-death round with a 5.6-second run Sunday.

“I had to win first to have a shot (at the NFR),” Duvall said. “It was first or last right there and I thank the Lord it worked out, I was very blessed. This is just so crazy.”

Duvall earned $2,500 in the first two rounds and then added $3,749 to that when he won the eight-man semifinals with a 6.0-second run. That set the stage for Duvall’s run in the final four when he was the last cowboy out.

“I wanted to do the best I could in the finals and whatever happened, happened,” Duvall said. “Having this kind of money at the ProRodeo Tour Finale saved my season. I didn’t have a shot until this and I thank God for Salinas.”

Duvall was riding Rockhouse, a horse five-time world champion steer wrestler Luke Branquinho and Tucker Allen are partners on.

“That horse was just great for me,” Duvall said. “I can’t thank them enough for letting me ride him.”

Duvall will end his season competing in Pasadena, Texas, Monday.

Marcos Costa caps comeback season with ProRodeo Tour Finale victory

Marcos Costa was on top of the ProRodeo world in 2017 when he became the first Brazilian to win a PRCA tie-down roping world championship.

Since then, his career has been sabotaged by injuries.

Costa finally will be making a return trip to the NFR after finishing his season with a victory at the ProRodeo Tour Finale in Salinas.

Costa won the four-man sudden-death round with a 11.2-second time. He entered Salinas eighth in the world standings and left town after earning $17,327.

“This win means a lot when you trust in God and don’t give up, things happen,” Costa said. “This is proof. Never give up. This is a blessing for me, and I don’t have words to explain what this means to me.”

Costa finished second in the eight-man semis with an 11.8-second run and then came through with his victory run.

Team ropers Lovell/Eaves snare top honors

Colby Lovell and Paul Eaves, the reigning PRCA Team Roping Header and Heeler world champions, had their talent on full display Sunday.

Lovell/Eaves made a businessman-like run, clocking an 11.6-run to win the sudden-death round.

Lovell and Eaves came to Salinas 27th and 29th in their respective world standings. They earned $18,549 in Salinas, including $13,749 after winning the semifinals and finals.

That big haul will put both in the mix to possibly make a return trip to the NFR.

“It was really good there to be the last team out in the finals,” Eaves said. “I didn’t imagine just making a clean run would win there.”

Lovell was thrilled with the outcome.

“This is a rodeo everybody wants to win,” Lovell said. “We just had to go catch the steer and that steer really, really ran in the finals. We were able to get the job done.”

Layton Green adds Tour Finale title to resume

Layton Green has been fighting to get back to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo ever since 2017. He all but punched his ticket to Las Vegas this December, by winning his first ProRodeo Tour Finale in Salinas.

He clinched the title with a 91-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Indian Burn in the four-man finals. It’s a horse that has been ridden just three times this season, Green’s ride was the highest-scored trip of them all.

“That’s one of those notorious horses that no one seems to stay on, it really bucks everybody off,” Green said. “It bucks really hard, it’s a really hard horse to ride. My mentality was to spur him out as best I could and just go for it all.”

He says it’s one of the first seasons in a while he can remember ending the year on a healthy note. He earned $18,790 during the Tour Finale, he sat ninth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings headed into the final day of the event.

“It’s awesome feeling (being Tour Finale champ), I’m super happy,” Green said. “Finally just being healthy for an entire year, I’ve struggled with a lot of injuries since I made the Finals in 2017. So, to be here and end the year healthy feeling good it’s great, I feel like I can get on 10 tomorrow. It’s outstanding I can’t wait to get to Las Vegas.”

Clayton Sellars ends season on high note with win in Salinas

Clayton Sellars is in the midst of his best season of ProRodeo. The Fruitland Park, Fla., native bull rider entered the ProRodeo Tour Finale in Salias fifth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings and he proved why he’s one of the sports best.

Sellars advanced to the four-man sudden death finals and delivered an 86.5-point ride on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Shaved Ice to cement his name as ProRodeo Tour Finale champion. He said there wasn’t any extra pressure, he knew he just had to go out there and do his job.

“That was a pretty common bull ride, up, down, right around, go to the front, sit back down,” said Sellars, a two-time Wrangler Nationals Finals Rodeo qualifier (2019-2020). “It was an everyday bull ride for most professional guys and I’m lucky like that I draw good bulls in good situations and today we made it count.”

It turned into a large payday for the 23-year-old. That ride alone earned him $10,000, on the weekend he brought home $17,971. He knew it would be a war of attrition headed into Salinas.

“It’s kind of been a marathon we’ve been here every day, one bull a day, two at the end of it. It’s been a good warmup for the NFR. You know having to show up and compete and win every single day. It’s been long but it’s been very prosperous for me. I’ve been winning money every single day and had a photo finish here in the short round. It was a phenomenal event for me.”

Richmond Champion clinches NFR bid with Tour Finale title

Richmond Champion is used to performing under the brightest of lights on ProRodeo’s biggest stages. He added another highlight ride to resume at the ProRodeo Tour Finale in Salinas.

Champion covered for eight seconds in the finals on his way to an 87-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Mary. This was the way he wanted the 2021 season to end.

“I knew the NFR was pretty much sealed up, but I really have not had the best of summers and wanted to end it on a good note,” said Champion, a six-time NFR qualifier.

“I definitely put myself in a better position going into the Finals for the that gold buckle. Before this it was going to be a big stretch when I got there, I was really going to have to make some things happen. It looks like everything is headed in the right direction now.”

The meeting between Champion and Mary in the finals was a rematch from Kennewick, Wash., nearly a month ago. He said he was looking forward to climbing back on top her in California with big money on the line.

“I was pretty tickled to have her,” Champion said. “I had her in Kennewick a few weeks ago and we didn’t get along that well. So, I really wanted to pay it back a little bit and she had an outstanding day today. This is my third time on her, this is the best it’s ever been. So, I couldn’t have picked for a better time for her to do it.”

Champion earned $16,911 at the ProRodeo Tour Finale.

Nellie Miller wins barrel racing; Biosjoli is breakaway champion

California native Nellie Miller grabbed the prestigious California Rodeo Salinas crown and Shelby Boisjoli was the breakaway winner. This was the inaugural year for breakaway roping to be contested at California Rodeo Salinas.

Courtesy of PRCA

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