Courtesy of ProRodeo
Trevor Brazile, jack of all (roping) trades, has the ProRodeo record for having the most records and he either broke or extended six more during his 10-day stint in Las Vegas for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
At the top of the list was his record seventh consecutive All-Around World Championship, which extended his record total to 10 and allowed him to break out of his tie with Jim Shoulders for most total world championships (17) by a multi-event cowboy.
He also won a record seventh Wrangler NFR all-around gold buckle, breaking the deadlock he’d had with Ty Murray and Tom Ferguson.
The $50,649 he won on his way to finishing third in the team roping heading world standings allowed him to extend his National Finals (NFR and National Finals Steer Roping) earnings record to $1,505,697 and his career earnings record to $4,598,002. Brazile finished with $298,626, topping Bobby Mote by more than $88,000.
Team ropers split the world championship.
The outcome simply wasn’t the one that appeared most likely.
The possibility of a header from one team winning the world championship with a heeler from another partnership became more and more real as the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo wore on, but in a final-round stunner, heeler Jade Corkill came from behind to capture his first gold buckle along with Chad Masters, who won a world championship for the second time.
"I’ve been here five times with a chance to win this, and there have been times I thought I roped good, but things didn’t go my way," said an emotional Corkill, who heels for Kaleb Driggers. "I guess why it’s hard for me right now is because I’m thinking about if it was supposed to be one guy on our team to be here right now, it should be Kaleb. He roped so good all year, and I know I missed more steers this year than I ever have."
If the NFR had ended after nine rounds, a split championship would have occurred between Masters and Patrick Smith. However, Driggers and Corkill put together a 4.0-second run that put the pressure on Masters and Clay O’Brien Cooper and Trevor Brazile and Smith.
Masters and Cooper roped their final-round steer in 5.2 seconds, good enough to place fifth in the round, and Driggers and Corkill’s round-winning run held up when Brazile and Smith posted a time of 10.0 seconds.
The result? Masters, thanks to a first-place result in the average, finished with $196,099, topping Driggers by $1,211. And Corkill put $34,159 in his pocket on the final night of the NFR to finish with $190,797, topping Cooper by $1,131.
"It’s kind of like my first (world title) in a way, because I’m not here with my partner," said Masters, who won ProRodeo’s last split team roping championship in 2007, when Walt Woodard won the heeling gold buckle. "Without Clay O’Brien Cooper, I would never have won this – and not just the roping, but the frame of mind and everything that goes into all of it. It’s great to win it, but I wish he was here sharing it with me."
While the team roping race was tight, no race was closer than the saddle bronc riding.
Cody DeMoss was the only cowboy to ride all 10 horses. He won the 10th round with an 86-point trip aboard Smith, Harper & Morgan Rodeo’s Painted Feather, winning the average with 798.5 points on 10.
But Milford, Utah, cowboy Jesse Wright tied for fourth in the round and finished sixth in average, hanging on to win his first gold buckle by just $796.93.
"This is better than what I ever thought it would feel like," Wright said. “It hasn’t come close to sinking in yet and I can’t comprehend it.
"I didn’t have that great of a Finals, but to come down to the end of it and to ride my horses and win the world title, without being high up in the average, feels outstanding."
Three of ProRodeo’s world champions from 2011 pulled off a repeat just one year later as steer wrestler Luke Branquinho won his fourth gold buckle and bareback rider Kaycee Feild and tie-down Tuf Cooper each backed up their first.
Branquinho had a steer fall on him in the week leading up to the NFR, then couldn’t get down from his horse, taking a no-time in the very first round. None of it mattered in the end as the Los Alamos, Calif., cowboy cashed in seven of the final nine rounds, including a Round 4 victory, to win the world by $13,898 over Casey Martin.
"That first steer kind of got in front of my hazer and I wasn’t able to get down. The way my knee was feeling, I didn’t feel like I needed to try to double-jump him and possibly injure myself worse," Branquinho said. "The way it worked out, I’m glad I didn’t. I ended up placing in the average and holding on. Once I placed on that second steer, my knee felt good and I just kind of rolled into it after that."
Branquinho became the first bulldogger to successfully defend his world championship since Ote Berry in 1990-91 and joined Berry and Jim Bynum in second place all-time with four steer wrestling world titles. Branquinho’s win in the fourth go was the 21st NFR round win of his career, moving him past fellow four-time World Champion Ote Berry on the all-time list for his event and Cody Ohl won two rounds of the tie-down roping to extend his NFR event record to 44.
His hazer and friend Les Shepperson won the average with a total of 48.6 seconds on 10 head, rising from 11th to third over the course of 10 days.
No cowboy in any event was more dominant in Las Vegas than Feild.
The Payson, Utah, bareback rider placed in eight of 10 rounds, won at least a share of a first-place check in three and finished with $276,850 in season earnings – topping Will Lowe by more than $56,000.
"I’m friends with a lot of past world champions, and they always say the second one is a little more tough than the first one," Feild said. "I don’t know why, but I found that to be true. To come here and stay on top the whole time in Vegas and stay strong was tough."
Bobby Mote, who finished third in the average and the world standings this year, was the last bareback rider to win back-to-back world championships in 2009-10. Feild’s father, Lewis, also accomplished the feat in 1985-86.
Cooper joined his father in the club of cowboys who have successfully defended world titles, as well. Roy Cooper won six gold buckles in tie-down roping, including everyone from 1980-1984.
On his way to a second consecutive gold buckle in tie-down roping, Tuf Cooper fell just short of becoming the youngest cowboy in ProRodeo history to surpass $1 million in career earnings. His $108,464 at the Wrangler NFR brought his career total to $995,249, leaving him just $4,751 shy of the milestone entering this month’s National Western Stock Show & Rodeo in Denver. ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee Ty Murray holds the record, having reached $1 million over the Fourth of July run in 1993 when he was 23 years, 9 months old; Cooper turns 23 on Jan. 31.
After Justin Maass posted a 13.2-second run, Cooper knew a workmanlike run would help him capture another title, and his 7.9-second effort took second in the round and moved him to second in the average.
Cooper finished with $232,885 in 2012, topping Maass by more than $35,000.
"I came in from behind this year and had to rope my way up," the 22-year-old said. "There’s really nothing that compares to winning the first one. This year, Cody (Ohl) really gave me a run for my money."
"(And) we got to see Justin come a long ways in his roping."
Bull rider Cody Teel came to his first NFR atop the world standings and he left in the same fashion, though he had to fight tooth and nail, while losing hold of that lead, to get there.
Teel battled with three-time World Champion J.W. Harris over the entire 10 days, with the two of them combining to ride seven bulls. Neither made the eight-second whistle in Round 10, but Teel’s sixth-place finish – Harris finished seventh – in the average made the difference.
Teel edged Harris by $1,056.
"This is what you work all year to do and I think right now that it doesn’t matter how you do it, as long as you get the job done," Teel said. "It’s my first gold buckle and I just couldn’t stop staring at it when they handed it to me."
Teel (20 years, 6 months) became the youngest world champion bull rider since Bill Kornell won the title in 1963 as a 19-year-old rookie and the Kountze, Texas, cowboy did it in what amounted to a war of attrition. The bulls had a 72 percent buck-off rate for the rodeo and nobody had qualified rides in more than five rounds, equaling an NFR low. There were only two qualified rides all week that didn’t earn a check and only two rounds that paid out to all six places. Nine of the 15 bull riders showed up on the injury report from the Justin Sportsmedicine team during the 10 days of the rodeo, a few of them with more than one injury.
While Feild was the top earner among all cowboys, it was barrel racer Mary Walker who captured the Ram Truck Top Gun Award, given to the top earner in a single event at the NFR.
The 53-year-old looked like anything but the NFR rookie that she was, winning $146,941 over 10 days and leaping from third to first in the world standings. Walker won the gold buckle by nearly $70,000 over Carlee Pierce. Walker broke the NFR earnings record for her event, surpassing Sherry Cervi’s old mark by $841. WNFR average winners, and world champions in each event follow:
Bareback riding: Average: 1. Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah, 834 points on 10 head, $46,821; 2. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 813, $37,987; 3. Bobby Mote, Stephenville, Texas, 809.5, $30,036; 4. J.R. Vezain, Cowley, Wyo., 808, $22,085; 5. Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., 801, $15,901; 6. Jessy Davis, Power, Mont., 795.5, $11,484; 7. Caleb Bennett, Morgan, Utah, 782.5, $7,951; 8. Wes Stevenson, Lubbock, Texas, 780.5, $4,417; 9. Steven Peebles, Redmond, Ore., 738.0 on nine head; 10. Brian Bain, Culver, Ore., 706.5; 11. Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La., 641 on eight head; 12. Matt Bright, Azle, Texas, 636; 13. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., 630; 14. Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo., 570.5 on seven head; 15. Jared Keylon, Uniontown, Kan., 457.5 on six head. World standings: 1. Kaycee Feild, $276,850; 2. Will Lowe, $220,269; 3. Bobby Mote, $200,289; 4. J.R. Vezain, $199,304; 5. Steven Dent, $157,763; 6. Wes Stevenson, $141,667; 7. Caleb Bennett, $127,989; 8. Jessy Davis, $126,324.
Steer wrestling: Average: 1. Les Shepperson, Midwest, Wyo., 48.6 seconds on 10 head, $46,821; 2. Casey Martin, Sulphur, La., 50.0, $37,987; 3. Beau Clark, Belgrade, Mont., 54.3, $30,036; 4. Bray Armes, Gruver, Texas, 55.2, $22,085; 5. K.C. Jones, Decatur, Texas, 57.7, $15,901; 6. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb., 62.9, $11,484; 7. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 36.8 on nine head, $7,951; 8. Todd Suhn, Hermosa, S.D., 41.2, $4,417; 9. Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 43.3; 10. Ethen Thouvenell, Napa, Calif., 49.2; 11. Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, 50.6; 12. Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., 51.1; 13. Gabe Ledoux, Kaplan, La., 35.6 on eight head; 14. Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif., 36.8; 15. Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah, 46.2. World standings: 1. Luke Branquinho, $158,963; 2. Casey Martin, $145,065; 3. Les Shepperson, $143,826; 4. Wade Sumpter, $139,955; 5. Dean Gorsuch, $139,036; 6. Bray Armes, $131,249; 7. Ethen Thouvenell, $120,192; 8. Gabe Ledoux, $120,085.
Team roping: Average: 1. Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn./Clay O’Brien Cooper, Gardnerville, Nev., 73.4 seconds on 10 head, $46,821 each; 2. Keven Daniel, Franklin, Tenn./Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., 65.2 on nine head, $37,987; 3. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz./Kory Koontz, Sudan, Texas, 46.4 on eight head, $30,036; 4. Brock Hanson, Casa Grande, Ariz./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas, 63.8, $22,085; 5. Kaleb Driggers, Albany, Ga./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 31.2 on seven head, $15,901; 6. Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz./Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 40.5, $11,484; 7. Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont./Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 52.3, $7,951; 8. Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas/Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 52.5, $4,417; 9. Turtle Powell, Stephenville, Texas/Dugan Kelly, Paso Robles, Calif., 54.9; 10. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas/Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 55.2; 11. Spencer Mitchell, Colusa, Calif./Dakota Kirchenschlager, Stephenville, Texas, 27.0 on five head; 12. Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore./Jim Ross Cooper, Monument, N.M., 38.8; 13. Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont./Paul Eaves, Millsap, Texas, 46.9; 14. Luke Brown, Stephenville, Texas/Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 35.5 on four head; 15. Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont./Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan., 49.3. World standings (headers): 1. Chad Masters, $196,099; 2. Kaleb Driggers, $194,888; 3. Trevor Brazile, $182,903; 4. Keven Daniel, $166,689; 5. Erich Rogers, $161,843; 6. Derrick Begay, $155,233; 7. Brock Hanson, $141,582; 8. Clay Tryan, $138,787. World standings (heelers):1. Jade Corkill, $190,797; 2. Clay O’Brien Cooper, $189,666; 3. Patrick Smith, $184,403; 4. Chase Tryan, $166,189; 5. Kory Koontz, $161,128; 6. Cesar de la Cruz, $153,805; 7. Ryan Motes, $150,657; 8. Travis Graves, $137,287.
Saddle bronc riding: Average: 1. Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 798.5 points on 10 head, $46,821; 2. Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 740.5 on nine, $37,987; 3. Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, 628.0 on eight, $30,036; 4. Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D., 620.5, $22,085; 5. Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., 609.0, $15,901; 6. Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah, 583.0 on seven head, $11,484; 7. Cody Taton, Corona, N.M., 553.0, $7,951; 8. Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas, 548.5, $4,417; 9. Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D., 533.5; 10. Jacobs Crawley, College Station, Texas, 512.5; 11. Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 488.5 on six head; 12. Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., 483.5; 13. Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas, 470.5; 14. Tyrell Smith, Cascade, Mont., 470; 15. Sterling Crawley, College Station, Texas, 396.5 on five head. World standings:1. Jesse Wright, $226,887; 2. Cody DeMoss, $226,090; 3. Cody Wright, $203,661; 4. Wade Sundell, $193,494; 5. Taos Muncy, $157,427; 6. Jake Wright, $125,840; 7. Cole Elshere, $124,437; 8. Cody Taton, $98,428.
Tie-down roping: Average: 1. Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, 87.8 seconds on 10 head, $46,821; 2. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 90.6, $37,987; 3. Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 92.5, $30,036; 4. Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas, 92.9, $22,085; 5. Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, 93.8, $15,901; 6. Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla., 95.6, $11,484; 7. Bradley Bynum, Sterling City, Texas, 97.7, $7,951; 8. Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, 112.9, $4,417; 9. Monty Lewis, Hereford, Texas, 83.6 on nine head; 10. Clint Robinson, Spanish Fork, Utah, 85.8; 11. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas, 92.0; 12. Houston Hutto, Tomball, Texas, 113.9; 13. Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, Idaho, 73.7 on eight head; 14. Clif Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 82.0; 15. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 53.0 on four head. World standings: 1. Tuf Cooper, $232,885; 2. Justin Maass, $197,594; 3. Cody Ohl, $177,277; 4. Clint Robinson, $169,730; 5. Shane Hanchey, $159,311; 6. Adam Gray, 153,016; 7. Bradley Bynum, $132,949; 8. Ryan Jarrett, $125,849.
Barrel racing: 1. Carlee Pierce, Stephenville, Texas, 13.57 seconds, $18,257; 2. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 13.76, $14,429; 3. Lee Ann Rust, Stephenville, Texas, 13.87, $10,895; 4. Kaley Bass, Kissimmee, Fla., 13.96, $7,656; 5. Nikki Steffes, Vale, S.D., 13.97, $4,712; 6. Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, 14.01, $2,945; 7. Lindsay Sears, Nanton, Alberta, 14.04; 8. Benette Barrington-Little, Ardmore, Okla., 14.09; 9. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 14.12; 10. Christy Loflin, Franktown, Colo., 14.23; 11. Christina Richman, Glendora, Calif., 14.91; 12. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 18.94; 13. Trula Churchill, Valentine, Neb., 19.06; 14. Brittany Pozzi, Victoria, Texas, 19.07; 15. Kelli Tolbert, Hooper, Utah, 24.13. Average: 1. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 141.79 seconds on 10 runs, $46,821; 2. Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, 143.52, $37,987; 3. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 143.96, $30,036; 4. Kaley Bass, Kissimmee, Fla., 144.69, $22,085; 5. Nikki Steffes, Vale, S.D., 147.19, $15,901; 6. Christina Richman, Glendora, Calif., 156.32, $11,484; 7. Christy Loflin, Franktown, Colo., 158.41, $7,951; 8. Lindsay Sears, Nanton, Alberta, 158.97, $4,417; 9. Benette Barrington-Little, Ardmore, Okla., 160.45; 10. Trula Churchill, Valentine, Neb., 161.46; 11. Lee Ann Rust, Stephenville, Texas, 164.59; 12. Brittany Pozzi, Victoria, Texas, 170.32; 13. Kelli Tolbert, Hooper, Utah, 178.56; 14. Carlee Pierce, Stephenville, Texas, 178.92; 15. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 135.78 on nine head.World standings: 1. Mary Walker, $274,233; 2. Carlee Pierce, $204,322; 3. Brittany Pozzi, $194,224; 4. Lindsay Sears, $190,062; 5. Lisa Lockhart, $180,336; 6. Kaley Bass, $154,306; 7. Brenda Mays, $137,748; 8. Sherry Cervi, $130,263.
Bull riding: Average: 1. Beau Schroeder, China, Texas, 423 points on five head, $46,821; 2. Seth Glause, Cheyenne, Wyo., 417.5, $37,987; 3. Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Okla., 334.5 on four, $30,036; 4. Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash., 330.5, $22,085; 5. Clayton Savage, Casper, Wyo., 326.0, $15,901; 6. Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas, 305.5, $11,484; 7. J.W. Harris, Mullin, Texas, 261.0 on three, $7,951; 8. Brett Stall, Detroit Lakes, Minn., 249.5, $4,417; 9. Kanin Asay, Powell, Wyo., 244; 10. Cody Whitney, Sayre, Okla., 175.5 on two head; 11. Tag Elliott, Thatcher, Utah, 168; 12. Trey Benton III, Rock Island, Texas, 156; 13. Ardie Maier, Timber Lake, S.D., 76 on one head; 14. (tie) Tate Stratton, Kellyville, Okla., and Cody Samora, Cortez, Colo., NS. World standings: 1. Cody Teel, $201,978; 2. J.W. Harris, $200,922; 3. Seth Glause, $192,818; 4. Beau Schroeder, $181,871; 5. Trevor Kastner, $168,553; 6. Shane Proctor, $145,871; 7. Kanin Asay, $129,868; 8. Clayton Savage, $125,167.
