NFR EVENT SUMMARY

Three NFR rookies from Texas apparently needed only one night to get comfortable competing in the world’s richest rodeo.

Jimmy Edens and Ryan Motes tied for first in team roping Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center, and Matt Reeves won the steer wrestling round in the National Finals Rodeo.

“This is something you dream of all your life, and I’m finally living my dream,” said Edens, of Gatesville, Texas.

“It’s everything I always thought it would be,” said Motes, a resident of Weatherford, Texas, whose father, David, won the world title in 1977.

Reeves, who lives in Pampa, Texas, turfed his steer in 3.5 seconds.

“Winning a (go-round) buckle on the second night is pretty exciting,” said Reeves, who won $5,000 at the season finale in Dallas to qualify for the NFR. “Getting it done the second night made it pretty good.”

• ALL-AROUND — Reigning world all-around champ Trevor Brazile padded his lead over Josh Peek by about $1,600 to push it back to nearly $140,000

Peek, of Pueblo, Colo., placed sixth in steer wrestling but failed to get a check in calf roping.

Brazile, of Decatur, Texas, was fifth in calf roping but did not place in team roping.

• BAREBACK RIDING — Royce Ford scored 89 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Gus to win $16,394 and move to second in the world standings behind leader Bobby Mote, who did not place high enough to get a check for the second night.

The payday was Ford’s second straight.

“Everything is feeling good, and this is a pretty good place to feel like you’re riding well,” said Ford, 25, of Briggsdale, Colo.

Tommy McFarland, one of Ford’s traveling mates, finished second after the first successful ride this year on Calgary Rodeo’s French Wake.

Steven Dent is questionable for tonight’s third go-round after breaking his right elbow.

• STEER WRESTLING — Wade Sumpter of Fowler, Colo., placed third to Reeves and moved within $16,000 of leader Luke Branquinho, who has not placed in the money.

• TEAM ROPING — Travis Tryan of Billings, Mont., and Michael Jones of Stephenville, Texas, got a piece of first place for the second consecutive go-round.

They tied Edens and Motes for first with times of 4.7 seconds.

• SADDLE BRONC RIDING — Canadian Rod Hay scored 83.5 points on Kesler Rodeo’s Shady Cat to win the round and move up to fifth in season standings.

“That was the draw. No doubt,” Hay said of being paired with Shady Cat. “I won the draw contest today, and I’m glad I took advantage of it.”

Jeff Willert, of Belvidere, S.D., finished second but was stepped on by his horse after dismounting.

Willert, 25, was transported to University Medical Center with a fractured left femur.

• CALF ROPING — Stran Smith of Childress, Texas, tied his calf in eight seconds to win the round after missing last year’s NFR because of shoulder surgery.

Houston Hutto, riding horses owned by Fred Whitfield, tied for second with Las Vegas resident Matt Shiozawa and pulled to within $16,000 of Brazile for the world lead.

Shiozawa moved to first in the NFR aggregate standings and up to seventh in world money.

• BARREL RACING — Lindsay Sears of Nanton, Alberta, completed the course in 13.92 seconds to win on her 7-year-old mare Martha and get her first check of the NFR.

• BULL RIDING — Wesley Silcox of Payton, Utah, scored 86.5 on Rumford Rodeo’s Spin Dippin’ to top the eight riders completing eight-second rides.

Silcox moved to third in the standings, about $31,000 behind leader B.J. Schumacher, who got his first check by finishing second.

JEFF WOLF/REVIEW-JOURNAL