Rodeo to showcase something old, new
Colin McTaggart was 4 years old when Billy Etbauer rode in his first National Finals Rodeo.
Nineteen years later, the cowboys will compete in the same NFR at the Thomas & Mack Center, thanks to their performances last week at the ProRodeo Tour Championships in Dallas.
It will be McTaggart’s first and Etbauer’s 19th NFR when they ride in the Dec. 6-15 event.
McTaggart, a bull rider, is a student at UNLV and competes for the Rebels rodeo club.
The 22-year-old started the Dallas rodeo ranked 17th and won the opening go-round to move up four spots to ensure a Finals berth.
“That was super exciting,” McTaggart said. “Making the NFR is one of the milestones I’ve been working toward.”
Etbauer, 44, was nearly as surprised as McTaggart when the NFR field was finalized and he was in it. He earned a trip to Las Vegas when he made it to the eight-second whistle Saturday and won nearly $5,000 in saddle bronc riding to move up to 14th in money earned.
The five-time world champion from Edmond, Okla., missed two months this summer after breaking his leg in a rodeo in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“The leg and foot still aren’t back to running right,” Etbauer said, “so I’m just tickled to have made it through.
“I’m not thinking about a sixth (world) title. I’ll just try to ride well, stay healthy and see where that gets me.”
• ‘SPEED’ ROPING — Team roping header Speed Williams worked with partner Dean Tuftin to win $17,145 each in Dallas. That allowed Williams to close to within $2,000 of the regular season’s top header, Chad Masters of Clarksville, Tenn.
Williams, of Deleon, Texas, is going for his ninth team roping world title, which would top the record he shares with former partner Rich Skelton.
“The goal coming (to Dallas) was to catch Chad and go to Vegas with the lead,” Williams said, “but this is good. Chad is one of my best friends. I am actually rooting hard for him to do well in Vegas. Just not as hard as I’m rooting for myself.”
