Pro Rodeo: Former champions back in NFR

| Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Twenty-six world champions with a combined 82 world titles highlight the 118-member field of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Nov. 30-Dec. 9 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Three-time world champion all-around cowboy Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, heads the list and will wear the No. 1 back number, competing in both team roping (heading) and tie-down roping for the third time at the Wrangler NFR (2003-04, 2006). He is trying to become the just the fifth cowboy to win four world all-around crowns and would trail only Ty Murray (7), Tom Ferguson and Larry Mahan (6), and Jim Shoulders (5) in the record books.

Brazile is one of only two two-event cowboys at the 2006 Wrangler NF. Eight-time world champion Joe Beaver of Huntsville, Texas, is the other and trails Brazile in the all-around race by nearly $135,000. However, Brazile's quest to return to the winner's circle is far from the only compelling story for which to watch in Las Vegas:

* Reigning world champion bareback rider Will Lowe of Canyon, Texas, takes a $27,000 lead into the Wrangler NFR and is trying to become the first bareback rider to defend his title since ProRodeo Hall of Fame member Marvin Garrett in 1994-95.

* Eight-time world champion team roper Speed Williams of De Leon, Texas, and seven-time champion Clay O'Brien Cooper of Morgan Mill, Texas, joined forces this year and enter the Wrangler NFR in fourth and third place, respectively, in the regular-season standings. The team already has captured victories at the prestigious Pace Picante ProRodeo Chute-out in Tulsa, Okla., in May and the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship, presented by Interstate Batteries Texas Stampede, last weekend. Williams holds the PRCA record for team roping titles along with his former partner, Rich Skelton of Llano, Texas, who is roping with Brazile in Las Vegas.

* Six-time world champion saddle bronc rider Dan Mortensen of Billings, Mont., can stand alone in the PRCA record books with another title that would break the tie with the legendary Casey Tibbs. Mortensen enters the Wrangler NFR in third place, $19,000 behind regular-season leader Cody DeMoss of Heflin, La.

* Cody Ohl of Hico, Texas, a five-time world champion with four gold buckles in tie-down roping, finished the regular season with a record $165,460 and enters the Wrangler NFR with a lead of nearly $42,000. Also in the hunt for a world title is ProRodeo Hall of Famer Fred Whitfield of Hockley, Texas, who with seven world champion buckles is just one shy of tying Dean Oliver for the most ever in the event.

* Steer wrestling has the longest drought between repeat champions since another ProRodeo Hall of Famer, Ote Berry, turned the trick in 1990-91. Defending champion Lee Graves of Calgary, Alberta, ended the regular season in sixth place, some $36,000 behind leader Dean Gorsuch of Gering, Neb. Graves entered the 2005 Wrangler NFR in fifth place before rallying in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas to take the title after earning a Wrangler NFR-record $126,412 during the 10-day event.