Lee Graves is an  exceptional athlete, and he’s got the gold buckles to prove it.

The Canadian steer wrestler took the early lead during the first go-round of the BP Super Series IV at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Thursday night with a 4.5-second run. He pocketed $2,000. More importantly, he’s got more than a two-second lead on the No. 2 cowboy, Hunter Cure, who posted a 6.6. A lot of things can happen over the next two nights of this series, where the top four money-earners in each event advance to the semifinals.

Of course, the most coincidental victor Thursday might’ve happened in tie-down roping, where Houston Hutto took the lead at RodeoHouston. Hutto’s 10.5-second run was a 10th of a second faster than Josh Peek, who finished second.

Other first-round winners were bareback rider Clint Cannon, team ropers Steve Purcella and Austin Adams, saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss, bull rider Allen Helmuth and barrel racer Tana Renick.

There are just five more performances in the Super Series, then RodeoHouston will feature two nights of semifinals, a night of a wild card event featuring those that didn’t advance out of the semifinals, then a night for the Super Series championship. The Cinch RodeoHouston Super Shootout: North America’s Champions will take place Sunday, March 20 and will feature the champions from the top 10 rodeos based on prize money.

There will be much more about that specialty event, so keep checking back.