By Bryan Painter

The margin changed but the leader didn’t during the fourth round of the 2012 Timed Event Championship of the World on Saturday night before a sold out Lazy E Arena crowd.

K.C. Jones, 44, of Burlington, Wyo., goes into Sunday’s fifth and final round with an opportunity to become only the second cowboy in the Timed Event’s 28-year history to win the title five times or more. He leads the average with 273.9 on 20 head. Jones was the winner of “Ironman Event of Pro Rodeo” in 1993, ’96, ’99 and 2001. Trevor Brazile, out this year with an injury, has won six times.

But there are still a lot of horns and hooves to be roped, caught and wrapped Sunday.

Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo., the 2010 champion, is 34.7 seconds behind Jones with 308.6 seconds, and Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Ore., is 40.6 seconds out of the lead with 314.5 seconds. Jess Tierney of Hermosa, S.D., is fourth with 320.2 and Kyle Lockett of Visalia, Calif., a two-time TEC champion, rounds out the top five at 384.1.

At the Timed Event, each of the 20 professional cowboys have to compete in the team roping–heading, tie-down roping, team roping–heeling, steer wrestling and steer roping for five rounds.

On Saturday night, the examples of true cowboy stamina were numerous.

Jones, who went into the fourth-go with a 55.2 lead on 15 runs, saw that reduced to 27.8 after 19 head. But he’s remained solid. He took the lead on the fourth run of the first-go then dropped back for a short period before returning to the top spot on seven head. Jones has led ever since. And while several others have struggled in the steer wrestling he is 29.2 on four bulldogging runs.

That event was also noteworthy for Peek. On Saturday night, in a run that could have easily ended in a 60-second time, the equivalent of a no-time, Peek gritted out a 7.7–second toss in the steer wrestling that kept him second in the average.

And in 20 runs so far at this year’s Timed Event, Cardoza has never been lower than ninth in the average. He’s held either second or third in the average after the last eight runs.

Also on Saturday night, Daniel Green of Oakdale, Calif., a two-time TEC champion, recorded the fastest round thus far of the weekend with 54.0 seconds on five head in the fourth go.

On Sunday, the cowboy with the best total time on 25 head will earn $50,000. Eight places are paid in that average. The cowboy with the fastest round at the end of five rounds will claim $10,000. Six places are paid in the fast rounds.

Four fans that have been to the Timed Event Championship in each of its 28 years were honored Saturday night with the Clem McSpadden Pioneer Award. Ed Cooper, Larry Powers and Gary and Ann Butler are members of “The 28-year Club.” The award began after McSpadden’s death in 2008. Other winners are Paul Tierney, Delmar Smith and E.K. Gaylord II.

RESULTS

AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. K.C. Jones, 273.9; 2. Josh Peek, 308.6; 3. Russell Cardoza, 314.5; 4. Jess Tierney, 320.2; 5. Kyle Lockett, 384.1; 6. Daniel Green, 396.6; 7. Paul D. Tierney, 412.6; 8. Chad Masters, 420.8; 9. Chance Kelton, 423.4; 10. Clayton Hass, 429.4; 11. Paul Tierney, 444.4; 12. Jim Ross Cooper, 472.3; 13. Dean Gorsuch, 487.1; 14. Jimmie Cooper, 502.8; 15. Scott Snedecor, 535.9; 16. Bryce Davis, 552.6; 17. JoJo LeMond, 554.3; 18. Landon McClaugherty, 582.6; 19. Steve Duhon, 656.8; 20. Broc Cresta, 848.4 (Injured)

ROUND 4: 1. Daniel Green, 54.0 seconds; 2. Jess Tierney, 63.2; 3. Josh Peek, 66.4; 4. Jimmie Cooper, 66.7; 5. Russel Cardoza, 76.1; 6. K.C. Jones, 90.7; 7. Dean Gorsuch, 94.7; 8. Paul David Tierney, 110.6; 9. Clayton Hass, 115.0; 10. Landon McClaugherty, 118.6; 11. Chad Masters, 126.5; 12. Bryce Davis, 128.6; 13. Paul Tierney, 129.5; 14. Kyle Lockett, 129.8; 15. Chance Kelton, 133.9; 16. Jim Ross Cooper, 140.7; 17. JoJo Lemond, 155.6; 18. Steve Duhon, 170.1; 19. Scott Snedecor, 199.8; 20. Broc Cresta, Injured.

ROUND 3: 1. K.C. Jones, 60.4; 2. Paul Tierney, 67.0; 3. Russell Cardoza, 72.8; 4. Josh Peek, 85.5; 5. Jess Tierney, 93.4; 6. Chance Kelton, 94.7; 7. Daniel Green, 107.6; 8. Kyle Lockett, 120.7; 9. Chad Masters, 123.9; 10. Paul David Tierney, 126.3; 11. Landon McClaugherty, 135.5; 12. Bryce Davis, 138.4; 13. Jim Ross Cooper, 146.5; 14. Clayton Hass, 158.7; 15. Scott Snedecor, 161.0; 16. JoJo LeMond, 168.7; 17.  Dean Gorsuch, 189.1; 18. Jimmie Cooper, 190.2; 19. Steve Duhon, 208.3; Broc Cresta injured.

FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Daniel Green, 54 seconds; 2. Masters, 57.6; 3. Russell Cardoza, 58.6; 4. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 5. K.C. Jones, 60.4; 6. Paul David Tierney, 61.9.