LOVINGTON, N.M. – Dusty LaValley and Matt Bright know the pressure of the brightest lights in ProRodeo.

Both bareback riders are two-time qualifiers to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and they’ve experienced first-hand what it’s like to strap their hands to the backs of the best bucking horses while riding in the biggest spectacle of the sport.

It came in handy during the final performance of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo on Saturday night. Each cowboy scored 87 points to share the No. 2 spot in bareback riding, two points behind reigning world champion Kaycee Feild, who scored the winning ride on Thursday night.

Bright matched moves with Carr Pro Rodeo’s Island Girl, while LaValley scored on Carr’s Black Coffee. They each earned $2,999 for their rides; in winning the rodeo, Feild collected $4,496.

“I’ve seen that horse go several times the last couple of years, and she looked like a nice little horse,” said Bright, 29, of Azle, Texas. “I thought she was one I could ride in the mid-80s and collect a solid check out off. It turns out that horse had a really good day with me and surprised me. About that second jump, I knew I was going to have to bear down a little more than I thought.

“It worked out, and we came together for a great ride.”

LaValley knew a little more about Black Coffee, an 11-year-old black mare that’s bucked at the NFR five times.

“I’d never been on her before, but I’ve seen her a lot,” said LaValley, 31, of Grand Prairie, Alberta. “I knew I had a good chance. She jumped out of the chute, and it felt great.

“She gives you just enough to really help you and get your feet moving fast. She’s got a little bit of drop to her; she’s just the perfect horse.”

That’s a key ingredient in riding bucking horses, which is judged on the 100-point scale; half the score comes from how well the animal bucks, and the other half comes from how well the cowboy rides. In the case of bareback riding, contestants are judged on how well they spur from a point above the front shoulders of the horse back to the rigging that binds the athletes together.

Of course, it also helps to have great bucking horses, which is one of the main reasons cowboys like coming to the Lea County Fair and Rodeo.

“This is a phenomenal rodeo, with Pete bringing all these great horses,” Bright said of Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. “I’ve just been fortunate to draw good horses and do my job well when I get here.

“It’s a big arena, and the crowd was packed and into it. It was loud when I was making that ride. That helps make a better ride. When you can hear the crowd cheering like that, it makes you want to ride better.”

Winners were all-around champion Landon McClaugherty ($2,223 in steer roping and tie-down roping); Feild, 89 points to win bareback riding and $4,496; steer wrestler Kash Koester (8.5 seconds on two runs, $1,912); tie-down roper Scott Kormos (17.4 seconds on two, $3,341); saddle bronc rider Travis Sheets (85 points, $4,190); steer roper J.P. Wickett  (42.7 seconds, $2,975); team ropers Erich Rogers and Kory Koontz (8.8 seconds on two, $2,641); barrel racer Kaley Bass (17.14 seconds, $3,927); and bull rider Scottie Knapp (91 points, $4,361).

Lea County Fair and Rodeo
Lovington, N.M.
Aug. 8-11
All-around: 1. Landon McClaugherty, $2,223 steer roping and tie-down roping

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Kaycee Feild, 89 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Real Deal, $4,496; 2. (tie) Matt Bright and Dusty LaValley, 88, $2,997 each; 4. (tie) Caleb Bennett and Seth Hardwick, 86, $1,349 each; 6. (tie) J.R. Vezain, Justin McDaniel and Casey Colletti, 83, $599 each.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 3.5 seconds, $1,912; 2. (tie) Kash Koester and Jacob Shofner, 4.0, $1,538 each; 4. Tommy Cook, 4.3, $1,164; 5. Shayde Etherton, 4.4, $914; 6. (tie) Ben Shofner and Josh Peek, 4.6, $540; 8. Hunter Cure, 4.7, $166. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Riley Duvall and Christian Pettigrew, 4.1 seconds, $1,787 each; 3. Travis Carnine, 4.2, $1,413; 4. (tie) Tom Lewis, Beau Clark, Nick Guy and Aaron Vosler, 4.4, $790 each; 8. (tie) K.C. Jones, Kash Koester and Teddy Johnson, 4.5, $55 each. Average leaders: 1. Kash Koester, 8.5 seconds on two runs, $1,912; 2. (tie) Ben Shofner and Jacob Shofner, 9.4, $1,538 each; 4. (tie) K.C. Jones and Travis Carnine, 9.5, $1,039; 6. Shayde Etherton, 9.7, $665; 7. Bray Armes, 9.8, $416; 5. (tie) Josh Peek, Teddy Johnson and Aaron Vosler, 10.2, $55.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Trevor Thiel, 8.0 seconds, $2,227; 2. Clint Cooper, 8.2, $1,937; 3. Stetson Vest, 8.4, $1,646; 4. Ross Beasley, 8.5, $1,356; 5. Clif Cooper, 8.6, $1,065; 6. Shane Hanchey, 8.8, $775; 7. (tie) Sterling Smith and Matt Kenney, 9.1, $339 each. Second round leaders: 1. Cody Ohl, 7.8 seconds, $2,227; 2. Cody Owens, 8.0, $1,937; 3. Scott Kormos, 8.1, $1,646; 4. (tie) Ace Slone and Sterling Smith, 8.4, $1,210 each; 6. J.D. Kibbe, 8.5, $775; 7. Chris Demases, 8.6, $484; 8. Matt Kenney, 8.7, $194. Average leaders: 1. Scott Kormos, 17.4 seconds on two runs, $3,341; 2. Sterling Smith, 17.5, $2,905; 3. (tie) Matt Kenney and Ross Beasley, 17.8, $2,251 each; 5. Stetson Vest, 17.9, $1,598; 6. J.D. Kibbe, 19.1, $1,162; 7. Chris Demases, 19.3, $726; 8. Cody Owens, 19.8, $291.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Travis Sheets, 85 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s True Lies, $4,190; 2. (tie) Troy Crowser and Chuck Schmidt, 8.4, $2,793 each; 4. J.J. Elshere, 83, $1,536; 5. (tie) Bradley Harter, Cody DeMoss and Curtis Garton, 81, $745 each; 8. (tie) Cody Taton and Cody Angland, 80, $209 each.

Steer roping: Third round leaders: 1. Bryce Davis, 10.5 seconds, $1,984; 2. Brent Lewis, 11.9, $1,642; 3. Scott Snedecor, 12.4, $1,300; 4. Cody Lee, 12.9, $958; 5 (tie) Rocky Patterson, Jim Davis and Buster Record Jr., 13.9, $319 each. Average leaders: 1. J.P. Wickett, 42.7 seconds on three runs, $2,975; 2. Brent Lewis, 44.4, $2,462; 3. Cody Lee, 47.8, $1,949; 4. Rod Hartness, 50.4, $1,436; 5. Landon McClaugherty, 26.2 on two, $923; 6. Scott Snedecor, 27.2, $513.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.2 seconds, $1,761; 2. Erich Rogers/Kory Koontz, 4.5, $1,531; 3. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 4.8, $1,301; 4. Nathan McWhorter/Twister Cain, $1,072; 5. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 5.3, $842; 6. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.4, $612; 7. (tie) Nate Singletary/Tom Bill Johnson and Manny Egusquiza Jr./Brad Culpepper, 5.5, $268 each. Second round leaders: 1. Travis Tryan/Jake Long, 4.2 seconds, $1,761; 2. Erich Rogers/Kory Koontz, 4.3, $1,531; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Jade Corkill, 4.5, $1,301; 4. Chad Masters/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 4.7, $1,072; 5. (tie) Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, Josh Morris/Reagan Ward and Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 4.8, $612; 8. Nathan McWhorter/Twister Cain, 5.1, $153. Average leaders: 1. Erich Rogers/Kory Koontz, 8.8 seconds on two runs, $2,641; 2. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 10.1, $2,296; 3.Nathan McWhorter/Twister Cain, 10.3, $1,952; 4. Chad Masters/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 11.3, $1,607; 5. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 11.4, $1,263; 6. Nate Singletary/Tom Bill Johnson, 12.1, $919; 7. Josh Morris/Reagan Ward, 13.3, $574; 8. Kaleb Driggers/Jade Corkill, 15.1, $230.

Barrel racing leaders: 1. Kaley Bass, 17.14 seconds, $3,927; 2. Jana Bean, 17.46, $3,141; 3. Shada Brazile, 17.64, $2,552; 4. Caren Lamb, 17.70, $1,963; 5. Gretchen Benbenek, 17.71, $1,571; 6. Savannah Reeves, 17.73, $1,178; 7. (tie) Kim Schulze and Fallon Taylor, 17.74, $933 each; 9. Megan Stock, 17.75, $785; 10. Shannon Tidwell, 17.78, $687; 11. Marisa Simpson, 17.80, $589; 12. Rebecca Hughes, 17.81, $491; 13. Cindy Smith, 17.82, $393; 14. Tara Timms, 17.87, $294; 15. Reagan Dillard, 17.88, $196.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Scottie Knapp, 91 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Wicked Game, $4,361; 2. Dalton Votaw, 89, $3,343; 3. (tie) Tyler Willis and Corey Navarre, 82, $2,035; 5. Shawn Coleman, 79, $1,018; 6. Trey Benton III, 78, $726; 7. Clayton Savage, 77, $581; 8. Jared Green, 75, $436.