DUNCAN, Okla. – Stockton Graves’ focus all weekend was on winning the steer wrestling average championship at the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo.

He did that, clinching the coveted title on Saturday night during the third go-round of this year’s championship event at the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center in Duncan. Combined with the year-end title he’d clinched before the finale even began, the Newkirk, Okla., cowboy was quite happy with the outcome.

“It’s nice to win both,” said Graves, a seven-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “I’ve done it numerous times.  It’s a goal of mine when I came in here this weekend.”

By winning the average, he added $1,767 to his annual total. More importantly, it served as a great bonus; those earnings helped Graves hold off Trell Etbauer of Goodwell, Okla., for the year-end all-around title. Graves finished the year with $22,634, edging Etbauer by about $800.

“I had a good year in the bulldogging, so I thought I’d rope a couple calves and see if I could win the all-around,” Graves said, noting that he earned about $800 in tie-down roping at the Topeka (Kan.) PRCA Rodeo in August. “Trell’s an outstanding athlete, and I thought he’d get me because he’s so good at all three events. I don’t like the calf roping that much; it takes a lot of work and I don’t want to put that much work into it.”

But it paid off in the long run; that tie-down roping paycheck was just the difference in Graves’ first Prairie Circuit all-around championship. But Graves is one of the best steer wrestlers in the world, so his $21,836 earned at rodeos primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska was his a priority. He did so on an old friend, 20-year-old Chunk, a steer wrestling horse he bought from Gene Loch of Maryville, Mo.

“That’s the horse that got me to my first NFR in 2004,” Graves said. “I bought him in 2000. Gene knows horses. He called and said he had a nice horse, so we went to look at him and bought him. I kind of retired him a couple years ago. Last year, when my little horse died, I jumped around on a few horses. Midway through the year, I went and got him out of the pasture.”

“A lot of people have won money on him over the years. He’s good and broke, and he loves his job.”

Chunk came through again over the last three days. Graves placed in both the first two go-rounds, then turned in a solid final-round run to win the average championship by one-tenth of a second over Riley Duvall of Checotah, Okla.

“I had a great year in the circuit, and I wanted to finish the year strong,” Graves said. “Duncan has been good to me as far as the circuit finals goes. I won the average last year. I would’ve liked to have bulldogged a little better, but I got by. This is a big deal to me.”

Graves is joined by the other average champions, including bareback riders Brian Leddy of Roll, Okla., and Caine Riddle of Vernon, Texas; team ropers Troy Boone of Mutual, Okla., in heading and Derrick Peterson of Louisburg, Kan., in heeling; saddle bronc rider Travis Sheets of Hyannis, Neb.; tie-down roper Caddo Lewallen of Morrison, Okla.; barrel racer June Holeman of Arcadia, Neb.; and bull rider Sam Wyatt of Fittstown, Okla.

They all qualify for the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, which takes place next April in Oklahoma City. They will be joined by the year-end champions: Riddle in bareback riding (by sharing the average championship, Leddy will join Riddle); Graves (year-end runner-up Kyle Irwin of Robertsdale, Ala., will go to the RNCFR); header Nick Sartain of Yukon, Okla.; heeler Reagan Ward of Edmond, Okla.; saddle bronc rider Joe Lufkin of Sallisaw, Okla.; tie-down roper Jerome Schneeberger of Ponca City, Okla.; barrel racer Gretchen Benbenek of Aubrey, Texas; and bull rider Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Okla.

Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo
Oct. 17-19
Duncan, Okla.
All-around: Circuit Finals: Trell Etbauer. Year-end: Stockton Graves.

Bareback riding: First round: 1. (tie) Brian Leddy, on New Frontier Rodeo’s Full House, and Caine Riddle, on New Frontier Rodeo’s Barely Legal, 77 points, $1,014 each; 3. (tie) Brody Cooper and Justin Lindquist, 68, $435 each. Second round: 1. Caine Riddle, 73 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s Blue Yonder, $1,159; 2. Monty Goodwin, 71, $869; 3. Brian Leddy, 69, $580; 4. Logan Glendy, 63, $290. Third round: 1. Brian Leddy, 75 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Satin Sheets, $1,159; 2. (tie) Caine Riddle and Logan Glendy, 71, $724; 4. Justin Lindquist, 70, $290. Average: 1. (tie) Brian Leddy and Caine Riddle, 221 points on three rides, $1,521 each; 3. Brody Cooper, 195, $869; 4. Logan Glendy, 188, $425. Year-end champion: Caine Riddle.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Chancey Larson, 4.3 seconds, $1,178; 2. Colt Stearns, 4.4, $884; 3. Kyle Irwin, 4.5, $489; 4. Stockton Graves, 4.6, $295. Second round: 1. (tie) Trell Etbauer and Riley Duvall, 4.0 seconds, $1,031; 3. Dean Gorsuch, 4.1, $589; 4. Stockton Graves, 4.4, $295. Third round: 1. Chancey Larson, 3.8 seconds, $1,178; 2. Dean Gorsuch, 4.1, $884; 3. Jule Hazen, 4.5, $589; 4. Trell Etbauer, 5.1, $295. Average: 1. Stockton Graves, 14.2 seconds on three runs, $1,767; 2. Riley Duvall, 14.3, $1,325; 3. Kyle Irwin, 14.9, $884; 4. Shane Sparks, 15.3, $442. Year-end champion: Stockton Graves

Team roping: First round: 1. Tavis Walters/Tad Sheets, 6.2 seconds, $1,178; 2. Troy Boone, 6.4, $884; 3. Joe Macoubrie/Dawson McMaster, 7.0, $589; 4. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, $295. Second round: 1. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 4.8 seconds, $1,178; 2. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 5.8, $884; 3. (tie) Joe Macoubrie/Dawson McMaster and Troy Boone/Derrick Peterson, 6.0, $442. Third round: 1. Cole Markham/Jake Pianalto, 4.5 seconds, $1,178; 2. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 4.9, $884; 3. Trey Harmon/Jace Crabb, 5.9, $589; 4. Troy Boone/Derrick Peterson, 6.0, $295. Average: 1. Troy Boone/Derrick Peterson, 18.4 seconds on three runs, $1,767; 2. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 19.1, $1,325; 3. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 9.7 seconds on two runs, $884; 4. Joe Macoubrie/Dawson McMaster, 13.0, $442. Year-end champion header: Nick Sartain. Year-end champion heeler: Reagan Ward.

Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Travis Sheets, 79 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Dreamer, $1,178; 2. Joe Harper, 78, $884; 3. Weston Ireland, 72, $589; 4. Trell Etbauer, 69, $295. Second round: 1. Ty Atchison, 82 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s Sand Creek, $1,178; 2. Casey McGooden, 75, $884; 3. Roper Kiesner, 74, $589; 4. Travis Sheets, 68, $295. Third round: 1. Ty Atchison, 80 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Night Latch, $1,178; 2. Joe Harper, 75, $884; 3. Travis Sheets, 74, $489; 4. Cody Hamm, 68, $295.  Average: 1. Travis Sheets, 221 points on three rides, $1,767; 2. Casey McGooden, 206, $1,325; 3. Cody Hamm, 192, $884; 4. Ty Atchison, 162 points on two rides, $442. Year-end champion: Joe Lufkin

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Jerome Schneeberger, 8.8 seconds, $1,178; 2. Caddo Lewallen, 9.7, $884; 3. Garrett Nokes, 10.3, $589; 4. Cole Wilson, 11.0, $295. Second round: 1. Bryson Sechrist, 8.2 seconds, $1,178; 2. Caddo Lewallen, 8.5, $884; 3. Garrett Nokes, 9.3, $589; 4. Ryan Bothum, 9.5, $295. Third round: 1. Bryson Sechrist, 9.1 seconds, $1,178; 2. Jeff Miller, 9.6, $884; 3. Ryan Bothum, 9.9, $589; 4. Cole Wilson, 11.1, $295. Average: 1. Caddo Lewallen, 29.9 seconds on three runs, $1,767; 2. Ryan Bothum, 30.5, $1,325; 3. Jerome Schneeberger, 31.7, $884; 4. Cole Wilson, 34.0, $442. Year-end champion: Jerome Schneeberger.

Barrel racing: First round: 1. Emily Miller, 16.28 seconds, $1,178; 2. June Holeman, 16.46, $884; 3. (tie) Gretchen Benbenek and Kyra Stierwalt, 16.50, $442 each. Second round: 1. June Holeman, 16.03 seconds, $1,178; 2. Kyra Stierwalt, 16.18, $884; 3. Gretchen Benbenek, 16.26, $589; 4. Carol Chesher, 16.33, $295. Third round: 1. Kyra Stierwalt, 16.14 seconds, $1,178; 2. June Holeman, 16.20, $884; 3. Alexia Mehrle, 16.27, $589; 4. Gretchen Benbenek, 16.31, $295. Average: 1. June Holeman, 48.69 seconds on three runs, $1,767; 2. Kyra Stierwalt, 48.82, $1,325; 3. Gretchen Benbenek, 49.07, $884; Carol Chesher, 49.58, $442. Year-end champion: Gretchen Benbenek

Bull riding: First round: 1. (tie) Brennon Eldred, on New Frontier Rodeo’s Night Rider, and Trevor Kastner, on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Turbo Ryder, 82 points, $1,031 each; 3. Sage Kimzey, 78, $589; 4. Sam Wyatt, 72, $295. Second round: 1. Sam Wyatt, 87 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s Newsflash, $1,178; 2. Sage Kimzey, 85, $884; 3. (tie) Cody Sierks and Trevor Kastner, 82, $442 each. Third round: 1. Guthrie Murray, 87 points on David Baily Rodeo’s Jim Jam, $1,620; 2. Sam Wyatt, 74, $1,325. Average: 1. Sam Wyatt, 233 points on three rides, $1,767; 2. Trevor Kastner, 164 points on two rides, $1,325; 3. Sage Kimzey, 163, $884; 4. Guthrie Murray, 119, $442. Year-end champion: Sage Kimzey.