Cord McCoy didn’t have a great ride Wednesday night during the third go-round of Super Series III at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

But he made the whistle. The score, a 70.5, reflected the “trashy” dance between McCoy and his bull, Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix Tiny Dancer. There was no confetti. There wasn’t even a standing ovation. Those things don’t happen when a bull ride totals 70.5.

But it was a timely ride for McCoy, who watched the other seven bull riders fail to make the qualifying eight-second ride. That meant the $2,000 McCoy earned for winning the go-round moved him to third place in money earned and catapulted the Tupelo, Okla., cowboy into the next level of the bracketed format. Clayton Savage won the series with $7,000, followed by Howdy Cloud’s $5,250. Chance Roberts also advanced.

While McCoy cashed in for the first time in his three rounds at Super Series III, tie-down roper Tyson Durfey placed for the third straight night. His 8.6-second run secured his first round victory and helped him earn the three-head average. All told, Durfey has collected $8,000 so far.  Others to advance were Cory Solomon, J.D. Kibbe and Shank Edwards.

The top four in the other events were:
Bareback riding: 1. Jessy Davis, 2. Luke Creasy, 3. Jared Smith and 4. Steven Peebles.
Team roping: 1. Justin Yost/Kyle Crick, 2. Turtle Powell/Jhett Johnson, 3. Riley and Brady Minor and 4. Travis Tryan and Rich Skelton.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. J.J. Elshere, 2. Curtis Garton, 3. Ryan Mackenzie and 4. Tyrell Smith.
Steer wrestling: 1. Stockton Graves, 2. Wade Sumpter, 3. Kenneth Lewis and 4. Curtis Cassidy.
Barrel racing: 1. Brenda Mays, 2. Jeanne Anderson, 3. Benette Barrington and 4. Lindsay Sears.