LAS VEGAS – Once good things begin in Sin City, the ball can get rolling rather quickly. Kyle Irwin knocked his steer down in 4.1 seconds Friday night to finish in a tie for third place in the second round of the National Finals Rodeo, collecting his first paycheck of this year’s championship. On Saturday[...]

LAS VEGAS – Nobody understands how humbling of a sport rodeo is better than Orin Larsen. A year ago, he suffered a rib injury early at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and had to learn how to ride through the excruciating pain. Once he did, he found the pay window each of the final five[...]

LAS VEGAS – Tim O’Connell is on a mission. The reigning world champion bareback rider has another Montana Silversmiths gold buckle on his mind, and he is taking advantage of every opportunity he can to gather a second one. On Friday night, he matched moves with Calgary Stampede’s Y Not Cyrstal for 87 points to[...]

LAS VEGAS – Weston Pender had never fought in front of an audience until Friday afternoon. He didn’t let it intimidate him. In fact, he became the first man in freestyle bullfighting history to do a front flip over his animal during his 82-point bout in the first of three days of qualifying for the[...]

LAS VEGAS – The only difference from his second-round victory in 2017 and his Round 10 round title a year ago is that Garrett Smith gets to enjoy the experience a little more. Everything else was the same Friday night at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “That’s my second round win on the same bull,”[...]

Saddle bronc riding: 1. CoBurn Bradshaw, 89.5 points on Calgary Stampede Tiger Warrior, $26,23;. 2. Sterling Crawley, 83, $20,731; 3. Brody Cress, 82.5, $15,654; 4. Cody DeMoss, 81.5, $11,000; 5. Audy Reed, 78, $6,769; 6. (tie) Taos Muncy and Jake Wright, 76.5, $2,115. Tie-down roping: 1. Trevor Brazile, 7.4 seconds, $26,231; 2. Cade Swor, 7.7,[...]

LAS VEGAS – Tanner Aus knew bareback riding at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo was going to be steller. “The competition here is incredible,” said Aus, who earned a share of the second-round victory Friday night after an 87.5-point ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Scarlet Fever. “Everyone showed up to ride. Everyone is in[...]

LAS VEGAS – The first-round jitters surprised even Richmond Champion, who is competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the third time in four years. “Last night was the most nervous that I’ve ever been,” said Champion, who failed to catch a check on opening night but more than made up for it in[...]

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Tanner Aus on Pickett Pro Rodeo Scarlet Fever and Richmond Champion on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo Fancy Free, 87.5 points, $23,481 each; 3. (tie) Jake Vold and Tim O’Connell, 87, $13,327 each; 5. Jake Brown, 86.5, $6,769; 6. Orin Larson, 85, $4,231. Team roping: 1. Dustin Bird/Russell Cardoza, 3.9 seconds,[...]

1. Tanner Milan, 3.5 seconds, $26,231; 2. Tyler Pearson, 4.0, $20,731; 3. (tie) Kyle Irwin and Jon Ragatz, 4.1, $13,327 each; 5. Nick Guy, 4.2, $6,769; 6. Tyler Waguespack, 4.3, $4,231.