Clements recovers for key dollars

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Mason Clements rides Stace Smith's Black Cactus for 84.5 points Sunday night to place for the third time in four rounds. (PRCA PRORODEO PHOTO BY JAMES PHIFER)

LAS VEGAS – His right hand and arm are sore, but Mason Clements isn’t letting that hamper him at the National Finals Rodeo.

A night after the Northcott Macza horse Spilled Perfume spilled Clements and had him hang off on the side of the animal for several seconds, he rebounded with an 84.5-point ride during Sunday’s fourth go-round to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place.

“I had to go home and work on my get-off,” he said with a laugh. “You don’t train for those scenarios, but the training, the preparation, the grit and the fight that you need to ride is implemented when those scenarios do happen.”

Mason Clements
Mason Clements

On Sunday night, Clements spurred Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Cactus Black to pocket $3,667. That pushed his NFR earnings to $43,282 and his season total to $142.818.

“I knew that was a really nice horse, but I’ve never been on him,” Clements said. “I had a couple guys tell me he was a really nice horse and say the he was going to leave like a rocket and jump back into the chutes.

“I was lucky to draw that one and get my feet back under me, get my timing ready for tomorrow and the rest of the week.”

The hang-up happened after Spilled Perfume overpowered the Springville, Utah, cowboy and dumped him onto the left side of the horse with his right hand still stuck into the tight rigging. All the horse’s power was twisting and turning on that right hand and arm, but arena personnel eventually got the animal slowed down for Clements to slide to the other side enough to free his hand.

The result was a swollen hand that is being treated by the Justin Sportsmedicine Team that’s working the championship.

“Nothing has changed in my mind,” Clements said. “Obviously things are a little more sore now, but my mindset hasn’t change; it’s still going for the win. You step on the back of the chutes and you put your rigging back on your horse. You’ll have soreness; you’ll have injuries.

“If they’re not going to be life-threatening or career-threatening, things need to be blocked out. This is rodeo, and it’s a tough business. Cowboy up.”

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