LAS VEGAS – The bright lights of Las Vegas can be blinding for newcomers to the National Finals Rodeo.

Though saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper is a veteran, now with five straight qualifications, he found out first-hand what Sin City can do during Saturday’s third go-round. Matched with Diamond G Rodeo’s Thunder Rollz, the horse struggled in the limelight. Fortunately, the officials noticed and gave Casper the option of another horse.

“We took a chance on that horse; he’s pretty young and came from Crash Cooper up in Canada, and he’s been known to produce a bunch of good horses,” Casper said of the selection process for the NFR animals. “I’ve seen about seven videos of him, and he’s a badass. It’s just that Vegas can do some tricky stuff, especially for a horse that ain’t seen a whole lot.

“It’s a tiny arena, and the horse was just a little lost.”

It became a benefit for Casper. His re-ride horse was Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Ricky Bobby, a veteran of the game. In July, the two matched up for 90 points in Nampa, Idaho, where Casper shared the championship-round win. On Saturday in Las Vegas, the two tangoed across the Thomas & Mack Center dirt for 86 points, good enough to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the round, worth $20,285. It was the second straight night for Casper to cash-in at the NFR.

After learning about his second chance, Casper eased back behind the chutes, grabbed his saddle, the halter he had used and the rein and began putting his equipment on Ricky Bobby.

“I was just trying to take my time a little bit, saddle him in the back, pulled (the cinch) and we rolled out there and went,” said Casper of Miami, Texas. “I’ve had some history with that horse. He’s just the same every time, around there to the left. I knew the rein (measurement) at least, so that was good. That just makes it easier when you’re getting on.”

He increased his NFR earnings to $35,718. He has ridden three horses for a cumulative score of 252 points and is tied for fourth place in the aggregate race. He has increased his annual salary to $255,502 and sits sixth on the money list with seven rounds remaining on the season.

“We just keep chopping wood out there and using these horses how we can and roll the dice they’re throwing at us,” he said. “I feel like I’m riding good, so we just keep hoping they run the best ones under us, and we make sure we use them.”