ProRodeo Sports News | 2020 Year-End Edition | Dec.18, 2020

PRCA ProRodeo photos by Roseanna Sales

said. “I guess it wasn’t entirely in our hands, we had to do the best we could do and it had to fall right, but it was exciting all day knowing we had a chance.” The reality of their situation didn’t hit Lovell immediately. “Honestly, after last night’s (Round 9) win when we were being interviewed, I still didn’t know, and then when we went over there (to Texas Live) I didn’t know we went up (in the world standings) with money,” Lovell said. “We had so many ups and downs this week that it was just trying to support your family is what it got to the point of – catch the steers, don’t get selfish, don’t get greedy and use your head, for me. And then last night I looked at it and was like, ‘Man, we kind of do have a chance,’ but it just had to fall right and come together.” Despite the high stakes, they weren’t nervous, Lovell said while crediting his horse, Bartender, and Eaves for making a fast catch. “He heeled the fire out of him,” Lovell said. Their 4.4-second win in Round 10 gave a $26,231 boost in the world standings, so it didn’t matter that they were out of the money in the average, where they finished 11th. “It was crucial, we had to do it,” Eaves said. “We had to win the round to win the world – it was everything – and we knew coming into it that it would be that way.”

Two Records Tied Two go-round records were tied dur- ing the 2020 Wrangler NFR. Dustin Egusquiza and Travis Graves made a 3.8-second run in Round 2, tying Turtle Powell and Dakota Kirch- enshlager’s 2014 record. In Round 5, Clay Smith and Jade Corkill made a 3.6-second run, tying Garret Tonozzi and Kinney Harrell (2006) and JoJo LeMond and Cory Petska (2010).

ProRodeo Sports News 12/18/2020

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