ProRodeo Sports News - August 23, 2019

Sundell, Cress split win at inaugural Xtreme Broncs Tour Finale Historic Night

BY TRACY RENCK R eigning PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding World ChampionWade Sundell and Brody Cress shared history. The saddle bronc riders split the inaugural Xtreme Broncs Tour Finale title in apid City, S.D., Aug. 22. Sundell and Cress each notched 178 points in the two-head average. “I’ve been looking forward to this deal for a long time,” Sundell said. “Having this amount of money and the crowd that was here, it was outstanding, and it was an amazing feeling to win.” Cress agreed. “I’m just so thankful for the guys who took the time to put something like this together,” he said. “It’s outstanding for us to be able to have Xtreme Broncs matches, and they took it a step further and gave us a Finale with $50,000 added. That was amazing. There could have been 22 other guys who came in just as well. The set of horses they put together and the crowd here was ecstatic with every ride. It was one of the coolest things I have ever been a part of.” The top 12 saddle bronc

horse, and I did what I needed to do to get back (to the finals).” Cress also was excited about his first-round ride. “He (Professional Lunatic) gives you every chance you need,” Cress said. “He took a little scoot and stacked up and circled around to the left and was awesome.” During the eight-man finals, Sundell took the event lead with his 92-point ride on Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic from Hell, the 2018 PendletonWhiskey Let ’er Buck Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year. J.J. Elshere had a 93.5-point ride on Lunatic fromHell earlier this season in Rapid City. “That horse was amazing,” Sundell said. “He had a couple of moves right there and just stacked up and I did my part. It was fun. I It was Sundell’s third 92-point ride this season. With the pressure on, Cress didn’t flinch. He posted a 90-point ride on J Bar J’s Hell on Hooves to tie for the win. “She was dang-sure bucking, and I knew if I just gassed it and did my job that it would work out well,” Cress said. “With the caliber of horses and guys who were getting on (Aug. 22), my mindset was to just go at them.” love that horse.”

riders in the PRCA | RAM World Standings and the top 12 in the Xtreme Broncs standings competed in the Finale. The top eight advanced to the finals. The Xtreme Broncs Finale will air on CBS Sports at a later date. The win couldn’t have come at a better time for Sundell and Cress. Sundell was 15th in the latest PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with $72,731, and Cress was 14th with $73,296. Sundell earned $10,599, while Cress walked away with $12,315. “It takes a lot off a guy’s shoulders winning a good chunk like that and bumping him up in the standings a little bit and getting off that bubble,” Sundell said. In the first round, Sundell had an 86-point ride on J Bar J’s Bullet Proof. Cress, meanwhile, had an 88-point

ride on Burch Rodeo’s Professional Lunatic.

“It was a long time ago that I had been on that horse,” said Sundell, 34. “It was a good

Alaina Stangle photo

Wade Sundell posted a 92-point ride in the finals on Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic from Hell.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/23/2019

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