ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 20, 2019

BAREBACK RIDING AVERAGE WINNER

Clayton Biglow acknowledges the Thomas & Mack crowd after Round 10 where he cemented the world championship and average title. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Steve Gray

Eight is so Great

Biglow wins 5 rounds, places in 8 to win average

BY TRACY RENCK B areback rider Clayton Biglow couldn’t have

He then added a win in Round 7 with his 91.5-point ride on Rafter G Rodeo’s Ankle Biter. In winning Round 8, Biglow set the

go-round record at the Wrangler NFR. The old mark was 89.5 points by Steven Peebles in 2015. Biglow surpassed that with his 90-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Showstomper. Biglow made more history, becoming the first bareback rider to win four consecutive rounds at the Wrangler NFR. Bareback rider Kaycee Feild won three rounds consecutively in 2011 at the Wrangler NFR. Feild won a bareback riding-record six rounds that year. “I was dreaming and didn’t want to wake up,” said Biglow, who had won four career Wrangler NFR rounds before this year. “It has not hit me yet.” He then capped his 2019Wrangler NFR with a 93-point ride on Northcott Macza’s Stevie Knicks in Round 10 – tying his own arena record. Biglow set the arena record in Round 5 of the 2018Wrangler NFR with a 93-point ride on C5 Rodeo’s Virgil. “I set some serious goals this year, and they came true,” Biglow said. “Hard work does pay off.” In addition to his round wins, Biglow also placed second in Round 1, fifth in Round 3 and split third in Round 9.

picked a better time to ride

the best in his career. At the 2019Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Biglow was nearly unstoppable. Biglow won five of the 10 rounds and placed in eight to capture the world championship and average titles for the first time in his career. The California cowboy won the average with 886.5 points on 10 head. TimO’Connell, who won the world championship from 2016-18, finished second in the average with 871.5 points. “I came out every night and tried to win first every single night,” Biglow said. “I’m so glad I drew good. It’s really hard to come here and draw the right ones, and I drew great, great horses all year long and here. I don’t even know what to say, I seriously don’t.” Biglow had an incredible Wrangler NFR. He won Round 5 with a 92.5-point ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Scarlett Belle and shared Round 6’s top honor with Caleb Bennett and Tilden Hooper after all three riders had 88.5-point rides. Biglow’s ride in Round 6 came on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Freckled Frog.

ProRodeo Sports News 12/20/2019

ProRodeo.com

34