ProRodeo Sports News - November 17, 2023

WRANGLER NFR HISTORY

A determined Will Lowe, aboard Smokeless Goldy of the Bar T Rodeo string, capped off an incredible season by claiming his first world championship.

Steer wrestler Teddy Johnson arrived at the 2003 Wrangler NFR with the goal of paying down the mortgage on his 42-acre spread in Checotah, Okla. He did that by Round 6 during his gold buckle performance. Mike Copeman photo

Mike Copeman photo

NFR Rewind ’03 Bulldogger Teddy Johnson pays down mortgage with NFR money

The Billings, Mont., cowboy won his sixth world championship and tied the legendary Casey Tibbs for most all-time. Mortensen, who claimed his last gold buckle in 1998, left Las Vegas with $89,288 and finished the year with $219,999. Earlier in the season, Mortensen became the first roughstock cowboy to surpass $2 million in career earnings. Trevor Brazile won his second consecutive all-around title competing in the team roping (heading) and tie-down roping at the Wrangler NFR. Brazile, roping with Wayne Folmer, placed ninth in the team roping and fifth in the tie-down roping world standings. The Decatur, Texas, cowboy claimed the all-around gold buckle with $294,839, followed by 2003 World Champion Tie-Down Roper Cody Ohl ($222,025). Brazile’s dominant victory was far different from his 2002 win, when he edged roughstock cowboy Jesse Bail by $14,052. Brazile became only the 10th cowboy since the PRCA began awarding all-around titles in 1949 to win back-to-back all-around titles. The last one to do it was Joe Beaver from 1995-96. “The regular season went exactly like I planned,” Brazile said. “The Monday (in 2002) after we were done right here (in Las Vegas), I knew I didn’t want to be in that situation again, where it came down to the last calf on the

last day.” Brazile also finished second to Guy Allen at the National Finals Steer Roping, held a month earlier in Amarillo, Texas. Allen surpassed the legendary Jim Shoulders for most world titles in ProRodeo history with his 17th steer roping gold buckle. Shoulders set the previous mark of 16 at the first National Finals Rodeo in 1959. Ohl’s world championship in the tie-down roping was a heroic return to triumph after a right knee injury in 2001, and subsequent surgeries, sidelined him for much of 2002. Terry Don West, 38, became the second-oldest bull rider to win a world title, and finished the year with a PRCA earnings record of $211,879. Freckles Brown accomplished the feat at age 42 in 1962. “I told myself when I was 30, that I was done riding bulls,” he said. “To be 38 years old and to win a world championship, that’s awesome to me.” An elated Janae Ward described her world title in barrel racing as “a dream come true.” The Oklahoma State University student rode Dyans Plain Special, owned by Jud Little, and locked up the gold buckle in Round 9. She won an NFR-best $111,908. Ward, who came into the Wrangler NFR in 14th place, finished the year with $155,792.

FROM THE NFR 50TH BOOK S teer wrestler Teddy Johnson was focused on winning a world champi onship for reasons other than winning a gold buckle at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. His first thought was paying down the mortgage on his 42-acre ranch in Checotah, Okla. By the end of the 45th annual event, Johnson had won $67,129 and the gold buckle. “This is validation for the last seven years since I’ve been in the sport,” he said. “I knew I had it in me; it was just a matter of doing it.” Johnson finished first in Round 6 in 3.3 seconds to clinch the world title

and won Round 7 in 3.6 seconds en route to a year-end total of $149,499. The excitement unfolded in front of a record 10-performance crowd of 176,625 fans. Along with Johnson, team ropers Speed Williams and Rich Skelton also had an electric week. The duo captured its seventh straight world title and rewrote the record books. Their seventh title equaled the PRCA record for most team roping titles, set by Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper in 1994. Williams and Skelton tallied year-end earnings of $180,305 apiece – another PRCA record. Saddle bronc rider Dan Mortensen also reached a PRCA milestone.

ProRodeo Sports News 11/17/2023

DEC. 7-16, 2023 ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo Sports News 11/17/2023

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