ProRodeo Sports News - Sept. 29, 2023

OMAHA RIVER CITY RODEO OMAHA, NEB. Omaha win puts Chase Brooks in prime position for sixth straight NFR bid Closing Strong TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY EARNER Clayton Sellars ($4,112, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING

BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News C hase Brooks needed something positive to happen. Rodeo in Hermiston, Ore., on August 12. Since then, he’s earned just $11,752 over the course of 16 rodeos, more than half of which came from the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-up and Caldwell (Idaho) Night Rodeo. With the season quickly drawing to a close, Brooks needed to build some confidence and get some comfort for his position in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. The weekend of Sept. 22-24 provided both. Brooks started with an 84-point ride on Cervi Brothers’ Panther, tying him with Brody Cress for the top spot at the Omaha (Neb.) River City Rodeo. He followed it up by winning the Madison (Ind.) Pro Rodeo and placing third at the Cowboy Capital of the World PRCA Rodeo in Stephenville, Texas. In all, the three-rodeo swing was worth close to $9,000 in earnings. “This last month has been kind of cold, so I dang sure needed to get some wins under my belt,” Brooks said. “This weekend was great. I dang sure put on the miles and earned it, but splitting the win there, winning Madison and placing in Stephenville, it takes a lot of that pressure off this time of year.” That pressure had been building a bit as Brooks slipped just outside of the top 10 in the world standings, sitting at No. 11 coming into the weekend. For the year, he had about $127,000 earned prior to his most recent success, putting him in contention for a sixth straight trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo – but not assured. With two weeks of action left to go, including the Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup presented by Community Coffee in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Sept. 28-30, Brooks knew he had to come up big now to firm up his position. This money was extremely crucial for his NFR chances as Brooks did not earn a qualifying spot for the upcoming Cinch Playoffs, which features more than $1.1 million in prize money. “Before this weekend, I was dang sure sweating it a little bit, but after having the luck I did this weekend, I feel a lot safer about it,” Brooks said. “I think I’m pretty set, but I’ve still got a couple more left, and I’m going to try and do everything I can to make sure that I make it to Vegas.” While much of the attention to close out September will be on what happens in Sioux Falls, Brooks is planning to put his head down and continue grinding. He will hit Mona, Utah and Pasadena, Texas, over the last weekend of the month in hopes of adding a few more checks to his totals for the year to ensure himself a sixth straight trip to NFR. Getting back to the bright lights inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas is the only thing that matters. And Brooks is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. “That first night, when you’re standing behind the bucking chutes and saddling up, it was no different my fifth year than it was my first year. It’s an amazing feeling,” Brooks said of NFR. “Just being able to go down and ride in Vegas, shoot, that’s been my dream ever since I was a kid. I’ve been fortunate enough to do that now, hopefully, for six years in a row.” After picking up some sizable earnings in late July and early August, the Deer Lodge, Mont., saddle bronc rider was struggling to find a groove. Brooks grabbed $3,369 for a third-place finish at the Farm-City Pro

Sellars

1. Cole Franks ......................... 85.5 pts. 2. Tanner Aus .................................... 85 3. Orin Larsen ................................... 84 (Tie) Rocker Steiner ...................... 84 STEER WRESTLING 1. Cody Devers ......................... 3.5 sec. 2. Jacob Edler .................................. 4.1 3. Adam Musil ................................. 4.4 TEAM ROPING 1. C. White/T. White .................. 5.6 sec. 2. D. McIntire/W. Moore .................. 7.7 3. C. Smith/R. Boos ......................... 7.8 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Chase Brooks ........................ 84 pts. (Tie) Brody Cress .......................... 84 3. Kolby Wanchuk .......................... 82.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Tom Crouse .......................... 8.6 sec. 2. Billy Hamilton .............................. 9.8 3. Austin Hurlburt .......................... 10.2 BARREL RACING 1. Wenda Johnson ................ 14.07 sec. 2. Summer Kosel ......................... 14.23 3. Kricket Gintner ......................... 14.30 BULL RIDING 1. Clayton Sellars .................... 87.5 pts. 2. Trey Benton III ........................... 85.5 (Tie) Luke Mast .......................... 85.5

Complete results/Page 56

Emily Hilton photo

Chase Brooks split the win at the Omaha River City Rodeo with an 84-point ride on The Cervi Brothers’ Panther.

ProRodeo Sports News 9/29/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 9/29/2023

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