ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 21, 2018

WRANGLER NFR FINALS RECAP

full time. Brazile is going to an abbreviated schedule in 2019 to spend more time with his family. Then he went out and won his 14th All-Around title, and he did it by winning Round 10 of the tie-down roping in 7.2 seconds. It was his 73rd career go-round win at the Wrangler NFR – in tie-down roping and team roping – and National Finals Steer Roping, yet another record. “When I came into Round 10, I was honestly so thankful that I had another chance,” Brazile said. “It wasn’t maybe the best chance. I had to win the round and do some certain things, but it was at least a chance, and as a competitor that’s all you can ask for.” Brazile entered Round 10 trailing his brother-in-law Tuf Cooper by a little more than $12,000. Cooper won the All- Around title in 2017. In bareback riding, two-time defending champion TimO’Connell came into the 2018Wrangler NFR with the slimmest margin in the world standings he’d had over the last three years. He saw that lead of $14,822 vanish by Round 7 of the Finals, with Caleb Bennett moving into first. But O’Connell wasn’t ready to relinquish his title of world champion. O’Connell split the aggregate with Steven Dent to propel the Zwingle, Iowa, cowboy to his third consecutive world championship with $319,801. “It’s surreal,” said O’Connell, who didn’t move into first

Tie-down roper Trevor Brazile won Round 10 with a 7.2-second time. The round victory helped him clinch his 14th all-around world championship and 24th PRCA world title – both PRCA records. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Billie-Jean Duff

place in the world standings until August. “It was a battle from Day 1. The season started slow, it picked up. It was a fight through the end of the season. It came down to me leaving it all on the line when it came down to the 10th round.” Only seven bareback riders have won four or more world championships. Team ropers Clay Smith and Paul Eaves went out together in the best way possible. The duo who decided before the Finals kicked off Dec. 6 to go their separate ways on the rodeo trail, put together a team roping championship run. Team roping header Smith and team roping heeler Eaves stopped the clock in 4.4 seconds in Round 10 to clinch third in the aggregate and win their respective world championships with $289,921 each. They cashed in for $174,577 apiece at the Finals. Their third-place aggregate finish was 34.5 seconds on eight head. “It’s everything we’ve worked for,” said Smith, 27. “It’s what we’ve wanted since we were young,” said Eaves, 28. “It’s unbelievable.” Steer wrestler Tyler Waguespack opened the 2018Wrangler NFR with a Round 1 victory. He closed it with a world title. The 28-year-old, Gonzales, La., cowboy claimed his second world championship in three years with $260,013. Waguespack spurred the victory with his aggregate win – 44.5 seconds on 10 head. He trailed regular-season leader Curtis Cassidy by $26,425 when the Finals opened. Waguespack won Rounds 1 and 8 and placed in five others. Over the 10 days, he won $180,429. After winning Round 9, Waguespack knew the world title was well within reach. “I knew after the ninth round if I could go in and win the average that the world title would take care of itself,” he said. For the second time in his career, tie-down roper Caleb Smidt is a world champion. The cowboy from Bellville, Texas, won the 2018 gold buckle with $232,817, capping it off by winning the average in 83.7 seconds on 10 head. The average win cashed for $67,269. Smidt’s previous world title (it also included the average title) came in 2015. His newest title is the one he’s most proud of. “This is awesome,” said Smidt, 29. “It has been a few years, but this one means a lot more to me than the first one.”

Smidt’s only round win of the 2018 Finals came in Round 1, but he placed in four other rounds. Wade Sundell, who qualified for the saddle bronc riding for the Finals every year between 2007 and 2015, finally had reason to celebrate in Las Vegas. Sundell won $177,327 at the 2018Wrangler NFR to propel him to his first gold buckle with $280,636. “Words can’t explain it, it’s amazing,” he said. “I’ve been trying to do it since the first time here, but I’m glad it came and hope there’s more to come.” Sundell focused on getting back to Las Vegas. He accomplished that, getting in with the eighth-most money won among saddle bronc riders. He trailed regular-season leader Jacobs Crawley by $64,792. But Sundell chipped away at the leaders. He just kept riding. He placed in the first three rounds, won Round 5, placed in Round 6, split the win in Round 7 and placed in the last two rounds. Sundell already has plans for the money he won. “Life will do that to you,” he said about his housefire this past summer. “But keep your chin up – there’s no sense in being a Sally. … (I will) rebuild the house.” With her first gold buckle already in hand after clinching in Round 9, barrel racer Hailey Kinsel won with a WPRA single-season record $350,700. “We had (the world championship) won, and I could have run (Sister) to try for that Top Gun deal, but she owes me nothing,” Kinsel said. “We accomplished our main goal, and we are getting ready for 2019.” Kinsel finished seventh in the aggregate, winning four rounds along the way. She may have clinched a night early, but she didn’t get her gold buckle officially until after Round 10. Bull rider Chase Dougherty had a fabulous Wrangler NFR debut. In addition to winning the bull riding average, the newcomer to the Finals won the RAMTop Gun Award, given to the competitor who wins the most money at the Finals in one event. Dougherty won $209,058 at the Finals. As the winner, Dougherty was awarded a 2019 RAM 3500 Heavy Duty Truck. He also received a RAM Top Gun-branded gun from Commemorative Firearms, as well as a custom Top Gun buckle from Montana Silversmiths. The 10-day attendance for the Wrangler NFR was 169,171.

ProRodeo Sports News 12/21/2018

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