ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 21, 2018

ALL AMERICAN SERIES FINALS

$15,279 – $12,500 of which he earned in the finals. JAMIE HOWLETT CLAIMS BAREBACK RIDING CROWN Bareback rider Jamie Howlett captured one of the biggest wins of his career when he took home the title at the All American Pro Rodeo Finals. “This win is right there with my win at Red Bluff (Calif.),” said Howlett, who captured the California rodeo win in April. “This is great. I don’t have a lot of words for it right now.” Howlett, a native of Queensland, Australia, rode Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Shady Nights in the finals for the first time in his career. He had an 86.5-point trip to edge Bill Tutor by a half point. “I heard everything about that horse and have seen it a bunch of times, and by golly, it feels amazing to be on that thing,” Howlett said. “It was a crazy-fun ride. This is a big win for me, and now my next goal is to make the NFR.” Howlett earned $12,773 inWaco. He finished 28th in the 2018 standings with $35,969. DURFEY WINS FOR FIRST TIME AT ALL AMERICAN

Shane Hanchey (2015) and Marcos Costa (2017). GUENTHNER SNARES STEER WRESTLING TITLE A year ago, steer wrestler Scott Guenthner let a chance to win the All American Pro Rodeo Finals slip away. “I came into the finals No. 1, and I didn’t have any luck and it was just a disaster,” said Guenthner, who is from Provost, Alberta. “This year, I came with a little bit different attitude in the finals.” Guenthner had a much different result this time around, claiming the title with a 4.1-second run. “I thought I broke the barrier, but fortunately I didn’t,” he said. “To win something like this is a great accomplishment because lots of guys don’t get a chance to ever compete here.” TEAM ROPERS BROWN/ KOCH VICTORIOUS With one solid run, team roping header Billy Bob Brown and heeler Hunter Koch couldn’t wipe the smiles off their faces. The duo clocked a 4.8-second run in the finals to win the All American Pro Rodeo Finals. “This is the biggest win of my career,” Brown said. “I

Bull rider Parker Breding had an 87-point ride on Andrews Rodeo’s Rank Hank in the finals to win the All American Pro Rodeo Finals in Waco, Texas, Oct. 13. Breding left town after winning a rodeo-best $15,279. James Phifer photo

was using a horse I got last year, his name is Decent, and he’s 14. He’s just honest, and he’s been good for me. This is awesome to be the champions.” Brown and Koch each earned $10,879. “This is my first time here, and it is awesome to win,” Koch said. “Billy Bob did a great job all week and made my job easy. We came out with a win. I wasn’t nervous in the finals, but in the semifinals I was a little nervous. But Billy Bob and I had a good feeling, and things worked for us.” It’s not as if steer roper Scott Snedecor needed a tune-up before competing at the 2018 ClemMcSpadden National Finals Steer Roping at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., Nov. 2-3. Snedecor is the two-time reigning world champion and a four-time world champion. But he did hone his skills even more at the All American Pro Rodeo Finals, winning the rodeo with a 34.3-second time on three head. SCOTT SNEDECOR TAKES STEER ROPING CROWN

The decorated career of veteran tie-down roper

WACOWINNERS BAREBACK RIDING Jamie Howlett 86.5 pts. STEER WRESTLING Scott Guenthner 4.1 sec. TEAM ROPING Billy Bob Brown/Hunter Koch 4.8 sec. SADDLE BRONC RIDING Chase Brooks 89 pts. TIE-DOWN ROPING Tyson Durfey 8.6 sec. BARREL RACING Ivy Conrado 15.99 seconds STEER ROPING Scott Snedecor 34.3 sec./three head BULL RIDING Parker Breding 87 pts.

Tyson Durfey got even better inWaco.

Durfey, the 2016 PRCA world champion, added the All American Pro Rodeo Finals crown to his résumé, thanks to clocking an 8.6-second run in the four-man finals at the Extraco Events Center. “I had a little bit of a stronger calf, and I knew my catch was in good shape, but I reached a long way and my go was a little funny and wide,” Durfey said. “I was just trying to hustle and keep my feet. When I flanked the calf, I wanted to keep everything tight and nice and clean, and it just worked out. The calf took a tie and I got a championship.” Durfey qualified for the four-man finals by winning the nine-man semifinals earlier in the evening with a 7.2-second run. That time was 0.1 seconds off the All-American Pro Rodeo Finals record of 7.1 seconds, shared by

ProRodeo Sports News 12/21/2018

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