ProRodeo Sports News - October 13, 2023

PRORODEO HISTORY

FROM PRCA’S 50TH NFR BOOK S addle bronc rider Tom Reeves had become a staple at the NFR, qualifying for 16 consecutive events entering the 2001 season. But, despite his consistency and longevity, Reeves had never won a world title and was thinking about hanging it up. But, after receiving encouraging words from friend Stran Smith and feeding off the energy of 21-year-old traveling partner Jesse Bail, Reeves went on to have the best regular season of his career and went into the NFR in second place in the PRCA World Standings. Reeves placed in seven of 10 rounds to finish second in the average and overtake Glen O’Neill for the world title. Cody Ohl’s march to a third tie-down roping world championship may have been his most impressive. After switching to a new horse, 17-year-old Hustler, that June, Ohl began an impressive run that was capped at the NFR, where he won or shared the win in five of the first six rounds. In the ninth round, with the title sewn up, Ohl showed that his heart matched his talent, finishing in 40.9 seconds despite tearing ligaments in his right knee during the run. Ohl also finished fourth in the steer roping world standings to take the year’s all-around championship. Bareback rider Lan LaJeunesse put together a highly efficient season to win his second world championship in three years. The Morgan, Utah, cowboy competed in just 46 rodeos before the Wrangler NFR, but rode well enough to be second in the PRCA World Standings heading into Las Vegas. Once he made it to the Thomas & Mack Center, LaJeunesse won three of the first five rounds (2, 3 and 5) and placed in four others to hold off NFR rookie Bobby Mote and finish with the world title and a PRCA-record $185,556 for the year. Team roping legends Speed Williams and Rich Skelton made some history of their own, tying Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper’s PRCA record with their fifth consecutive world championship. Although the team admitted its 2001 season was not its best, Williams and Skelton came through when it counted, winning the NFR average title for the only time during their historic run of eight consecutive world titles. Twenty-three-year-old Blue Stone may not have been expected to be a factor in the fight for the bull riding world championship when he got to Las Vegas for his first NFR, but it didn’t take long for the Ogden, Utah, bull rider to establish himself, scoring 94 points on Diamond G Rodeo Company’s Mr. USA to win the first round. He went on to win at least a share of first place in three other rounds and was the only cowboy to ride eight bulls, earning the average title, as well. The fairytale ending for Stone was one weekend away from never happening; he said a $10,744 check at Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days was the difference between Stone going home for the summer and staying on the road. In five previous NFR appearances, Janet Stover had come away with three reserve world championships. In 2001, she went to Las Vegas with a deficit of $48,778, and the leader, Kelly Yates, was the clear favorite to win it all. But when Yates’ horse slipped in the first round, the title went back up for grabs, and Stover seized the opportunity, winning four rounds and earning a check in five others to run away from the field. Her $126,934 earned at the NFR was nearly $65,000 better than the next-biggest winner, and she defeated the second-place Yates by $48,385. Reeves captures elusive saddle bronc crown; Ohl has a memorable NFR ’01 NFR Rewind

Mike Copeman photo

ProRodeo Hall of Famer Cody Ohl had a memorable 2001 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, winning the PRCA All-Around and Tie-Down Roping World Championships.

ProRodeo Sports News 10/13/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 10/13/2023

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