Published: December 14, 2007 08:31 am            

BRETT HOFFMAN: National Finals Rodeo living up to its history

LAS VEGAS — The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo bolted out of the chutes for the first time in 1959 at the Dallas State Fairgrounds.

Its mission traditionally has been to round-up the top 15 competitors in each event and offer fans the ultimate rodeo of superstars.

Since 1985, the championships have been conducted in Las Vegas where the sport’s elite are pitted against the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s top livestock.

Year after year, the NFR never fails to deliver stunning times and scores and record breaking feats. And this year’s NFR, which began Dec. 6 and runs through Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center, has been no different.

Topping the list newsmakers is defending world all-around champion Trevor Brazile who was in the process of setting the PRCA’s annual earnings record.

Brazile, 31, entered Monday night’s performance $4,056 shy of the milestone and all the Decatur cowboy needed to do was finish fifth (worth $4,231) in either a round of tie-down roping or team roping.

But Brazile shattered the record during his first run of the night. He and team roping partner Patrick Smith, the 2005 world champion from Midland, each earned $16,394 by winning the fifth round with a time of 4.6 seconds.

Last year, Brazile broke the annual earnings record after winning the world all-around title with $329,924. After finishing in the money in tie-down roping and team roping on Thursday night, Brazile led Josh Peek in the world all-around title race, $381,221 to $202,196.

Brazile also clinched his fifth world all-around title on Thursday night, meaning that it was mathematically impossible for Josh Peek to catch him after that performance. And he’s pretty modest when asked about the business of reaching milestones.

“I just know that I’m winning the same amount or better than I did the year before,” Brazile said. “As long as I keep that pace, we’ll keep up with inflation.”

Another cowboy making an impact is Justin McDaniel, who set an NFR record with a score of 91.5 in bareback riding.

The first time NFR qualifier stunned a Saturday night crowd by breaking the 2002 mark of 91 set by Will Lowe of Canyon.

McDaniel, 21, who turned in the record ride aboard a bronc named Delta Ship owned by the J Bar J Ranch Rodeo Co., said he benefited by changing riggings.

“I went back to my old one,” McDaniel said. “I was fighting my rigging in the first two rounds and had cracked out a new one here like a dummy.”

A year ago, McDaniel, was a Vernon College student competing in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Southwest Region against riders from schools such as Texas Tech, West Texas A&M and Howard

College. But the Porum, Okla., cowboy burst onto the PRCA scene and entered the NFR ranked second in the bareback world title race.

He was among 36 first-time qualifiers in a larger-than-average freshman class. Some other first-timers include Josh Peek, a tie-down roping and steer wrestling qualifier who ranks second in the world all-around race behind Brazile; Heath DeMoss, a saddle bronc rider who won the fourth round and steer wrestler Matt Reeves of Pampa who won Round 2.

East Texas watch

• Stace Smith of Athens was named PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year for the fourth consecutive season. Smith’s roster of rodeos are in cities ranging from Dallas to Amarillo to Huntsville. Smith’s stock has been noticable at the NFR. On Dec. 9, Smith’s famous bronc Big Jet helped DeMoss win Round 4 with a score of 86.5.

• Joey Bell Jr. of Malakoff competed in steer wrestling at the NFR for the fourth time. He also qualified in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

• Clay Collins of Malakoff served as a barrelman during the bull riding compeition. It was his first NFR.

Brett Hoffman is a 20-year rodeo columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Hoffman, who grew up in Paducah and attended Vernon College,he can be reached at brett@myrodeoinsider.com.

        

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