Photograph by Tom Donoghue
LAS VEGAS – The first two rounds of the Wrangler NFR were unkind to two-time defending bareback riding champion Tim O’Connell. He failed to place in either round, meaning no extra money. Yet he still held first place in the world standings.
That lead grew quite a bit after O’Connell won Round 3 with an 88.5-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Craig at Midnight in front of 17,031 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Saturday, Dec. 8.
1. Soon-to-be father earns big check in Rapid City
RAPID CITY, S.D. – There’s nothing like an expanding family to inspire a guy to dig a little deeper.
LAS VEGAS – J.W. Harris wasn’t focused on sending any sort of message on the first night of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He did anyway. The three-time world champion bull rider came to the Thomas & Mack Center entrenched in one of the most intriguing battles – trailing long-time 2012 world standings leader and NFR rookie Cody Teel by a little more than $7,000 – but erased it and took over the world lead in front of 17,460 fans, winning the first round with a 90.5-point ride aboard Four Star Rodeo’s Stink Eye.